VFR flight plans

LFC

LFC

New Member
As a Private student you get the benefit of filing tons of vfr flight plans, but after you pass your ride they seem to 'disappear.' Anyone know how common vfr plans are filed in comparison to ifr? I mean, more realistically, does anyone with a ppl or higher 'actually' use them? ...i dont mean flight logs, i'm referring to filed plans through the FSS.
confused.gif
 
I think it depends on the type of flying you're doing. Tne primary purpose of filing a VFR flight plan is to aid in the SAR efforts in the event that you don't make it to your destination. I don't need this because I ALWAYS get VFR flight following if I'm going on a cross country.
 
If you disappear off the scope during VFR flight following, the controller many times will assume you landed, left his screen or squawked a dozen and went on your merry way... VFR flight following is provided on a last priority basis and workload permitting... to be honest with you I would file a VFR flight plan, this way if you have any problems your assured someone will be looking for you, should something happen...
 
Well, I don't usually file VFR flight plan after I got my Private pilot license. However, I do talk to briefer for TFR and any other NOTAMs, ie, "Hot" or "Cold" MOA. Other than that, I am doing my "Chinese Redneck" flying. Just jump into planes, figure out where I am going at takeoff roll.
spin2.gif



adreamer
 
[ QUOTE ]
If you disappear off the scope during VFR flight following, the controller many times will assume you landed, left his screen or squawked a dozen and went on your merry way... VFR flight following is provided on a last priority basis and workload permitting... to be honest with you I would file a VFR flight plan, this way if you have any problems your assured someone will be looking for you, should something happen...

[/ QUOTE ]

There is a good article in this month's Private Pilot. I can't remember who wrote it, but the guy bashes the VFR Flight Plan and the false security pilots have with it.

It is a good read and I myself think they are a waste of time and money. The best thing to do is let your friends/family know where you are going, and when you will be there.
 
I use them for VFR mountain flying (pretty rare for me these days, unfortunately).

And as a former Search and Rescue volunteer, I say that you should too !!!!
cool.gif
cool.gif
 
"VFR flight following is provided on a last priority basis and workload permitting"

This is true but I don't remember the last time I was denied. If you want some "emergency" protection from ATC via flight following but they deny you, you could still find out the frequencies along your route and listen in. If something happens, you can scream bloddy murder and put 7700 in your transponder. ATC will then know right where you are just as well as if you were doing flight following.

I think VFR flight plans are pretty uselss compared to getting flight following for emergency protection. I wouldn't file VFR unless I had to (border crossing) or if I was flying over some really nasty terrain, wouldn't be near any roads, and new I was going to be too low to talk to anyone on the radio if I had a problem.
 
[ QUOTE ]
If you disappear off the scope during VFR flight following, the controller many times will assume you landed, left his screen or squawked a dozen and went on your merry way... VFR flight following is provided on a last priority basis and workload permitting... to be honest with you I would file a VFR flight plan, this way if you have any problems your assured someone will be looking for you, should something happen...

[/ QUOTE ]

I've never been denied VFR flight following. I have, however, forgotten to close my VFR flight plan. When i called 4 hours later, the briefer chewed me out, and said that he ". . .assumed that i had simply forgotten, and he closed it for me".

Yeah, that's some serious protection.

I'm not knocking the VFR flight plan. I just don't use them. Period.
 
I rearely ever bother unless I need to go through (or near) P-49 near Waco. If I am heading that direction I file wether Bush is in town or not.

If P-49 is hot you must have a flight plan on file and get flight following to go through the 30NM outer ring.


A VFR fligh plan seems pretty limited value for SAR. I leave a much more detailed rout of my flight with the FBO.
 
I'll flie a VFR flight plan anytime I take a cross-country trip. Anytime I plan on going through the DC ADIZ which is usually when I visit my parents in DE via airplane or the in-laws in Manassas, I must have a VFR flight plan on file when planning to penetrate the DC ADIZ.

Of course you won't have as many VFR flight plans as IFR, because you don't have to have them.

If I'm not filing VFR flight plans regularly, it's because I'm not flying cross-countries often.
 
he ". . .assumed that i had simply forgotten, and he closed it for me".

What happens is we get calls from fs asking if your tail number has arrived in our airspace or is sitting on the ramp, if not they start back tracking and ask us to let them know if you pop up in our area... I'm sure he wanted to stress the importance of closing the plan since he has to spend valuable time finding out if your ac is sitting on the ramp at your destination and you simply forgot to cancel, or are you in fact missing, at which point they will start back tracking your route... I'd bet in this case fs already knew you'd reached your destination by talking to someone and was the reason he closed the plan for you...
 
The value of the FP can also be increased based on when you open and close it...If you open it when you are in cruise 20 min after takeoff and close it 20 min prior to landing, Youve really cut out some critical areas. My advice is get something! VFR flight following or a VFR FP.
 
We use them but that's because the flight school makes us use them anytime we fly to a destination more than 50 nm. Kind of a hassle to keep opening and closing them every 40 minutes or so.
 
In Canada flights over 25 NM are usually required to have either filed a flight plan or a flight itinerary. The style of flying may be a little different here but I would always rather have a flight plan. This is because when VFR you are almost always uncontrolled and flight following is pretty much unheard of here. Having a flight plan ensures that someone will be waiting for you to close the plan and allows you to give them position reports throughout the flight.
 
[ QUOTE ]
In Canada flights over 25 NM are usually required to have either filed a flight plan or a flight itinerary. The style of flying may be a little different here but I would always rather have a flight plan. This is because when VFR you are almost always uncontrolled and flight following is pretty much unheard of here. Having a flight plan ensures that someone will be waiting for you to close the plan and allows you to give them position reports throughout the flight.

[/ QUOTE ]


Summed it up very well. I always file when going over 25NM, gives me peace of mind and helps ATC since they know what you're doing.
 
In the US VFR flightPlans and ATC are not mixed together. So by filing a VFR flight plan, that doesnt mean that ATC will have any better idea of where you are going when you call for advisories.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I think I've flown a VFR flight plan twice ever.

[/ QUOTE ]

Real professional CFI you had there, you should ask for a refund.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I think I've flown a VFR flight plan twice ever.

[/ QUOTE ]

Real professional CFI you had there, dood.

[/ QUOTE ]

That was a rather harsh comment that I disagree with. Since I've flown a VFR flight plan only once before, have all of my instructors(6) been unprofessional as well?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top