Relative wind for an airplane in flight flows opposite to the direction of flight. Which factor determines the direction of the relative wind?

• A. The actual flight path
• B. The wind speed
• C. The aircraft's airspeed
• D. The magnetic heading

Answer: (A)

Relative wind is the airflow past the airplane, so its direction is opposite to the airplane’s velocity through the air. That velocity is set by the actual flight path through the air, not by where you’re pointing or by how fast the wind is blowing over the ground. In calm air, the relative wind points straight opposite your path and roughly opposite your nose, but with wind the ground track can drift while the air-relative motion—the actual path through the air—defines the direction of the relative wind. Airspeed tells you how strong that wind is, while wind speed changes where you go over the ground, not the direction of the relative wind. Magnetic heading is where the nose is pointed, which may differ from the motion through the air in wind, so it doesn’t determine the relative wind direction.