Flight Planning

Flight Planning #

See spreadsheet you made.

Terms #

  • CH = Compass Heading
  • DEV = Deviation
  • GPH = Gallons Per Hour
  • GS = Ground Speed
  • MC = Magnetic Course
  • MEF = Maximum Elevation Figure
  • MH = Magnetic Heading
  • SUA = Special Use Airspace
  • TAS = True Airspeed
  • TC = True Course
  • TOC = Top of Climb
  • TOD = Top of Descent
  • VAR = Variance
  • WCA = Wind Correction Angle

Cross Country Flight Planning #

Steps:

  1. Weight and Balance
  2. Obtain Weather
  3. Calculate Pressure Altitude
  4. Take Off and Landing Data
  5. Draw your course on your chart
  6. Observe what you will fly over (MEFs and SUAs)
  7. Interpolate winds for your climb
  8. Calculate TOC (either 500fpm or Time to Climb Chart)
  9. TC (using plotter) and VAR (using Isogonic lines)
  10. TAS (Climb and Cruise) and GPH (POH performance charts)(Usually use IAS as TAS for the Climb)
  11. GS and WCA (E6B Wind Side) for your climb
  12. Distance to TOC (E6B calculator side) and mark it on your chart
  13. Make check points every 10 - 15 NM (but leave the TOD yet to be figured out)
  14. GS and WCA (E6B Wind Side) for your cruise
  15. Calculate TOD (500 fpm and mark it on the chart)(may consider using cruising GS)
  16. Measure all distances and fill in flight plan
  17. Calculate the rest of time to check points and fill in flight plan
  18. Add all time enroute, add 10 minutes for Traffic Pattern and possible Vectors
  19. Using Total Time, calculate fuel burn (Add 2 gal for GND ops and 1 hr reserve)
  20. CH (look at Compass Deviation Card in airplane near compass)

CRAFT #

Remember CRAFT when flight planning

  • C: Cleared to ____ (CYQG)
  • R: Route to be taken
  • A: Altitude you are flying at. “Maintain 2,000, expect 7,000 10 minutes after departure”
  • F: Frequencies to be used
  • T: Transmitter (Squawk 3614)

General #

VFR Flight Planning #

VFR Cruising Altitude IMPORTANT #

ONLY above 3,000ft AGL does this apply:

  • 000 - 179 (EAST): ODD thousands + 500ft
  • 180 - 359 (WEST): EVEN thousands + 500ft

IFR Flight Planning #

IFR Cruising Altitude IMPORTANT #

ONLY above 3,000ft AGL does this apply:

  • 000 - 179 (EAST): ODD thousands
  • 180 - 359 (WEST): EVEN thousands

General #

  • For major airports there will be arrival routes AND departure routes specific to that airport
  • RNAV: Basically GPS points. Historically it calculated points using DME and VOR. But not they are GPS points.

Types of routes #

Filing a route can consist of routes to:

  • SIDs (Standard Instrument Departures)
  • VOR locations
  • NDBs
  • STARS (Standard Arrival Route)

USA:

  • TEC routes (USA)
  • Victor Routes (Usually with a number like V146) (USA)