VFR Flight Planning Steps

Route Planning
1. ___Have current and necessary sectional/terminal charts. Look at big picture route, have all charts.
2. ___Plot the course on the chart considering: Airspace, checkpoints, Obstructions, Mountains, Terrain, Alternate
airports, Navigational aids. Draw the lines for each Leg and highlight.
3. ___Is a fuel stop required? (distance/POH + reserves). If needed, divide into multiple Flight Plans and Nav Logs.
4. ___Mark checkpoints every 10-30nm. First check point should be within 15 miles to assure on-course start.
5. ___List checkpoints on the Nav Log with a Name. Mark all checkpoints on chart corresponding to # on nav Log.
6. ___Fill in ‘Route’ field on Nav Log with ‘Direct’, or a Victor airway, or ‘Follow Highway’, or similar.
7. ___Enter Navaid’s on Nav Log (VOR name, freq, radial, distance, or dual VOR intersection).
8. ___Calculate Total Distance on Nav Log from total of all legs. Copy to Nav Log totals.
9. ___Determine Best Altitude for flight. (ONE: Odd North East +500, Minimum Safe Altitude above terrain and
obstructions). Copy to Nav Log. Also note Climb and Descent arrows in half the first and last altitude box’s.

Course Calculations (use tables on back of Nav Log and POH)

10. ___Determine True Course (TC) for each leg using plotter and a line of Longitude. Copy (TC) to Nav Log.
11. ___Obtain winds aloft or terminal forecast winds for each leg. Copy to Nav Log. (True direction and Velocity).
12. ___Calculate True Heading (TH) by applying wind correction angle with E6B and forecast winds.
13. ___Calculate Magnetic Heading (MH) by applying magnetic variation found on chart.
14. ___Calculate Compass Heading (CH) by applying aircraft compass card deviations (or use 0 for DG usage).

Performance Calculations
Speed Calculations (use tables on back of Nav Log and POH)

15. ___Obtain TAS, %BHP, RPM, GPH (gallons per hour) from POH. Copy to Nav Log (TAS) (GPH) box’s.
16. ___Compute Ground Speed (GS) estimates with E6B using forecast winds and TAS for each leg. Copy to Nav
Log.
17. ___Determine Climb fuel, distance, and time for departure climb using POH. Enter Climb TAS, Climb Distance,
Climb Time (Estimated Time Enroute ETE), Climb fuel used on Nav Log (in half the box).
18. ___Calculate time between checkpoints using E6B and Ground Speed (GS) for each leg. Including items from
Top of Climb to next checkpoint. Note on Nav Log (ETE) box’s.
19. ___Add all (ETE) times and copy to Nav Log (Total ETE). (Double check against POH endurance).
20. ___Determine a point where to begin the descent. Using 500ft per minute descent rate and cruise GS,
calculate distance and time away from destination to note where to begin descending to TPA. Copy to Nav Log
in half the box’s for ETE and Distance for final leg. (or plan to find airport visually and then descend).
Fuel Calculations

21. ___Calculate Fuel required for each leg with E6B and (GPH) from POH. Copy to Nav Log ‘Fuel’ box’s.
22. ___Obtain Fuel required for taxi/run-up from POH. Copy to Nav Log.
23. ___Copy VFR fuel reserves to Nav Log. (:30 VFR Day, :45 VFR Night and cruise GPH)
24. ___Total all Fuel required for all legs + taxi/runup + and VFR fuel reserves. Copy to Nav Log ‘Total Fuel
Required’. Compare against Aircraft Usable Fuel.

Weight and Balance

___Complete a Weight and Balance using current W/B from aircraft. Verify max gross and CG (full fuel to empty
fuel).

Additional
___Determine runway required for takeoff and landing, record on Nav Log. Compare to all primary and alternate
airports. Use AF/D for runway lengths.

___Identify Alternate airports, note them on Nav Log.

___Locate and fill in FSS and other ATC frequencies (approach, center, flight following)

___Print airport kneeboard/diagrams for all primary and alternates. Highlight TPA, runways, frequencies, and
direction of approach, Traffic Pattern directions. (www.aopa.com/airports)

___Fill in all frequencies and additional data in Nav Log.

Weather
___Obtain an “Outlook Briefing” from 1-800-WX-BRIEF and/or www.duats.com.

___Evaluate all visibility, wind, ceilings, well beyond forecast and route.

Day of Flight
___Recheck Wx for departure, enroute, destination. Make go no-go decision. 1-800-WX-BRIEF Abbreviated
Briefing.

___Obtain Winds Aloft and Terminal Area Winds. Compare to forecast used for plan. (update Nav Log as needed)

___Fill out a VFR flight plan on paper. Add a few additional minutes to the ETE for traffic pattern time.

___File flight plan with briefer 1-800-WX-BRIEF. Record the “valid until” time from the briefer.

___Have current charts, Nav Logs, Flight plan, AF/D, … plus all other equipment for safe flight (see doc)