Aircraft arriving to and departing from MSP are under the guidance of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and established aircraft operating procedures. The FAA directs all aircraft in and out of MSP through the coordinated use of established flight procedures, directional headings and navigational equipment. Aircraft arriving and taking off do not fly with reference to landmarks along the ground because the navigation systems and flight procedures must be designed with respect to the orientation of the runways. Runways are designed with respect to prevailing winds. Arriving aircraft use a straight-in approach path, known as a final approach course. Aircraft being lined up for arrivals on any of the runways at MSP track inbound on a navigational aid comprised of equipment on the ground (Instrument Landing System – ILS) interacting with instrumentation onboard the aircraft. The navigational equipment ensures that an aircraft follows a straight line that will align the aircraft with the touchdown point of the runway. It also keeps the aircraft at a precise angle and slope while descending, which will bring it safely to the touchdown point of the runway. After takeoff, the FAA disperses departing aircraft over a wide area in order to maintain safe and efficient use of the airspace. The FAA “fans” these departures by taking into consideration the departure runway, destination airport and airspace congestion at the moment, then directs the aircraft to fly a certain directional heading. These methods are FAA standards and are used at airports all around the country.