Difference between "course" and "track"

[Sidestick_n_Rudder]

Hi guys,

I am about to give some classes in Navigation and while preparing, I have noticed I don't really know the difference between "course" and "track". Could anyone help me out?

[rigpiggy]

From porune 2010

In language terms there might be no difference, I don't know.

In aviation there is a big difference.

Track is the real path (vector) the aircraft is flying. Heading plus/minus WCA (wind correction angle) is track.

Course is defined as a line from a VOR. There are courses inbound and outbound (sometimes referred as radial). Where I come from, the word course always implies from/to a VOR (sometimes an NDB, but then it's rather a QDM/QDR).

There might be different definitions in aviation in different regions of the world. I've flown in Europe, Asia, Africa, USA and Australia, and it's always been the same (well, more or less...)

Also explained here http://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/7997/why-separate-autopilot-controls-for-course-and-heading/7998#7998

[Sidestick_n_Rudder]

Ok, Thanks. English is not my native language, hence the confusion.

Got it, though :)

[eckhard]

Caution if you happen to read any old British manuals from WW2 days: “course” means “heading”.

[Sidestick_n_Rudder]

Same in my native language. I wanted to explain it to students and then found out I didn't know the difference between "course" and "track" :ok:

[megan]

Definitions from RAAF Publication 95, August 1942.

Course: The course of an aircraft in flight is the horizontal angle from the meridian passing through the aircraft to its longitudinal axis. Thus the course always indicates the direction relative to the meridian in which the aircraft is heading. Except when there is no wind or a wind directly ahead or astern the course of the aircraft is not the direction in relation to the ground along which it travels.

Track: The track of an aircraft is the horizontal angle from the meridian passing through the aircraft to a line representing the direction in relation to the ground along which it flies.

As eckhard cites, course means heading.

[reefrat]

Course is what you steered, track is where you went.

[RAT 5]

I have an odd feeling (tried sitting down for a few moments, but it persisted) that course = HDG comes from our sailor brethren. Much of early aviation terminology passed over from the nautical fraternity.
IMHO, in today's modern era Rigpiggy has it. HDG is sometimes called, in old RAF speak, a Steer (ships again) is also a HDG, but a track is the line drawn on the ground by a vertical pointer extending from the a/c.

[aterpster]

Course is the great circle route between two points; waypoints for RNAV, VORs for the old system. Track is what the pilot (or autopilot) has to do to maintain that course.