How is the term 'drift' defined in aviation navigation?

Drift in aviation navigation is defined as the lateral displacement from the intended path due to wind. When an aircraft is in flight, especially when flying across areas with significant wind currents, the aircraft may not follow the exact course intended. Instead, the wind can push the aircraft off its original flight path, resulting in what is referred to as drift.

This phenomenon is crucial for pilots and navigators to understand, as they must constantly calculate and adjust for drift to ensure they reach their destination accurately. Effective navigation involves correcting for this lateral displacement by adjusting the heading of the aircraft to counteract the wind's effect, thereby ensuring that the aircraft stays on course.

In contrast, other options represent different aspects of aviation but do not accurately describe drift in navigation. For instance, the downward movement during descent pertains to altitude changes, while speed refers to the rate of travel, and the angle of descent relates to how steeply the aircraft is approaching a runway. None of these capture the essence of drift as it pertains to lateral displacement caused by wind.