The magnetic compass will initially indicate which direction when a right turn is entered from a north heading?

• A. Turn toward the East
• B. Turn toward the West
• C. Turn toward the South
• D. Turn toward the North

Answer: (B)

When you start a turn, the magnetic compass isn’t instantaneous. The compass card has inertia and is damped, so it lags behind the airplane’s changing heading. From a north heading, entering a right-hand turn toward the east, the card will momentarily deflect toward the west—the opposite direction of the actual turn—before it catches up and shows the new heading. As the turn progresses, the indication sweeps through north and east and settles on the actual heading. This turning error is a normal behavior of the magnetic compass and is why you verify with another heading reference during maneuvers.