How to wind-correct a heading using the HSI

By Rory Bennett (ATPL, FI: CPL, IR, ME, UPRT) · Published 25 May 2026

Set the course pointer to the desired track. Picture where the wind is coming from on the HSI face. The angle from the wind to the course pointer, as a fraction of 60, is the fraction of max drift to apply. Apply it into wind from the track. The result is your wind-corrected heading[1].

HSI face with the course pointer set to the desired track. The wind direction is marked on the compass card. The angle from the wind to the course pointer is measured directly off the rose, converted to a fraction of 60, and applied to max drift to give the wind correction angle.

The full technique in under a minute. Transcript is below the video.

Video transcript

Drift corrections using the HSI or DI. To work out a wind corrected heading, you first need the wind speed and your true airspeed. From this, you work out the max drift as shown in our previous video. To find the wind corrected heading, you can start by setting the CRS to the desired track if fitted, or look at where that would be on a DI. Then picture where the wind is coming from on the HSI or DI. The angle from this to your track, as a fraction of 60, is how much max drift to apply. Here the wind is 20° off the track, 1/3 of max drift, or 6°. Then apply this correction into wind from the track. You now have your wind corrected heading.

Why use the HSI for wind correction?

The HSI already has the geometry drawn on it. The course pointer marks your track and the compass rose marks every bearing around you. Once you can picture the wind direction on the rose, the angle you need for the clock code is already there to be read. No need for a wizz-wheel!

You will use this technique on a diversion, on an ATC-given track, when tracking a navaid, on an instrument approach, or even to hold the runway centreline after takeoff or on approach - anywhere you need a heading to fly a track in wind.

How to set up the HSI

Work out your max drift (60 ÷ TAS × wind speed)
Set the course pointer (CRS) to the desired track. If you do not have a course pointer, picture where that track sits on the DI compass card.
Picture where the wind direction sits on the HSI rose.

How to read the drift angle

Look at the angle on the rose between the wind direction and the course pointer. Take that angle up to 60 degrees as a fraction of 60: that is the fraction of max drift to apply.

60 degrees to 90 degrees: full max drift applies.
Greater than 90 degrees: take away 90, or look at the angle from the track reciprocal to the wind.

Apply the correction into wind from the track. You now have your wind-corrected heading.

Worked example

Scenario: the wind direction on the HSI sits 20° off the track

Clock code: 20 ÷ 60 = 1/3. Drift is 1/3 of max drift.

Drift: if max drift is 18°, drift = 1/3 × 18° = 6°.

Heading: apply 6° into wind from the track. The result is your wind-corrected heading.

What if the wind is behind the aircraft?

If the angle from track to wind is more than 90°, the wind sits behind the wing-tip line. Read the angle from the reciprocal of the track to the wind, and apply the same clock-code rule . The drift is still applied into wind from the track.

Common mistakes

Forgetting to calculate max drift. Before calculating the WCA, you need to calculate Max Drift based on TAS and Wind Velocity. (60/TAS)*WV .
Applying the correction the wrong way. Drift is always applied into wind from the track. Look at the direction the wind is coming from on the HSI, apply WCA that way.
Using the wrong factor with the wind from behind With the wind from behind, you will have to either take 90 from the angle from track to wind, or look at the angle from the reciprocal of track (tail of CRS needle) to the wind.

Practise this in the simulator

Reading the theory only goes so far. The simulator lets you fly the scenario in your browser with realistic instruments and wind.

Try it in the free simulator

Check your understanding

Read each question, work out the answer in your head, then reveal to check. Retrieval beats re-reading.

Track 360°, wind from 020°. What fraction of max drift applies?

Show answer

The angle from track 360° to wind 020° is 20°. 20 ÷ 60 = 1/3. So 1/3 of max drift applies.

Max drift is 18°. From the previous question, what is the wind-corrected heading on a track of 360° with wind from 020°?

Show answer

1/3 × 18° = 6° of drift. The wind is from the right of track, so the heading sits to the right of track. Heading = 360° + 6° = 006°.

Frequently asked questions

What if I do not have a course pointer (plain DI only)?

The technique still works on a plain DI. Picture where the desired track sits on the compass card and measure the angle from there to the wind direction.

Does this work for any aircraft?

Yes. The geometry is identical whether the instrument is a mechanical HSI, an EHSI on a glass PFD, or a plain DI with mental sketching. The only thing that changes is how you visualise the course on the rose.

Why does the angle work as a fraction of 60?

The clock code is the small-angle approximation of sin(θ). For θ up to about 60°, sin(θ) ≈ θ ÷ 60 to within a couple of percent, which is well inside cockpit precision. Above 60° the approximation breaks down, which is why the technique caps at full max drift past 60°. See FAA-H-8083-15B, Instrument Flying Handbook, chapter on wind triangles.

When should I stop using the clock-code method and reach for a calculator?

For tracking, approach, and en-route correction the clock code is accurate enough — typically within one or two degrees. For flight planning, performance-limited legs, or any situation where you need the exact heading and groundspeed together (long over-water leg, fuel-critical diversion), use a wind triangle on the E6B, an EFB, or the FMS, which solve the geometry exactly.

Sources

Good Flying Made Easy, How to wind correct a heading using the HSI. youtube.com/watch?v=NeWIEH6mW20
Good Flying Made Easy, Wind Corrections: How to calculate a wind corrected heading and groundspeed (long-form companion). youtube.com/watch?v=32Ty5XRZbe4

How to Calculate Groundspeed from the HSI or DIEstimate your groundspeed in flight from drift and indicated airspeed using the HSI or directional g...

This article does not constitute flight instruction. Always defer to the guidance of your qualified flight instructor and to current charts and procedures or regulations published by your country's aviation authority.