Beyond the obvious fact that Chicago hasn’t moved, how do the airlines get there every day? Flight planning is a basic skill that is put to use by all levels and sectors of the aviation community. Luckily, airline pilots are not required to plot courses, but flight plans are created for every flight, every day.
Using a computer system, professional dispatchers prepare flight plans based on previous flights’ historical data for weather and routing. Generally these flight plans are along preferred ATC routings; however, sometimes deviations occur. ATC designates these preferred routes based on traffic flow and the national airspace system.
The computer system calculates segment distances and fuel burn based on aircraft performance data. That means each aircraft an airline operates has a specific profile for flight-plan calculation. This makes putting together a flight plan exceptionally easy. Plug in a departure and destination, select the preferred route—either ATC or weather avoidance—and the computer will tell how long it’s going to take, how much fuel will be burned, and even suggest the altitude for best aircraft performance.
Using this performance data, the dispatcher will make additional amendments to the flight plan based on weather or preference. Selection of an alternate airport, for instance, is often done manually. That requires additional fuel, and the computer will compute en-route time and fuel burn to the alternate, adding to the total fuel required for the trip.
Once all the calculations are made and verified, the flight plan is sent to the flight crew for use during preflight planning and en route. Generally the flight crew will print the flight plan and carry it with them to the destination. Included in the flight plan are the different waypoints along the route, segment distances, fuel burn per segment, estimated arrival times, and en-route times.
Once in the aircraft, these waypoints are programmed into a flight management system (FMS). The FMS will sequence the aircraft from waypoint to waypoint during the flight, and when coupled to the autopilot, it will fly the entire route as programmed. This makes true cross-country navigation manageable and easy—as long as the flight plan is entered correctly.
Airline pilots no longer plot courses on charts and calculate flight plans manually, but those calculations are all still being made. Now they're created by a professional dispatcher who uses a computer.
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