To determine a reciprocal track after a 180-degree turn, what should be done if left drift was applied?

Determining the reciprocal track after a 180-degree turn requires an understanding of how drift affects the aircraft's track over the ground. When a 180-degree turn is made, the aircraft is essentially reversing its direction. If there was left drift during the flight before the turn, this drift will continue to affect the aircraft’s movement after the turn.

To compensate for the drift that was applied to the left, you need to adjust the new heading to account for the ongoing drift. Since the original heading was influenced by left drift, after making a 180-degree turn, the reciprocal heading would be the original heading plus 180 degrees. However, because the drift was acting to the left (causing the track to deviate left of the intended heading), the pilot must account for this by adjusting appropriately.

By flying the reciprocal heading minus twice the drift, the airplane will effectively compensate for the leftward drift that would continue to push the aircraft off course in the opposite direction. This adjustment ensures that the aircraft maintains the correct course intended for the journey.

This principle emphasizes the importance of understanding how drift can affect navigation and the need for these compensatory adjustments in flight planning and execution.