Navigation
Reciprocal Heading
The reciprocal is the opposite direction on the compass — 180° away. Pilots use it for runway orientation, outbound and inbound tracks, immediate turn-around decisions when weather deteriorates, and quick mental checks during navigation revision. Enter a magnetic heading in degrees; the tool shows the reciprocal and both directions on the rose.
Navigation
A fast sanity-check for the opposite direction
Use it when you want to turn a heading into the reciprocal without doing the mental arithmetic twice.
Best for
Runway alignment, track checks, and quick navigation revision where the opposite direction matters immediately.
Good habit
Use the compass rose to compare both directions rather than relying on the number alone.
Check afterwards
Make sure the magnetic variation and the charted or published reference match the figure you are using.
Use 000–359 (360 wraps to 000).
Reciprocal updates as you type when the value is a valid number.
Result
Heading 090°
Reciprocal 270°
Blue = heading · Orange dashed = reciprocal
Reciprocal heading — common questions
- What is a reciprocal heading?
- The reciprocal is the opposite direction on the compass — 180° away from your heading. If you are on 090° magnetic, the reciprocal is 270° magnetic.
- When do pilots use reciprocal headings?
- Common uses include confirming the opposite runway end, checking outbound and inbound tracks, quick turn-back decisions, and navigation revision when you need the reverse bearing without mental arithmetic.
- Is the reciprocal always heading plus or minus 180?
- Yes for magnetic headings in normal navigation: add or subtract 180° and normalise to 0–359°. This tool does that for you and shows both directions on a compass rose.