again: CPL x-c flight 300NM question

[acuba 290]

folks, as I understand, 300NM with 2 landings at controlled airfields, but third landing does't have to be on airdrome of departure, right? I mean, it can be just 3x legs on one of my long HB trips in USA during one day, right? Is that correct? just to doublecheck :confused: ;)

[Shunter]

Who said they had to be controlled? Any airfield will do.

a VFR cross-country flight of at least 540km (300 nm) in the course of which full-stop landings at two aerodromes different from the aerodrome of departure shall be made.

So...

A-B-C-A is fine.
A-B-C is also fine, if you don't need to get back to A for some reason.

There is no rule which says you must finish at the airfield you started at.

[acuba 290]

well, I was thinking about controlled, as during PPL x-c-q I had to let somebody at every aerodrome to stamp into special paper, that I was there and was alone in airplane :)

[tingtang]

just out of interest, would a cross-country flight in VMC under IFR count?

[Vone Rotate]

VFR in VMC...........

Shall I throw a spanner in the works??!! Ok.....

People seem to be of the opinion that the 300nm has to be as the crow fly's. Makes complete sense as there could be no dispute that way. However, my PPL QXC was elstree-cranfield-southend. If I remember correctly 160nm ish the route I flew but less than 150nm as the crow fly's. It was of course accepted by the CAA.

Do they look at it differently for the CPL?

I cold have called the CAA I guess but I went Duxford-Beccles-Sandown for my CPL trip 360nm my way and 302nm as the crow fly's;)

[BigGrecian]

just out of interest, would a cross-country flight in VMC under IFR count?

Umm what does it say?

It says VFR there so no IFR wouldn't count! :ugh: - I worry sometimes.

Nothing about VMC it just must be operated under visual flight rules.

[tingtang]

I'm glad somebody worries! Thank you.

[Shunter]

People seem to be of the opinion that the 300nm has to be as the crow fly'sWhy exactly does any pilot want to fly as close to home as he possibly can? You're supposed to ENJOY flying... get off your arse and go discover some new places :)

I'd done loads of trips which would qualify as a CPL QXC before I got anywhere near 100hrs TT, one of them being LEEDS-L2K-SCILLIES-LEEDS. Just do it as part of your hour building.

As far as the VFR thing goes, all they care about is what's in your logbook. The accepted path is that you won't have any kind of instrument rating at that point, so they expect VFR. Noone checks, and noone cares.

[Vone Rotate]

Shunter, sounds like your a natural!!...... Who do you fly for?

I'm sure it states VFR in LASORS?

[Nashers]

the 300 miles and 2 land aways need to be all done in 24 hours.

[corsair]

I don't know why you would think you have to fly 300NM away from your start point. Three 100NM legs is just fine. It's what I did in the end for my official one. But as shunter says, you're supposed to like flying. Go and fly a few of them.

As for doing it in 24 hours. I know of a current airline Captain whose 300NM cross country took three days. I was with him. It was kind of an extended pub crawl. Do you think I should turn him in?:E

[Canada Goose]

In Canada the 300 nm had to be a radius around AD of departure ! I did YOW-YXU-YZR; YZR-YOW. All in one day - ouch !! , Would imagine the same applies in UK ?

CG.

[smith]

This is a scenario which would work.

Take off from departure airfield A.

Fly 75nm north to airfield B and land.

Take off from airfield B and fly 150nm south overflying A and landing at C.

Return from C to A , 75nm.

There you have it 300nm xcq and never more than 75miles from home, ideal for all you scaredy cats and people who don't like flying out of the comfort zone. Not for real men like me and Shunter though.

[Shunter]

Shunter, sounds like your a natural!!You're too kind... simply saying that if you've had 100hrs to build, how the hell have you not got a suitable QXC in your logs? I really don't understand those people who, having got their PPL, just loiter around doing locals in their own back yard :ugh:

[Lurking123]

Shunter, I agree. I suppose it depends whether you look upon the trip as merely another hoop to jump through or something you can actually learn from. Personally, I would be looking for the most diverse/unusual trip I could find.

PS. Book says it must be a VFR cross country flight but ............

[tbavprof]

The third one does not have to be your airport of departure.

[Malta_Flyer]

My CPL qualifier flight took a bit of a funny twist due to no fuel being available at one of the airports.

I flew A-B but there was no fuel at B. Therefore I went to another airfield 20 mins away, and flew back again to B after re-fuelling. After a few minutes I continued my trip B-C and then flew from C-A. This was all done in one day.

A-B-C-A is just under 400 nm so that should do the trick. Do you think its allowed to 'ignore' the refuelling trips from B to the other airfield and back? After all, I only did something extra not less!

Any thoughts on this one??

[mad_jock]

You don't need to only do 3 fields. It can be as many as you like.

I think mine was 5 in FL.

Although I did get a INV-turwestern-Dundee-INV in one day in the bag after i submitted which would just be long enough. :}

[UAV689]

Hi All

does it have to be a group a aircraft to do the 300 trip - can i do it in my motorglider to save some money?

Thanks

[Malta_Flyer]

Yeah that's true...so that might be a help. What I'm scared of is the fact that after refuelling I went back to the same airfield before continuing on the trip... but as you said as long as I have the 300 nm I dont think anyone should argue..

[Mikehotel152]

If the CAA are feeling difficult ("Never!", I hear you cry) they look at the straight-line distance between the airfields you use for your cross-country qualifier.

However, provided you keep your PLOG for the flights, I am almost certain you could argue that an Elstree, Cranfield, Southend (or similar) series of flights, which snake around the Stansted Zone in order to give you a longer flight, would be accepted.

The reality is that they probably won't check the distances. They're more interested in other ways of being pedantic. :*