What does a true heading of 281° suggest for the direction the aircraft is facing?

A true heading of 281° indicates that the aircraft is oriented towards a direction between west and northwest. When visualizing a compass, 0° represents true north, and as you move clockwise, the degrees increase. At 270°, the direction is directly west, and at 360° (or 0°), it returns to north.

From 270° to 281°, the heading is slightly north of due west, placing it in the northwestern quadrant. Specifically, since 281° is only 11° past 270°, it denotes a direction that is more aligned with northwest than south or east.

Given this context, the correct interpretation of a 281° true heading is that the aircraft is mainly facing northwest, not southwest, as suggested.