What is a flight plan?

A flight plan is a document filed by a pilot to outline the intended route of flight. It serves several important purposes in aviation, including providing air traffic control with information about the aircraft's intended path, estimated times of arrival at various waypoints, and other pertinent details such as altitude and aircraft type. This allows for better coordination and safety in the airspace, as it helps traffic controllers manage the movements of multiple aircraft efficiently.

Filing a flight plan is crucial for both visual flight rules (VFR) and instrument flight rules (IFR), ensuring that authorities are aware of an aircraft's expected flight path and any changes that may arise. This is key for maintaining safety standards in crowded airspace and during complex operations.

Other options focus on different aspects of aviation but do not accurately define what a flight plan is. Maintenance schedules, landing procedures, and post-landing safety checks are all critical parts of flight operations but are distinct from the primary function of a flight plan.