flighting

Flights are a core mechanism in Windows Insider and enterprise update pipelines, where Microsoft controls which builds reach devices via server-side configuration rather than local settings alone. The tagged content describes an incident where Windows 11 Insiders in the Release Preview channel unexpectedly received builds from a different flight path after a server-side change, illustrating how flighting can override local preferences. This highlights the cloud-orchestrated nature of modern Windows update distribution, where remote servers determine which preview builds or feature sets are delivered to testers and managed devices. Understanding flighting is essential for IT administrators and Insiders who need to anticipate how server-controlled rollouts may affect their systems.