Definition
The pre-flight process of preparing all the information and decisions needed to conduct a flight safely and legally, including route selection, altitude choice, fuel calculation, weather analysis, weight and balance, performance data, alternate airports, and review of applicable regulations and procedures.
Plain English
Working out everything you need to know before you take off — where you're going, how you'll get there, how much fuel you need, what the weather will do, and what rules apply.
Context Anchor
Seen before every flight, and especially in instrument flying, where weather, routing, fuel, and backup airport choices must be decided before departure.
Derivation
Flight comes from Old English words meaning to move through the air. Planning comes from plan, which originally meant a flat drawing or map. Together, the words point to laying out a flight in advance instead of simply deciding as you go.
Why Pilots Care
Most in-flight problems are easier to prevent on the ground than to solve in the air. Thorough flight planning catches fuel shortages, weather hazards, airspace issues, and performance limitations before they become emergencies. It is also a regulatory requirement under FAR 91.103, which obligates the pilot in command to become familiar with all available information concerning the flight.
Intuition Check
Flight planning does not mean only picking a destination or drawing a line on a chart. In aviation, it means checking the whole flight before departure, including safety, fuel, weather, aircraft limits, and backup choices.
Example Sentence 1
During flight planning, she checked the forecast winds aloft and chose a cruise altitude that gave her a useful tailwind.
Example Sentence 2
Thorough flight planning allowed the instructor to adjust the departure time when headwinds increased fuel burn.