Ghost Flight
Capt Kremin
Constant magnetic headings over this scale are indeed weird.
First, wind drift leads to a non-recoverable drift of longitude coordinate.
Second the longitude drift rate for given wind strength increases as latitude becomes more polar.
So the westerlies could have more effect on the longitude of the end point than the easterlies.
So a more Westerly heading would be needed to arrive in the same place.
And the aircraft would arrive there on a more Westerly heading - ie on a heading nearer to the direct track.
It's a rhumb world.