True, Magnetic, and Compass Direction
Understand the direction references well enough to avoid applying a memorized variation rule backward.
YOU WILL BE ABLE TO
- 01Identify the rule, source, or principle behind this idea: True north is geographic; magnetic north is the direction of Earth's magnetic field; compass heading also includes instrument deviation.
- 02Explain the operational effect of this idea: Sectionals show isogonic lines and the amount of magnetic variation.
- 03Apply the lesson to a new mission and defend a go, modify, or no-go decision.
01 / MISSION
Begin with the operating problem.
A mission brief gives a true course while a visual observer will call traffic using magnetic headings.
02 / CORE BRIEF
What the remote pilot needs to know.
True north is geographic; magnetic north is the direction of Earth's magnetic field; compass heading also includes instrument deviation.
Sectionals show isogonic lines and the amount of magnetic variation.
Conversion must begin by naming the known and desired direction; an unexplained add-or-subtract mnemonic is unsafe.
03 / PILOT DECISION
Make the call.
Perform and label the conversion explicitly, then use one shared reference in the crew brief.
04 / FIELD CHECK
Put it into the flight plan.
Write the equation with TRUE and MAGNETIC words before entering numbers.
05 / KNOWLEDGE CHECK
Why is a direction-conversion mnemonic risky by itself?
Reveal the debrief
It can be applied in the wrong direction unless the known and desired references are identified first.
RELATED FAA REFERENCES
Verify before you fly.
Educational summary only. Current regulation, FAA approval conditions, manufacturer instructions, and site-specific facts control the operation.