HEADING TRACK POS DEV IN A B727. WINDS ALOFT AT 90 KTS FROM THE N AT FL370. WRONG COURSE SET ON HSI. CTLR CORRECTS FLC.

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WE WERE EBOUND IN CRUISE FLT ON A SEGMENT OF J-128 THAT WAS 246 NM FROM VOR TO VOR. WINDS WERE NORTHERLY AT APPROX 90 KTS. I HAD NOTICED THAT WE WERE 1 DOT R OF CTRLINE ON THE HSI; BUT THAT THE FO HAD A HEFTY CRAB OF ABOUT 20 DEGS TO THE AIRWAY COURSE. I THOUGHT HE WAS CORRECTING AND SAID NOTHING. A FEW MINS WENT BY AND CTR POINTED OUT TO US THAT WE WERE MORE THAN 10 NM; R OF CTRLINE AND RECLRED US DIRECT TO THE NEXT VOR (HBU). I CHKED THAT WE WERE ABOUT 5 DEGS S OF THE 039 DEG COURSE; WHICH AT 112 MI FROM THE NAVAID PUT US OUTSIDE THE AIRWAY. THEN THE FO REALIZED THAT HE HAD SET THE WRONG COURSE IN HIS HSI. I HAD INCORRECTLY ASSUMED THAT HE WAS ON TOP OF THINGS BECAUSE HE WAS HIGHLY EXPERIENCED; AND I FAILED TO CONFIRM THAT THE CORRECT COURSE WAS SET IN HIS HSI; WHICH IS DIFFICULT TO SEE FROM ACROSS THE COCKPIT. FUTURE RECURRENCE OF THIS SIT WILL BE PREVENTED BY VERBALIZING ALL COURSE BEARINGS AS THEY ARE SET; AND VISUALLY VERIFYING THEM AS WELL. THIS REQUIRES EXTRA EFFORT IN THE B727 BECAUSE THE COURSE READOUT IS RECESSED WITHIN THE HSI; AND CANNOT EASILY BE READ FROM THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE COCKPIT.