Relative bearing is defined as the angular difference between the aircraft heading and the direction to the station, measured clockwise from the nose. Which option lists these two reference directions?

• A. The aircraft altitude and the station elevation
• B. The aircraft heading and the direction to the station
• C. The aircraft ground speed and wind direction
• D. The runway heading and wind direction

Answer: (B)

Relative bearing is the angular difference between where the nose is pointing (the aircraft’s heading) and the direction to the station, measured clockwise from the nose. The two reference directions involved are the aircraft heading and the direction to the station. This is how you determine how far off your nose is from the line straight to the station.

If the nose points east and the station lies 30 degrees clockwise from that nose position, the relative bearing is 30 degrees. The other options don’t provide those two directions needed to form the bearing: altitude and station elevation are vertical positions, not a horizontal angle to a station; ground speed and wind direction relate to motion and weather, not the station direction; runway heading and wind direction involve orientation and wind, not the station direction.