True North vs. Magnetic North

[88_MALIBU]

Does anyone have a simple way to remember what is what...

Runway headings
Winds aloft
Approach headings

I'm making a lesson plan for a student and was hoping to find an acronym or something slick to remember. Thanks

 

[de Pez]

I recall something regarding tower reports and winds/headings. If you hear it spoken verbally from the tower/ATIS, the winds are in magnetic. Printed reports/winds aloft etc. are true. I'm sure someone will correct me on this if I'm remembering it incorrectly.

 

[PropsForward]

everything is magnetic but winds aloft I thought...


... and lat/lon lines on a sectional ...

 

[Fly_Chick]

I remembered that if the information was written, it is true.

 

[A Squared]

If you hear it spoken verbally from the tower/ATIS, the winds are in magnetic. Printed reports/winds aloft etc. are true.

I remembered that if the information was written, it is true.

*Generally*, everything you encounter in aviation is magnetic direction, the exception is printed wind direction, either in a winds aloft forecast or observed winds in a METAR.

ATIS wind idrection is magnetic

*voice broadcast* wind from an ASOS is magnetic (A METAR generated by an ASOS is still true, just like all other METARs)

So yeah, as far as wind direction, if you *read* it, it is true (winds aloft, METAR) or if you *hear* it, it is magnetic (ATIS, AWOS, tower wind check) Of course if you request weather from FSS, they will *read* the printed METARs and wind forcast to you, so those will be true.


Everything else will be Magnetic:

Runway headings
Airway directions
VOR Radials (the VORs depicted on VFR charts oriented are to magnetic north, just as the VORs themselves are oriented to magnetic north)
Courses shown on approach plates and sid/stars
Headings assigned by ATC.

Props Forward mentions that Lat Long lines are "true" which is correct as far as it goes, but that isn't something that there is a choice on. True direction is defined as the angle relative to the meridian (line of longitude), a lat/long grid really can't be anything other that true.

Anyway, long winded post (seems to be a pattern with me) but, pretty much everything is magnetic, except printed wind direction.

 

[88_MALIBU]

Thank for the great answers guys.