IFR Planning

IFR Flight Planning

91.103
Preflight Action
Each pilot in command shall, before beginning a flight, become familiar with all available information concerning that flight. This information must include—
(a) For a flight under IFR or a flight not in the vicinity of an airport, weather reports and forecasts, fuel requirements, alternatives available if the planned flight cannot be completed, and any known traffic delays of which the pilot in command has been advised by ATC;
(b) For any flight, runway lengths at airports of intended use, and the following takeoff and landing distance information:
(1) For civil aircraft for which an approved Airplane or Rotorcraft Flight Manual containing takeoff and landing distance data is required, the takeoff and landing distance data contained therein; and
(2) For civil aircraft other than those specified in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, other reliable information appropriate to the aircraft, relating to aircraft performance under expected values of airport elevation and runway slope, aircraft gross weight, and wind and temperature.

91.103
The short list:
Weather reports and forecasts
Fuel requirements
Alternates
Traffic delays
Runway lengths
Takeoff and landing distances

Sources of Information
Low/High enroute charts
TPP
Sectional
AIM
AFD
NOTAMs
POH

IFR Flight Plan
Pop up
Informal file with the ATC facility while airborne
Get ATIS if applicable
Who you are, where you are, what you want
Grant co approach, 60501, 12 miles out on the 190 degree radial, 4000 feet, request vectors for the ILS 32R with Juliet
You may also call nearest FSS and file over the radio

Filing A Flight Plan
Shoot for filing 30 minutes before ETD
4 hours before if above FL230
For the training environment x-countries are filed as 2 separate plans
1 to get there
1 to get back
Outside the training environment you are usually one way with a stop at the destination
If it will be a quick turn around file both before departure

Flight Plan and the AKT
Remember a flight plan is required whenever operating under IMC in controlled airspace
Also a clearance is required prior to entering controlled airspace
When would a clearance be required in VFR?
Class A
VFR waypoints are never used on an IFR flight plan

Flight Plan and the AKT
Composite flight plan
File this when a portion of the flight is VFR
If the front end is VFR you open it with FSS and close with FSS
You then obtain IFR clearance from the ATC facility
You must remain VFR the whole time until receiving clearance
If the front end is IFR, your clearance will be to the point that defines the change to VFR
At that point cancel IFR with ATC
Contact FSS and open the VFR portion
If you want to remain IFR notify ATC 5 minutes prior to reaching the clearance limit
If you don’t have clearance prior to reaching the clearance limit you have to hold at the clearance limit
If there is a published hold at the limit, use it
If not, hold at the fix on the radial of approach, right turns, 1 minute legs

The Flight Plan
Block 1
IFR for an IFR flight
VFR and IFR if filing a composite flight plan
DVFR is for filing VFR into the ADIZ
IFR flights into the ADIZ do not require the DVFR box to be checked

The Flight Plan
Block 2
Your N#

The Flight Plan
Block 3
Use the code appropriate to the services and/or routing that you want that fits your equipment
For example if you desire direct routing and have GPS then you would use G, even though you may have other equipment
The AKT gives you a list of equipment then asks what suffix code
Unfortunately there are a lot of these on the test

The Flight Plan
Block 4
Comes straight out of the POH
Use the TAS for the first leg
If the average TAS changes + or – 5% or 10 kts notify ATC

The Flight Plan
Block 5
Departure airport id or airport name, city and state if id is unknown

The Flight Plan
Block 6
Departure time in zulu

Block 7
Initial cruising altitude for the first leg
For VFR on Top omit any numbers and write in VFR on Top here

The Flight Plan
Block 7
Initial cruising altitude
Make sure it’s at or above the MEA
Odd thousands for 360-179
Even thousands for 180-259
If filing for VFR-on-Top put that in there

The Flight Plan
Block 8
Define the route
Use victor airway #s and only those fixes at which the airway number changes
For example:
MWH V357 EAT
MWH V357 QUINT V336 ELN
MWH direct ELN
You may also use a Lat/Long or Radial/Distance to specify fixes where routing changes or to define direct routing off airways
You must have 1 fix in each ARTCC area and they must be within 200 NM of the preceding center’s boundary
Be sure to check the AFD for preferred routing
If in a TEC check AFD for routes under 10,000
You may file your ODP (Obstacle) if there is one your route and a STAR if there is one
Do not include routing to the alternate

The Flight Plan
Block 9
Destination id code
Block 10
ETE airport to airport
Do not add 10 minutes for touch an go
Do not add time for approach procedure
If you lose your comms, you don’t want to be holding forever

The Flight Plan
Block 11
Company call sign
No SID, No STAR
“DVRSN” should only be included when priority handling is desired
“TEC” if using a TEC route
No personal remarks
Remarks don’t always get forwarded so be prepared

The Flight Plan
Block 12
Fuel on board
Make sure it’s enough to cover getting to the destination, the alternate then 45min or 30 if helicopter
Block 13
Alternate airport, if one is required and you don’t file one, it’s a violation
Block 14
Name, address and # of the PIC
If you don’t have an instrument rating this is your instructor’s name
Block 15
Persons on board, doesn’t include your dog’s name
Block 16
Predominate colors
ARTCC is transmitted info out of blocks 2-11
Blocks 1, 12-17 is retained by FSS for search and rescue information

The Flight Plan

Surface Safety
3 types of runway incursions
Pilot Deviations
Operational Incidents
Vehicle Deviations
65% of runway incursions are pilot caused
75% of the 65% are GA pilots
3 a day at towered airports

Runway Incursions
3 major areas
Failure to comply with ATC instructions
Lack of airport familiarity
Nonconformance with standard operational procedures
Have clear pilot/controller communications
Read backs
Have an airport diagram from the AFD or TPP
Write down taxi instructions
Complete checklists while stopped
Remain heads up eyes outside
Request a progressive taxi for unfamiliar airports

Runway Confusion
Causal factors
Airport complexity
Close proximity of runway thresholds
Joint use of runway as a taxiway
Hot spots are a typically complex or confusing area
Has a history of or potential for runway incursion

Movement vs Non-movement
Non-movement areas are ramps and aprons not controlled by ATC
Non-movement is Non-controlled
Movement areas are controlled by ATC and require a clearance to operate there

LAHSO
You are required to read back LAHSO clearances
You must repeat both the hold short and the runway #
“Unable” if you or your aircraft can’t do it
LAHSO can only be in operation if wx conditions are at least 1000 and 3
This means you shouldn’t get one if your doing an approach down to mins