About us

The Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN) is a learned society with charitable status. Formed in 1947, its aims have always been threefold: to unite all those with a professional or personal interest in any aspect of navigation in one unique body; to further the development of navigation in every sphere; and to increase public awareness of both the art and science of navigation, how it has shaped the past, how it impacts our world today, and how it will affect the future.

Navigation, to the RIN, includes motion of all kinds - on land, in the air, on seas and rivers, and in space. It covers both human and animal navigation, and it includes everything from the study of mapping and the voyages of the past to the latest timing devices at the heart of modern satellites, and all the research disciplines inbetween. Navigation is both an art and a science, and the RIN exists to study, to practice and to inform the public about one of the broadest and most diverse subjects in the world.

In 2007, in recognition of the importance of its work, the RIN was granted a Royal Charter by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Read more about RIN's Aims & Objectives

  • Our history

    Read how the Institute came into being, and chart its course through sixty years of the most rapid technological progress in human history.

  • Council members

    The Institute's affairs are overseen by an elected President, Officers and Council. The Council is made up of Trustees and ex-officio representatives from the services, Department for Transport and CAA.

  • Special interest groups & branches

    The RIN runs a number of special interest groups, covering different strands of navigation, such as the Land navigation and Location Group, the General Aviation Group etc, as well as several regional branches around the UK and Europe.

  • Membership

    The Institute has members in every sphere of navigation - land, air, sea, space, animal and human navigation and research and development. There is also a class of membership for everyone, from students to large companies.

  • Press room

    News releases, policy statements, a range of images and - coming soon - audiovisual material to help you spread the word about the RIN in any way we can.

  • Contact us

    Who does what at the RIN, maps and travel details for RIN HQ, and contact details for the staff.