TRK & MAG?

[PIC]

Hi All,

I am a 19 year old wannabe and just curious to know the following.

If one is using the TRK mode on the EHSI at a crosswind landing, does that mean that if TRK is showing 274 and the runway heading is also 274 that the MAG is different (depending on the crosswind component)? If so, does that mean that in big jets, pilots no longer need to manually work out the crosswind component (vector triangle) of MAG to fly a specific track?

Any feed back will be well appreciated.

Thanks,

PIC.

[AYLGR]

Although the choice might be available to view the direction in heading or track, it is usually set by the airline (ours, like many choose heading mode). However, although the heading pointer might be at the top of the display, we do have a track line, that of course would appear to lay over the runway when the correct amount of drift is applied for the current wind. It works well when flying NDB approaches in the sim, but in real life, the wind usually backs and lowers in strength as you get close to the ground so the drift at 1,000' is not the same as that over the threshold.
On an approach, we are usually coupled to an ILS so are flying whatever heading is required to maintain the localiser (ie track to runway). The track line is a good back up though, but I don't ever use it as a primary mode.
Bob