VFR flight plans in the US

[david viewing]

Reading the "idiots guide to FPL" thread I was reminded of a recent episode in the US.

I thought I'd try filing a plan using CSC Duats (http://www.duats.com/) (This is a very useful flight planning and briefing tool). Subsequently I called 'Lockheed Martin' Flight Service on the ubiquitous 1-800-wx-brief phone number to update my weather briefing. The lady there explained that Duats vendors (which are commercial operations) only pass the essential parts of the FPL to FSS and not for instance the pilot details. Interesting.

On takeoff, the radio briefer made the same point again, but also explained something that I'd never figured out - the real reason that they ask for a contact phone number. It's not as I imagined so that they can contact your relatives with bad news - it's so that they can contact YOU. What they want is a cell phone number so that if (or when) you forget to close the plan they can call you to verify you're OK. Then they can close the plan for you, rather than calling out the Sherriff or something. Obvious I know but I've spent a lifetime filling in the FBO's number on FAA FPL's when they would be unlikely to know where I was most of the time.

What a contrast to the UK's amateurish system where if you go missing enroute to a non towered field on a VFR FPL no-one's going to do anything unless you arrange to raise the alarm yourself. Not surprising few pilots bother with FPL's in the UK.

[BackPacker]

Actually, it's the situation in the UK that's unique (and probably not ICAO-compliant). Anywhere else in Europe, if you don't close your flight plan, they will come and look for you.

Controlled fields will close your flight plan upon landing by default. Uncontrolled fields (with AFIS or A/G) will usually make the phone call on your behalf if they know you're on a flight plan, but it remains your responsibility to make sure it's been done.

In any case, what goes into the AFTN network is only the essential bits of the plan. Extra information such as the PIC, POB, operator and contact numbers are not transmitted but are kept on file at the place where the plan was submitted. After all, those details are only needed in an emergency which is, fortunately, rare.

[IO540]

In Europe, VFR flight plans are a bit of a joke.

They are manually addressed by the ATC unit through which the FP is filed, and normally they send it to the destination.

Enroute, nobody knows anything about the flight.

I think they are supposed to also address it to every FIS area which your route crosses but this doesn't always happen.

So you could leave the UK, cross France and land in Spain, and France will not have seen the flight plan.

Except that I did notice, last time I flew VFR (2005) that France specifically seems to have done something, involving the entry of the flight plan and amazingly also the route on it (the routing on VFR flight plans is practically universally ignored unless you go missing) into some kind of national ATC computer system, and as you fly across France they have you on radar the whole time. This is what happens in the IFR Eurocontrol system, after all.

VFR flight plans are also often mis-addressed, and often they go missing altogether. I once filed four in one go (for a trip to Spain with one fuel stop on each flight) and three of the four vanished.

Often, the FP turns out to be missing when you are airborne, and usually it gets sorted on the way; somebody enters a new one for you. As I say, they don't really care much about the routing.

The worst thing is that VFR flight plans, and also IFR flight plans routing outside CAS, are not sent to any of the ATC units that run the CAS, so if you are expecting a transit of some bit of Class D, nobody will know anything about you. Except in France where as I said they keep tabs a bit more.

[BackPacker]

Well, the small amount of international touring on a VFR flight plan I've done leads me to believe that the FIS (or some computer somewhere) does take a look at the routing, and does take a look at the RMK/EET fields for crossing the FIR boundary to determine where to send the flightplan. At least, so far I have not had a problem with flightplans going AWOL.

Mind you, the only country I have passed over without landing has been Belgium so far.

[n5296s]

I don't think many people in the US make much use of VFR flight plans. They seem pretty useless really. I haven't filed one in years. On a VFR cross-country flight I get flight following and I'm always talking to someone. The only exception would be if crossing desert areas where radio/radar coverage at low altitude is poor (e.g. the Death Valley area).

This gets discussed from time to time on US pilot forums, and the general conclusion seems to be that flight following is a much better idea. In theory it can be refused but that is extremely rare.

n5296s

[SNS3Guppy]

A VFR flight plan is a very good idea, especially in the US.

A few years ago the FAA mandated a requirement for turbojet aircraft in the US to have Emergency Locator Transmitters. Until that time, for many jet aircraft, the ELT wasn't required. Jets fly IFR most of the time, and are nearly always in communication with ATC, and most of the time in a radar environment. Then a Learjet went missing while flying an approach, and while talking to ATC...the wreckage wasn't found for three years.

Point is, "flight following" isn't a substitute for filing a flight plan. When you file, you're leaving valueable information that will be used by search aircraft. In much of the Western United States, there are few airports, and radar coverage may not be available, or may not be available below very high altitudes (for a light airplane). Simply because you're getting VFR Radar Advisories ("flight following"), you have no gaurantees that you're going to be looked for, missed, or found. Ever.

As "flight following" is a voluntary courtesy service for which ATC has no obligation, when you suddenly cease communications with a controller, no search will be started, and the controller is under no obligation to do anything more than cross you off his list.

A flight plan is very different. Among other things, a flight plan can be used to identify the number of souls on board, the fuel (which is used to define a search area), the color of the aircraft, contact information, and your intentions. A flight plan will get a response, and you will have searchers coming looking for you.

So far as filing, the Lockheed takeover of the Flight Service Stations has been a disaster. Get on Flightplan.com and file, forget DUATs, and you can have better, faster service than the uneducated hassle you'll find at current FSS's.

[IO540]

A few years ago the FAA mandated a requirement for turbojet aircraft in the US to have Emergency Locator Transmitters. Until that time, for many jet aircraft, the ELT wasn't required

Must have been a good while ago, because an ELT is mandatory on all N-reg planes and has been for years.

[SNS3Guppy]

No, it was just a few years ago that turbojets were finally required to have ELT's in the US, and it was for the reason I indicated. The requirement became effective Jan 01, 2004 for all aircraft under 18,000 lbs in the US, with additional exceptions.

Today, other exceptions exist, including helicopters, large transport category aircraft, Aircraft while engaged in scheduled flights by scheduled air carriers; Aircraft while engaged in training operations conducted entirely within a 50-nautical mile radius of the airport from which such local flight operations began; Aircraft while engaged in flight operations incident to design and testing; New aircraft while engaged in flight operations incident to their manufacture, preparation, and delivery; Aircraft while engaged in flight operations incident to the aerial application of chemicals and other substances for agricultural purposes; Aircraft certificated by the Administrator for research and development purposes; Aircraft while used for showing compliance with regulations, crew training, exhibition, air racing, or market surveys; Aircraft equipped to carry not more than one person; An aircraft during any period for which the transmitter has been temporarily removed for inspection, repair, modification, or replacement, subject to certain conditions, etc.

So yes, not all N registered aircraft require, or are equipped with ELT's.