Definition
An online service that lets pilots file, amend, close, and retrieve flight plans, and that often bundles weather briefings, NOTAMs, and route planning into the same platform. In the United States, the primary government-provided system is operated by Leidos Flight Service through 1800wxbrief.com; commercial flight planning apps and services can also file flight plans into the FAA system on the pilot's behalf.
Plain English
It is the online tool a pilot uses to tell the FAA where they plan to fly, when, and along what route, and to get the weather and other information needed for that flight.
Context Anchor
Seen during preflight planning, especially when getting a weather briefing or filing a flight plan before departure.
Why Pilots Care
Using the system correctly ensures legal compliance for certain flights and triggers search-and-rescue if the aircraft becomes overdue.
Intuition Check
Do not read this as the flight plan itself. The flight plan system is the tool or service used to handle the flight plan.
Example Sentence 1
Before departure, she logged into the flight plan system to file her VFR flight plan and pull a standard weather briefing for the route.
Example Sentence 2
After landing, the pilot closed the flight plan through the same system to avoid unnecessary alerts.