flight path

American  

noun

1. the trajectory of a moving aircraft or spacecraft relative to a fixed reference.

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flight path British  

noun

1. the course through the air of an aircraft, rocket, or projectile Compare approach glide path

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Etymology

Origin of flight path

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

The software generates 3-D renderings that soldiers can use to simulate the best flight path for a drone.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

Planes continually rumble overhead in Walter Thompson-Hernández’s “If I Go Will They Miss Me,” shot on location at Nickerson Gardens in Watts under the flight path to LAX.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026

Starship’s upper stage reached the highest planned point in its flight path, but it went into a spin on the way down, blowing up over the Indian Ocean.

From Salon • Jan. 12, 2026

"Subsequently, there is a deviation observed in the vehicle flight path."

From Barron's • Jan. 12, 2026

“Wait, Leo. Can a satellite show me the flight path from New York to California?”

From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes