"Contact" means "touching". A contact force can't act on an object unless they're touching. Friction is a contact force.
Gravitational forces pull masses together even if they're not touching. Magnetic forces pull a piece of iron toward a magnet even if they're not touching.
Gravitational and magnetic forces are "non-contact" forces.
The direction is something between west and north. That is, a heading between 270 and 360. The exact direction depends on the airplane's airspeed and the wind speed.
