Editing Piloting (section)

== Points of reference ==
[[File:Enslinje Korpo 2009.jpg|thumb|Range markers in the [[Finnish archipelago]] with solar-powered leading (range) lights at night.]]

Common types of visual reference point used for piloting and pilotage include:<ref name="Bowditch">{{Citation
 | last1 = Bowditch
 | first1 = Nathaniel
 | author-link = Nathaniel Bowditch
 | last2 = National Imagery and Mapping Agency
 | author2-link = National Imagery and Mapping Agency
 | title = The American practical navigator : an epitome of navigation
 | publisher = Paradise Cay Publications
 | year = 2002
 | chapter = Chapter 8: Piloting
 | pages = 896
 | chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=pXjHDnIE_ygC&q=piloting&pg=PR1
 | isbn = 978-0-939837-54-0}}</ref>

=== Day ===
* Natural features: [[Mountain]]s, [[hill]]s, [[lake]]s, [[river]]s and coastal features such as [[cliff]]s, [[rock (geology)|rocks]] and [[beach]]es
* [[Navigational aids]]: [[sea mark]]s (including [[buoy]]s and [[beacon]]s) and [[daymark|landmarks]]
* Other structures: [[Airport]]s, [[city|cities]], [[dam]]s, [[highway]]s, and [[radio]] [[Antenna (electronics)|antennas]]

=== Night ===
* Lighted navigational aids: [[Lighthouse]]s, [[lightvessel]]s and lighted sea marks
* Lighted structures: Airports, illuminated towers and buildings

=== Vertical ===
Depth, measured with a [[Echo sounding|depth sounder]] or [[Depth sounding#Lead and line|lead line]], can be used to identify a [[Bathymetry|bathymetric]] contour or crossing point. Similarly, elevation can be used to confirm a [[geographic]] contour or crossing point. Measurement of depth and altitude allow vessels and aircraft navigators to confirm clear passage over obstructions.<ref name="Bartlett" />