The implementation of aviation special plan needs a lot of significant basic research projects to support. At present, aeronautical research management department mainly focuses on passive management in the process of project discovery, and fails to give full play to its role. A top-down process and mechanism on the major basic research projects is built to identify the major basic research projects to support the implementation of the national special plan effectively as well as taking project identify process with features into account. While relationships and functions are analyzed between the special planning departments in aeronautical field, the aeronautical scientific research management departments and the scientific research personnel involved in the identification of major basic research projects as well. And an aviation scientific research management department is used for example. The results show that based on the process of project identification, the discovery process and mechanism of major basic research projects in aviation field are completed and improved, and the role of aviation research management department is strengthened, and the effectiveness of project discovery is enhanced.