If a true heading of 350° results in a ground track of 335°, what is the wind direction?

To determine the wind direction when provided with a true heading and a ground track, you must understand the relationship between these elements and the influence of wind on an aircraft's path. The true heading is the direction in which the aircraft is pointed relative to true north, while the ground track is the actual path the aircraft follows over the ground.

In this scenario, the true heading is 350°, and the ground track is 335°. The difference between the true heading and ground track indicates the wind’s effect on the aircraft's intended path. Since the true heading of 350° is greater than the ground track of 335°, this suggests that the wind is coming from the right side of the aircraft, pushing it to the left.

To find the wind direction, you take the true heading and subtract the difference between the true heading and ground track. The difference is 15° (350° - 335°). Since the wind is causing the aircraft to drift leftward, and you want to find the direction from which the wind is coming, you adjust this heading back towards true north.

Starting from the ground track of 335°, you add the 15° to this value to find the wind direction:

335° + 15° =