Magnetic Question

[RyanB]

I didn't have an issue with that post. It was Post #7 in answer to the OP asking if he had to take TH "first" to get MH. Since he is using winds aloft which are true, the answer is "yes", but you told him no. Then you didn't say until I intervened that you actually convert true wind to magnetic when you make the wca calculation.

I'm glad you're here to keep everyone straight.

 

[dtuuri]

I'm glad you're here to keep everyone straight.

I'm happy to do it and there's no end to my happiness here.

 

[PaulS]

I WANT to understand it because that's our (PILOT) nature. I NEED to understand it for my practical.

Sounds like you have it down. Think of it as course is where you want to go, heading is where the airplane needs to be pointed to get there. If there is no wind then they are the same.

In reality what you calculate is almost never what you end up flying because wind forecasts, while usually pretty good aren't that good.

Do lots of practice problems to make sure you have it down for your practical. You are never really sure until you can put it in practice, that means solving the problems.

 

[bobmrg]

I am a student pilot about to complete my cross country. It has been a long road but I am almost there. I don't want to get into who's right and who's wrong; I just want the answer to get my feet off the ground.
Thank you guys!

Real-life flying: Draw your course on the sectional (non-glass navigation); note where it crosses cities, lakes, railroads, etc. Go fly. Using your eyeballs, be sure to cross the cities, lakes, railroads, etc as shown on the chart. The only calculation that is important is ground speed vs fuel burn...forecast winds are usually wrong, so you base your fuel calculations on actual groundspeed, not what you calculated on the ground.

Bob