Definition
The first action in a sequence of procedural steps used in a worked example or calculation in the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge. In Chapter 16, Step 1 introduces the starting point of a multi-step navigation or performance problem, typically establishing the known values or initial setup before subsequent steps build on it.
Plain English
The first thing you do in a step-by-step example. It sets up the problem before the later steps work through it.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA handbook explanations that break a task, calculation, or planning process into numbered parts.
Derivation
Step comes from an Old English word meaning a movement of the foot. That helps the procedural meaning: a step is one move in a path, and Step 1 is the first move.
Why Pilots Care
Following the steps in order matters. Skipping or reordering them in a navigation or performance calculation usually produces a wrong answer, which in flight planning can mean wrong fuel, wrong heading, or wrong arrival time.
Intuition Check
Do not read Step 1 as optional or merely decorative. It marks the starting point of the sequence being explained.
Example Sentence 1
Step 1 of the crosswind component problem is to find the angle between the wind and the runway.
Example Sentence 2
Completing Step 1 correctly ensures the rest of the checklist proceeds without confusion.