northerly turning error

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July 1, 2026

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Northerly turning error is a navigational issue that affects magnetic compasses in aircraft. When an aircraft turns, especially to the north, the compass may incorrectly indicate a greater or smaller angle than the actual turn. This is due to the influence of the Earth's vertical magnetic field on the compass, causing erroneous readings. This problem was significant in early aviation, leading to the development of more advanced compass systems like the gyromagnetic compass, which uses a gyroscope to maintain a stable horizontal platform and provide more accurate directional information. Celestial navigation, on the other hand, uses the positions of celestial bodies to determine a navigator's location on Earth.123

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Improved compasses
…important of such effects, called northerly turning error, caused the compass to indicate a greater or smaller angle than was actually being turned through. Other problems were the difficulty of obtaining stable magnetic conditions in the cockpit, with its array of metal and electrical equipment, and the need for the…
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…important of such effects, called northerly turning error, caused the compass to indicate a greater or smaller angle than was actually being turned through. Other problems were the difficulty of obtaining stable magnetic conditions in the cockpit, with its array of metal and electrical equipment, and the need for the…
Read More