Flight plan - Definition and Overview

Flight plans are plans filed by pilots with the local regulatory authority (e.g. FAA in the USA) prior to flying. They generally include basic information such as departure and arrival points, estimated time, alternate airports in case of bad weather, type of flight whether instrument flight rules or visual flight rules, pilot's name and number of passengers. Flight plans are required for flights under IFR. Under VFR, they provide a way of alerting rescuers if the flight is overdue.