"action of going home," 1765, in reference to pigeons, verbal noun from home (v.). Of aircraft, later missiles, from 1923. Homing pigeon attested by 1868.
Entries linking to homing
home v.
1765, "to go home," from home (n.). Meaning "be guided to a destination by radio signals, etc." (of missiles, aircraft, etc.) is from 1920; it had been used earlier in reference to pigeons (1862). Related: Homed; homing. Old English had hamian "to establish in a home."