vector

In aviation maintenance and operations, a vector is a specific heading and altitude assigned by air traffic control to an aircraft in flight. Unlike a route, which describes the overall path from origin to destination, a vector is a temporary instruction, usually lasting minutes, that directs the pilot to fly a precise compass heading at a given altitude. ATC issues vectors continuously during approach and departure phases to sequence traffic, avoid conflicts, and position aircraft for safe landing or climb-out.

The controller transmits vectors in degrees magnetic and feet altitude: for example, "turn left heading 240, maintain 3,000 feet." The pilot must acknowledge the instruction and fly it precisely using the heading indicator or autopilot. Vectors change frequently as the aircraft moves through airspace; a pilot might receive six or eight different headings in a single ten-minute descent. The vector itself makes no guarantee about the final destination track, it simply manages the immediate flight path in response to traffic flow and runway alignment requirements.

A radar vector relies on ATC having active radar observation of the aircraft. Non-radar vectors can be issued in lower-traffic areas using only radio reports of position, though these are less precise. Procedural vectors, used in remote regions, give general guidance without surveillance. The effectiveness of any vector depends on aircraft performance (climb rate, turning radius, speed capability), weather, and crew compliance. Slow aircraft or those at altitude limits may be unable to accept a tight vector sequence.

Maintenance technicians rarely interact directly with vectors, but they maintain the systems that make vectoring possible and safe: the heading indicator, autopilot servos, altitude hold mechanisms, and radio systems that carry ATC instructions. Failures in autopilot mode coupling or heading reference generate vectors that cannot be flown accurately, creating operational delays and safety concerns. The term itself comes from mathematics, where a vector is any quantity with both magnitude (altitude) and direction (heading).