Definition
The pilot's process of selecting and drawing the intended route of flight on an aeronautical chart, including marking the course line between departure and destination, identifying checkpoints along the route, measuring distances and true courses, and noting terrain, airspace, and obstacles that affect the flight.
Plain English
Drawing the planned route on a chart and working out the details of how to get from where you're starting to where you're going.
Context Anchor
Seen during cross-country flight planning, before the pilot calculates headings, fuel needs, time, and other flight details.
Derivation
Chart' comes from the Latin 'charta' meaning a leaf of paper or map. 'Course' comes from the Latin 'cursus' meaning a running or path. Together the phrase literally means drawing your path on the map — which is exactly what the pilot does at this stage of planning.
Why Pilots Care
Creates a clear, usable flight plan that supports navigation, fuel management, and regulatory compliance while reducing the chance of becoming lost or disoriented.
Analogy
Like laying out a detailed driving route on a paper map before a long road trip, including stops and landmarks.
Intuition Check
Do not read this as just “choosing where to go.” In this FAA context, it means making a specific chart-based route plan that can be used during the flight.
Example Sentence 1
Before the cross-country, the student spread the sectional on the desk and began charting the course from the home airport to the practice destination.
Example Sentence 2
After checking the winds aloft, she adjusted the planned heading while charting the course to compensate for the expected drift.