Definition
A flight plan is specified information, filed orally or in writing with air traffic control (ATC) or a flight service station (FSS), describing a proposed flight. It typically includes aircraft identification, type, departure point, route, altitude, destination, estimated time en route, fuel on board, and the number of persons on board.
Plain English
A flight plan is a written or spoken summary of where you're flying from, where you're going, the route you'll take, and how long it should take. It's filed with aviation authorities before the flight so they know what to expect.
Context Anchor
Seen in preflight planning, weather briefings, dispatch paperwork, and forms or electronic systems used before departure.
Why Pilots Care
Filing ensures ATC can provide separation services and assists search-and-rescue efforts if the aircraft is overdue.
Intuition Check
Do not read “flight plan” as just a pilot’s private idea of the trip. In FAA use, it means specific flight information prepared or filed in a recognized format before the flight.
Example Sentence 1
Before takeoff, the pilot called Flight Service and filed a VFR flight plan to Bozeman.
Example Sentence 2
After landing, the pilot closed the FP with the destination FSS as required.