How Pilots Navigate Across the World
Even on a long flight across oceans or continents, pilots always know where the aircraft is supposed to be.
1 min read
Flymap Learn
Navigation & Routes
Discover how pilots navigate, why routes are chosen, and what flight levels and waypoints mean.
What Flight Levels Mean
When aircraft cruise high in the sky, their altitude is often described as a flight level instead of a simple height.
2 min read
What a Waypoint Is
A waypoint is a fixed reference point used in air navigation.
1 min read
Why Planes Do Not Fly Straight Lines
When you look at a flight map, airplane routes often appear curved or indirect.
1 min read
How GPS Helps Airliners
GPS helps aircraft know their position with high accuracy.
1 min read
Why Planes Hold Before Landing
Sometimes an aircraft nears its destination but does not land right away.
1 min read
How Air Traffic Control Guides Flights
Air traffic control helps organize aircraft from departure to arrival.
1 min read
Polar Routes Explained
Some long-haul flights travel very far north and may even pass near the polar regions.
1 min read
Why Headwinds and Tailwinds Matter
An airplane moves through air, not through the ground.
1 min read
How a Flight Plan Is Built
A flight plan is much more than a line between two airports.
1 min read
Why Runways Have Numbers
They are based on the runway's direction.
1 min read
What SIDs and STARs Are
In airline flying, departures and arrivals often follow published procedures instead of making everything up in real time.
1 min read
Why Flights Sometimes Take Longer Routes on Purpose
Sometimes a flight route is intentionally longer than the most direct path.
1 min read