What is a back bearing, how is it obtained, and why is it useful in confirming position during a search?

• A. A back bearing is the direction you are heading when you lose sight of the target.
• B. The back bearing is the angle from your location to the target.
• C. The bearing used to measure distance rather than direction.
• D. The bearing from the target back to your location; obtained by taking the bearing from target to you and then using the back bearing; it helps triangulate your position.

Answer: (D)

Back bearing is the direction from the target back to your current position. You obtain it by taking the bearing from you to the target and reversing it by 180 degrees (mod 360). This opposite direction is useful because it lets you verify your location or the target’s location through triangulation. If you have another bearing from a different position toward the same target, plotting both lines and their back bearing can intersect and confirm where you or the target actually are, helping to catch bearing errors and improve navigation accuracy. For example, if the bearing from you to the target is 045 degrees, the back bearing from the target to you is 225 degrees. Using this in conjunction with other bearings lets you cross-check and confirm your position.