PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Autopilot usage - Course and Track/Heading
Old 17th Aug 2020, 15:26
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Uplinker
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: UK
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I can't remember Boeing, but Airbus FBW can fly a plain heading, or a track, both of which are selected with the heading knob on the FCU. There is a pushbutton to select between Heading/Vertical speed and Track/Flight path angle, (The FD presentation becomes a Flight Path Director and looks significantly different to distinguish between the two modes). The heading is a magnetic north referenced heading; the track is also referenced to mag north but takes wind drift into account to keep to the selected track.

A330 (and maybe newer A320 family) can be referenced to True North.

As wiggy says, if ATC ask for a heading, they want a magnetic referenced heading and they are making the allowance for wind. If you were to fly a track instead of a heading, you might eventually come into conflict with nearby aircraft on headings.
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