Navigation is an art practised by all who travel but it developed as a science when the means of travel took travellers beyond sight of landmarks. Thus it was seamen who initially developed the science of navigation and the requirements of the marine fraternity drove its development until the invention of the aeroplane.

The capabilities of early aircraft limited their navigation requirements but as they could fly in conditions where visual contact with the ground was lost, the need for sophisticated navigation methods grew. At first marine techniques and equipment were adopted but these were found to have severe limitations in the new environment.