Definition
The standardized set of position and status reports a pilot is required to make to Air Traffic Control (ATC) while flying along an en route portion of an IFR flight. These procedures specify what must be reported, when it must be reported, and to whom, and they include both routine reports made automatically (such as position reports in non-radar environments) and non-routine reports made whenever specific conditions occur (such as a change in airspeed, an inability to climb at a previously assigned rate, or unforecast weather).
Plain English
The rules that tell a pilot what information to tell ATC during the cruise portion of an IFR flight, when to tell them, and which reports must always be made versus which are only made when something changes.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument flight training when learning what reports a pilot must make to air traffic control during the en route part of a flight.
Derivation
"En route" comes from French, meaning "on the way." In aviation it refers to the cruise phase between the departure and arrival environments — the portion of flight where the airplane is established on its airway or route, rather than climbing out or setting up for an approach.
Why Pilots Care
Keeps controllers aware of the aircraft so they can maintain safe separation from other traffic and issue needed instructions.
Intuition Check
Do not read “reporting” here as optional updates. In this context, it means specific reports the pilot is required or expected to make at specific times or when certain events happen.
Example Sentence 1
After leveling off at the assigned altitude, the pilot reviewed the en route reporting procedures to make sure she didn't miss any required position reports while flying over the non-radar segment.
Example Sentence 2
Complying with En Route Reporting Procedures allowed ATC to clear the flight to a lower altitude without delay.