Ballpark estimate: how common is it for GA to file flightplans

[luigi1]

Just a quick question: I know that in the US it is not necessary to file a flightplan for GA flights (VFR i guess) -- please correct me if I'm wrong!

Can you guys give me an estimate based on your experience and that of others on the % of GA flights not filing a plan?

Thanks!

[chevvron]

I would have thought in the USA with so much Class E airspace, VFR traffic would be encouraged to file flight plans. In the UK, you may file a flight plan for any flight but it's not compulsory unless you wish to fly IFR in controlled airspace or VFR crossing an international boundary. You don't need to file if you are flying IFR in Class G airspace.

[Jan Olieslagers]

The rules that I learned want me to file a flight plan whenever I am intending to cross a FIR boundary or when I plan to enter controlled airspace. Flying a (European style) ultralight I am not allowed to enter controlled airspace anyway, and fly VFR only.

There are a few exceptions: no flight plan is required for crossing between Germany and several of its neighbour countries, including mine. If I do, it is usually for flying into France - which is perhaps 5% of my flying.

[Mark 1]

In the US, I would guess, it's a smallish percentage of VFR flights, but all IFR flights. The reason being that VFR advisories (flight following) is generally available and provides a similar level of protection with less formality.

In Europe it seems to be seldom used except where legally required e.g. for flights crossing an international FIR boundary and IFR using controlled airspace.
There is less radar service available to VFR flights in northern Europe but also much less wilderness from a SAR point of view.

[Maoraigh1]

As a VFR only pilot, I've only filed a flight plan for UK/Eire flights, and these were years ago. My base now requires me to use an agent for an International flight. I understand an online flight plan in the UK costs. I downloaded an app, but have never used it.
In the US, the renting FBO required me to file - easy and free by phone.

[TheOddOne]

0.01%

Just a guess. You could probably put a few more zeros after the decimal point, if you only include plans filed prior to flight.

You can use an AFPEx account to file plans for free, provided the account generates fewer than 20 messages a day. Ours certainly does fewer than that. You can file via Sky Demon, but that costs, if you take into account the
cost of the Sky Demon package. There are other 'GA' packages available, but as far as I know in the UK, AFPEx is the only one that is free to the user.

Some people fail to realise that requesting to cross controlled airspace once airborne, a common enough practice for Class 'D' constitutes filing a flight plan, so maybe you could move a couple of zeros back again.
TOO

[luigi1]

You guys answered my question. Thanks to everyone for your feedback! :ok:

[BackPacker]

In the Netherlands, a FP is required for any VFR flight from or to controlled airspace - some military CTRs excepted. You also need to have an FP on file to traverse the Schiphol CTR, even if just flying from uncontrolled to uncontrolled airfields.

As my home base is controlled airspace, it means I've got to file a flight plan for each and every flight. No big deal.

[md 600 driver]

The rules that I learned want me to file a flight plan whenever I am intending to cross a FIR boundary or when I plan to enter controlled airspace. Flying a (European style) ultralight I am not allowed to enter controlled airspace anyway, and fly VFR only.

There are a few exceptions: no flight plan is required for crossing between Germany and several of its neighbour countries, including mine. If I do, it is usually for flying into France - which is perhaps 5% of my flying.

Jan which are exception country's please from and to Germany

[ChickenHouse]

There is a LOT misinterpretation in Germany about flightplans, yes, Germany does not require a flightplan for flights leaving into Schengen countries, BUT the countries you are entering usually do! As far as I am aware of, you don't need flight plans for flights to uncontrolled airfields, but you do for CTR and controlled airports, only for Poland, Czech and Austria.

Most common misbelief is for flights into Denmark, where Germany does not require a flightplan but Denmark does, with the mutual exemptions for flights ONLY between (EKAE, EKSB, EKTD) and (EDXF, EDXB, EDXJ, EDHK, EDXK, EDXR, EDXM, EDXY) and even this is a half truth, as the departing airfield exchanges your flight information directly with the arrival airfield (they typically phone each other and announce you are coming - short cut bypass of FIS).

I would estimate for VFR flights in European Countries not crossing borders the percentage of flights with flight plan to be about 1%. So, to your question, for the usual leisure trip in Europe it is quite uncommon to file a flight plan.

[Jan Olieslagers]

Agree with CH: the trouble is with the other country, not with Germany.
German neighbour countries that do not require flight plan are - to the best of my knowledge, but NO promises! - Belgium (since this year only) Poland Czechia Austria.
I am quite sure the flight plan IS required for flying between Germany and France. Not sure about Netherlands and Switzerland but I do think they want one too.

[ChickenHouse]

Correct, I forgot about Belgium, which as of AIRAC 04-2015 from 2015-04-30 say in AIP ENR1.10:

A flight plan shall be submitted prior to operating:
a. any flight or portion thereof to be provided with ATC service;
b. any flight above FL 660;
c. any flight at night, if leaving the vicinity of an aerodrome;
d. any flight across international borders. Flights remaining within the Schengen Area do not need a flight plan as far as the Belgian part of the Brussels FIR is concerned (for requirements applicable in other Schengen States, please consult the relevant AIPs).

So, if you take the C150 above FL 660 you still need a flight plan ;-).
(Interestingly no upper limit, so do NCC1701D and even NCC74656 need to file flight plans when over Belgium?)

[BackPacker]

(Interestingly no upper limit, so do NCC1701D and even NCC74656 need to file flight plans when over Belgium?)

More importantly, does Belgium have the means and the will to enforce this?

[n5296s]

I don't think I've filed a VFR flight plan (in the US) in the last 10 years. I might do if I was doing a cross-country flight where there's a chance of going down truly in the middle of nowhere and out of radio contact, but now that I have a 406 MHz ELT, I'm not even sure about that.

(And to be honest, I don't remember the procedure for opening one, which involves using a frequency that is otherwise never used).

The sole value of a VFR flight plan is that when you don't arrive, they will send out the Search and Rescue to look for you. It has no other purpose or value, neither to the pilot nor to ATC.

I do use flight following for every flight that isn't just a hop to a local airport. That is useful both to me and to ATC.

IFR is a different matter. You can't fly IFR in the US without filing a flight plan. (In theory you can as long as you stay in Class G, but that is impossible in practice).

[dublinpilot]

It's going to vary hugely from country to country.

Some countries require flight plans for flights into controlled airspace, and most of their airports are covered in controlled airspace. Therefore most flights will require plans (eg Ireland, Spain, Netherlands).

Others done, and very few flights will have plans (eg UK & USA).

Then what you call a plan will also affect the numbers.

The UK technically requires a flight plan to enter controlled airpace, but say that an "abbreviated flight plan" is sufficient. What is an abbreviated flight plan? Well, it's just a radio call. So technically it's a flight plan, but in reality most pilots "filing" that plan don't realise it's an abbreviated flight plan.

So the answer depends grately on where you're talking about and what you are defining as a plan.