NavigationQuestion 824 of 934

What do pilots call the actual path of the airplane over the ground?

  1. Course
  2. Heading
  3. Track
  4. Bearing
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Correct answer: Track

The course is the intended path. The track is the path actually made over the ground.

Source: Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), Chapter 16: Navigation — Effect of Wind, page 397

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Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026