diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
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--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/).
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Added
+- `README.md` describing the plugin, its installation, its documentation, and how it is built and validated by hand.
+
 ## [1.0]
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+# FlyCommand
+
+## Description
+
+FlyCommand is a Spigot plugin that lets permitted players toggle flight mode on and off with a single command. It adds one command, `/fly`, and nothing else — there is no configuration file and no persistent data.
+
+## Installation
+
+### First Time Installation
+
+1. Download the latest `FlyCommand.jar` from the [releases page](https://github.com/Dans-Plugins/FlyCommand/releases).
+2. Place the jar in the `plugins` folder of your server.
+3. Restart your server.
+
+The plugin targets Spigot / Paper with `api-version` 1.13.
+
+## Usage
+
+Type `/fly` to toggle your flight on or off. The plugin confirms the new state in chat.
+
+### Documentation
+
+- [User Guide](USER_GUIDE.md) – Installation, usage and permissions
+- [Commands Reference](COMMANDS.md) – Every command the plugin handles
+- [Configuration Guide](CONFIG.md) – Configuration options
+- [Changelog](CHANGELOG.md) – Notable changes by release
+
+## Support
+
+You can find the Dans Plugins Community Discord server [here](https://discord.gg/xXtuAQ2).
+
+### Experiencing a bug?
+
+Please open a bug report [here](https://github.com/Dans-Plugins/FlyCommand/issues/new).
+
+- [Known Bugs](https://github.com/Dans-Plugins/FlyCommand/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3Abug)
+
+## Contributing
+
+- [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md)
+
+## Testing
+
+There is no test suite in this repository. No test framework is present, and no build system exists to host one.
+
+The [Build](.github/workflows/build.yml) workflow checks the repository out and does nothing further, so a green check on a pull request confirms only that the repository could be cloned. It compiles nothing and runs nothing.
+
+Every change is therefore verified by hand on a Spigot or Paper server, as described under [Development](#development). Adding a build system and an automated test suite is tracked in [issue #9](https://github.com/Dans-Plugins/FlyCommand/issues/9).
+
+## Development
+
+### Project Layout
+
+The plugin is a single class. The source tree is flat — the package path sits directly at the repository root rather than under `src/main/java`.
+
+- `me/Daniel/FlyCommand/Main.java` – the whole plugin
+- `plugin.yml` – the plugin manifest, whose `main` value must stay equal to the package and class name of that file
+
+### Building
+
+No build tool is configured, so the jar is produced by hand against a Spigot API jar:
+
+```bash
+javac -cp spigot-api.jar -d out me/Daniel/FlyCommand/Main.java
+cp plugin.yml out/
+jar cvf FlyCommand.jar -C out .
+```
+
+`plugin.yml` must end up at the root of the jar, which is what the `cp` step above arranges.
+
+Compile at a release level your server's Java runtime can load — for example `--release 8` for a Minecraft 1.13 era Spigot server. A jar compiled by a newer JDK at its default release level will fail to load on an older runtime.
+
+### Manual Validation on a Test Server
+
+1. Build `FlyCommand.jar` as above.
+2. Copy it into a Spigot or Paper server's `plugins` folder and start the server.
+3. Confirm the plugin loads and `/fly` is registered.
+4. Join as an operator and run `/fly` twice, confirming that flight is enabled and then disabled and that the chat confirmation matches the new state each time.
+5. Join with an account that is neither an operator nor a holder of `FlyCommand.fly` and run `/fly`, confirming the permission alert.
+6. Run `/fly` from the server console, confirming that the console alert is shown and that no error is logged.
+
+## Authors and Acknowledgement
+
+### Developers
+
+| Name | Main Contributions |
+|------|--------------------|
+| Daniel Stephenson | Creator and primary developer |
+
+## License
+
+This project is licensed under the [GNU General Public License v3.0](LICENSE) (GPL-3.0).
+
+You are free to use, modify, and distribute this software, provided that:
+
+- Source code is made available under the same license when distributed.
+- Changes are documented and attributed.
+- No additional restrictions are applied.
+
+See the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for the full text of the GPL-3.0 license.
+
+## Project Status
+
+The plugin is at version 1.0, as recorded in [CHANGELOG.md](CHANGELOG.md) and in `plugin.yml`. Open work is tracked on the [issues page](https://github.com/Dans-Plugins/FlyCommand/issues).