Definition
A flight data entry is a record of a specific flight's information held within an air traffic control system, containing details such as aircraft identification, type, route of flight, altitude, and times. Controllers use these entries to track, coordinate, and hand off flights between sectors and facilities.
Plain English
It's the digital record an air traffic controller has on file for your flight, listing who you are, where you're going, and how you're getting there.
Context Anchor
Seen in acronym lists and in contexts involving flight planning systems, cockpit avionics, dispatch systems, or air traffic systems that require flight information to be entered.
Why Pilots Care
Correct FDE prevents navigation errors and ensures accurate guidance and performance calculations.
Intuition Check
Do not read entry here as entering airspace or joining a traffic pattern. In flight data entry, entry means putting information into a system.
Example Sentence 1
The controller updated the flight data entry to reflect the pilot's request for a higher cruising altitude.
Example Sentence 2
An incomplete FDE can cause the navigation display to show incorrect waypoints en route.