Definition
A five-step operational framework used by Air Traffic Control facilities to manage traffic flow on a daily basis. The steps are: Plan (anticipate the day's traffic demand and constraints), Execute (run operations according to the plan), Review (assess how the plan performed against actual conditions), Train (apply lessons learned to controller and supervisor development), and Improve (refine future plans based on what was learned). PERTI is primarily a traffic management and operational planning cycle used inside ATC facilities, not a procedure pilots perform.
Plain English
PERTI is the daily routine air traffic managers use to run a facility well: think ahead about the day, run it, look back at how it went, learn from it, and do better next time.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA glossary material and in training or operational discussions about improving pilot or crew performance.
Derivation
PERTI is simply an acronym built from the first letter of each step in the cycle: Plan, Execute, Review, Train, Improve. The order matters — it describes a continuous loop, where 'Improve' feeds back into the next day's 'Plan'.
Why Pilots Care
Gives pilots a repeatable method to turn every flight into measurable progress and reduce the chance of repeating the same errors.
Intuition Check
PERTI is not a clearance, regulation, or required cockpit callout. It is a memory aid for a practical improvement process.
Example Sentence 1
The center's PERTI brief that morning highlighted expected thunderstorms over the western arrival corridor, so flow managers built reroutes into the day's plan.
Example Sentence 2
Using PERTI helped the pilot identify and correct a recurring issue with altitude management during instrument approaches.