Departing Hamburg two days ago, there was enough wind to warrant a 20 degrees left turn after liftoff to follow the runway track to the first waypoint of the SID. Approaching that waypoint, tower instructed me to “maintain runway heading”, implying that I should not follow the remainder of the SID. I did not think more about it until my copilot/IFR trainee turned right 20 degrees. I protested and turned back to the original heading, and then I realised the issue.
While he followed the “runway heading” part of the instruction, I just heard “maintain … heading”.
In my opinion the instruction did not make sense. You cannot maintain something you do not have – the runway heading. I was flying runway track.
I do not know any specific German rules for R/T, but the UK CAP413 states these options for the controller: “track extended centre line” – or “climb straight ahead” – or “fly heading xxx degrees”. “Maintain runway heading” is not there (anymore?).
Nothing odd about the instruction itself but I have never had it after you have departed the runway and established on track. Assuming the first SID waypoint was in front of you on the extended centreline I expect he meant maintain current heading.
I believe ATC has no right to ask you to maintain a certain track because you are not obliged to be able to know how to do that (equipment). They can ask you to maintain a heading, radial to a navaid, direct to a fix (BRNAV) but not a track.
Obviously he wanted you to continue straight and I guess you would have received a new heading should you have veered off the desired track.
Flying a track is about the most basic thing you learn during the PPL. If ATC can’t expect you to fly a track, maybe you should steer clear of controlled airspace. The required equipment would be: a magnetic compass, a pencil, a paper and a meteo briefing.
The controller doesn’t know about your wind correction….he just sees your track….if it was me in this situation I would just maintain current heading…this is surely what he meant although technically he may be should have just said maintain present heading
Thinking about it, once airborne, I seem to remember only ever hearing “maintain present heading” in Germany, and never “maintain runway heading”. The latter is more common in the US. Are you sure you didn’t misunderstand him? If it was “runway heading” it was probably a glitch by the controller.
“Maintain present heading” is unambiguous.
Flying a track is about the most basic thing you learn during the PPL. If ATC can’t expect you to fly a track, maybe you should steer clear of controlled airspace. The required equipment would be: a magnetic compass, a pencil, a paper and a meteo briefing.
“fly track xyz” is simply not a valid ATC instruction under IFR. You won’t hear it, instead you will hear “what is your present heading?” – “160” – “fly heading 170”. Flying a prescribed track without navaid/waypoint is not part of the IFR system and the controller knows that very well, thus the instruction the OP received.
BTW: a typical IFR cockpit is not setup to to easily follow a track.
very many times while in take-off position I got the instruction " after departure maintain runway heading" or “climb on runway heading”. Worldwide. And a heading is a heading not a track. I would have complained if there had been terrain (like in Bogota) … ATC will give you a new heading should they dislike a lateral displacement by wind.
When you get this instruction after being airborn then I guess the controller works on both positions, tower and departure control 
Flying a track is about the most basic thing you learn during the PPL. If ATC can’t expect you to fly a track, maybe you should steer clear of controlled airspace. The required equipment would be: a magnetic compass, a pencil, a paper and a meteo briefing.
You can’t reliably fly a track without navigational support. If you could, then we would not need the enormous amount of protected airspace around a hold. The met briefing is just a forecast and anyway winds change during the climbout. Under VFR you would use the map, but under IFR you need radio navigation.
That said, of course a pilot should attempt to correct for known wind.
Concerning the term “runway heading” – I recall that this actually means that you should correct for known wind and not just steer the heading as you would during radar vectoring. I guess this would be in one of the PANS?
Runway heading means runway heading. You should not apply drift. This is different from a VFR circuit where naturally you do.
