The first step in the incredibly complex process of transporting passengers by air from an origin to a destination is the composition of a flight plan. The flight plan is a lengthy legal and informational document that contains much more than just the routing for the flight. Flight plans are assembled by highly trained and licensed dispatchers who make the plan available to pilots anywhere from 90 minutes to an hour before departure. Flight plans are the framework for every commercial airline departure, and this article will identify some of the critical elements of a flight plan and talk about what is contained in each one.
