Which navigation term describes keeping the radio needle pointing to 0° relative bearing?

• A. Homing
• B. Tracking
• C. VOR hold
• D. DME hold

Answer: (A)

Homing describes flying directly toward a beacon by keeping the radio bearing indicator pointed straight ahead, i.e., 0° relative bearing. With an ADF/NDB navigation setup, the bearing pointer shows the direction to the station; when you align your flight so that the station lies directly in front of you, the relative bearing is 0°. That direct-to-beacon behavior is the essence of homing—you’re guiding your heading to keep the beacon ahead and proceeding straight toward it.

Tracking, by contrast, involves following a specific course relative to the beacon, which may require minor corrections to stay on that route rather than aiming directly at the beacon. VOR hold and DME hold refer to holding patterns around a fix using VOR or DME information, not simply pointing the indicator at 0° toward the beacon.