Piloting orpilotage^{[1][2][3][4][5]} is the process ofnavigating on water or in the air^[1][2] using fixed points of reference on the sea or on land, usually with reference to anautical chart oraeronautical chart to obtain afix of the position of the vessel or aircraft with respect to a desiredcourse or location. Horizontal fixes of position from known reference points may be obtained by sight or byradar. Vertical position may be obtained bydepth sounder to determine depth of the water body below a vessel or byaltimeter to determine an aircraft's altitude, from which its distance above the ground can be deduced. Piloting a vessel is usually practiced close to shore or on inland waterways. Pilotage of an aircraft is practiced undervisual meteorological conditions for flight.

Land navigation is a related discipline, using atopographic map, especially when applied over trackless terrain.^[6]Divers use related techniques forunderwater navigation.^[7]

Depending on whether one is navigating on a water course, in the air or on land, a different chart applies for the navigator:

• Nautical charts – showcoastal regions and depict depths ofwater and land features, natural features of the seabed, details of the coastline, navigational hazards, locations of natural and human-made aids tonavigation, and human-made structures such asharbours, buildings andbridges.
• Aeronautical charts – forvisual meteorological conditions depict terrain, geographic features, navigational aids and other aids to navigation. They vary in scale from 1:1,000,000 forworld aeronautical charts to 1:250,000.
• Topographic maps – show landforms and terrain, lakes and rivers, forest cover, administrative areas, populated areas, roads and railways, and other man-made features.^[8]

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  Nautical chart – includes water depth.
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  Aeronautical chart – includes elevation.
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  Topographic map – emphasizes contours – suitable for land navigation.

Coastal mariners often use reference manuals, called "pilots" for navigating coastal waters. In addition to providing descriptions of shipping channels and coastal profiles, they discuss weather, currents and other topics of interest to mariners. Notable guides include a worldwide series of "Sailing Directions" by theUnited Kingdom Hydrographic Office (formerly by the British Admiralty) that includes, most notably, theEnglish Channel, theMediterranean Sea, theRed Sea and thePersian Gulf.^[9] Another series worldwide series ofSailing Directions is by the USNational Geospatial-Intelligence Agency,^[10] which has planning guide and enroute portions. The "United States Coast Pilot", by theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Coast Survey, covers the coastal and intracoastal waters and the Great Lakes of theUnited States.^[11]

Common types of visual reference point used for piloting and pilotage include:^[12]

• Natural features:Mountains,hills,lakes,rivers and coastal features such ascliffs,rocks andbeaches
• Navigational aids:sea marks (includingbuoys andbeacons) andlandmarks
• Other structures:Airports,cities,dams,highways, andradioantennas

• Lighted navigational aids:Lighthouses,lightvessels and lighted sea marks
• Lighted structures: Airports, illuminated towers and buildings

Depth, measured with adepth sounder orlead line, can be used to identify abathymetric contour or crossing point. Similarly, elevation can be used to confirm ageographic contour or crossing point. Measurement of depth and altitude allow vessels and aircraft navigators to confirm clear passage over obstructions.^[5]

On shipboard, navigators may use apelorus to obtain bearings, relative to the vessel, from charted objects. Ahand bearing compass provides magnetic bearings.^[12] On land ahand compass provides bearings to landmarks.^[13]

Mariners useposition-fixing navigation, to obtain a "position fix" or "fix" by measuring the bearing of the navigator's current position from known points of reference. A visual fix of position can be made by using any sighting device with a bearing indicator to obtainposition lines from the navigator's current position to each point of reference. Two or more objects of known position are sighted as points of reference, and the bearings recorded. Bearing lines or transits are then plotted on a chart through the locations of the sighted items. The intersection of these lines is then the current position of the navigator.^[5]

Usually, a fix is where two or more position lines intersect at any given time. If three position lines can be obtained, the resulting "cocked hat", where the 3 lines do not intersect at the same point, but create a triangle where the vessel is inside, gives the navigator an indication of the accuracy in the three separate position lines.^[5]

If two geographic features are visually aligned (the edge of an island aligned with the edge of an island behind, a flag pole and a building, etc.), the extension of the line joining the features is called a "transit". A transit is not affected by compass accuracy, and is often used to check a compass for errors.^[14]

The most accurate fixes occur when the position lines are at right angles to each other.^[5]

Flying at low altitudes and with sufficient visibility, aircraft pilots use nearby rivers, roads, railroad tracks and other visual references to establish their position.^[4]

The line connecting fixes is thetrack over the ground or sea bottom. The navigator compares the ground track with thenavigational course for that leg of the intended route, in order to make a correction in "heading", the direction in which the craft is pointed to maintain its course in compensation for cross-currents of wind or water that may carry the craft off course.^[5]

Where a channel is narrow, as in some harbor entrances and on some rivers, a system ofbeacons allows mariners to align pairs ofdaymarks, called "range markers", to form a "leading line" (British English)^[5] or "range axis" (American English),^[15] along which to navigate safely. When lighted, these markers are called "leading lights" (British English) or "range lights" (American English). The relative positions of the marks and the vessel affect the accuracy of perceiving the leading line.

• Navigation – Process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another
  • Celestial navigation – Navigation using astronomical objects to determine position
  • Dead reckoning – Means of calculating position
  • Radio navigation – Use of radio-frequency electromagnetic waves to determine position on the Earth's surface
  • Satellite navigation – Use of satellite signals for geo-spatial positioningPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Land navigation – discipline of following a route through unfamiliar terrain on foot or by vehiclePages displaying wikidata descriptions as a fallback
• Maritime pilot – Mariner who maneuvers ships through dangerous or congested waters
• Pilot (aeronautics) – Person controlling an aircraft in flightPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Underwater navigation by divers – Underwater navigation by scuba diversPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Bowditch's American Practical Navigator – Encyclopedia of maritime navigation

• American Practical Navigator – Chapter 8: Piloting
• American Practical Navigator (complete 2019 edition, Parts I and II available in both high- and low-resolution versions, and select older versions)
• American Practical Navigator – Chapter 8: Piloting at WikiSource