Definition
Services provided by a Flight Service Station (FSS) to pilots while they are airborne, including the delivery of weather updates, the relay of clearances and messages between pilots and ATC, the acceptance of position reports, the opening and closing of flight plans, and assistance with in-flight emergencies and lost-aircraft procedures.
Plain English
When you are flying, you can call Flight Service on the radio for help. They can give you the latest weather, pass messages to and from air traffic control, take your position reports, open or close your flight plan, and help if something goes wrong.
Context Anchor
A pilot may use Inflight Services while en route, especially when checking weather, changing plans, or needing assistance away from an airport.
Derivation
“Inflight” simply means “during flight.” “Service” comes from an older word meaning help or duty. In this aviation use, the term points to help available to the pilot while the airplane is already airborne.
Why Pilots Care
Gives pilots access to current weather, flight plan modifications, and emergency help without having to land.
Intuition Check
Inflight Services does not mean passenger service or cabin service. Here it means flight information and pilot assistance available while the aircraft is in the air.
Example Sentence 1
About halfway to the destination, the pilot called Seattle Radio to use inflight services for an updated weather briefing along the route.
Example Sentence 2
While en route the crew used inflight services to close their VFR flight plan after landing became impractical.