flight plan

noun

: a usually written statement (as by a pilot) of the details of an intended flight (as of an airplane or spacecraft) usually filed with an authority

Examples of flight plan in a Sentence

The pilot filed a flight plan before taking off.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Under Canadian law, the crime of hijacking includes using force or threats of force to cause an aircraft to change from its flight plan. Aaron Cooper, CNN Money, 17 July 2025 What To Know Bild reported that the Russian Il-20M took off from Kaliningrad with its transponder switched off and without a flight plan filed around 9 a.m. Friday. Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 June 2025 Under China’s national paragliding regulations, pilots are required to have a valid license issued by the Aero Sports Federation of China, and a flight plan must be approved before any activity. Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 29 May 2025 Russian pilots often disable their transponders, do not file flight plans, and do not notify regional air traffic control, which NATO officials have described as high-risk behavior. Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for flight plan

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of flight plan was circa 1936

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Cite this Entry

“Flight plan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flight%20plan. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on flight plan

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