If an aircraft has a true heading of 281° and a true course of 286°, what might this suggest about the wind conditions?

The correct choice indicates that the wind is coming from the left side of the aircraft. This can be deduced from the difference between the true heading and the true course.

When the true heading is 281° and the true course is 286°, the aircraft's heading is to the left of its intended course. This discrepancy suggests that there is a wind component that is affecting the aircraft's movement over the ground. Specifically, the aircraft is likely being pushed to the right by wind coming from the left, hence it has to maintain a heading slightly to the left (281°) to stay on its intended course (286°).

Understanding wind drift is crucial for navigation, particularly in aviation. Winds can affect the ground track of an aircraft, causing it to need to adjust its heading to maintain a straight course over the ground. In this scenario, the fact that the true heading is left of the true course strongly indicates a left crosswind affecting the aircraft.