How to file a flight plan - The Flying Reporter

[@BOLIPILOT1]

Great video as always Jon. I'm asked by many pilots when they visit me in the tower before flying with a flight plan if it was received OK on the system and several of them ask us to counter check it for them before sending. Hope some of them watch this. Clear concise production as always. Many thanks for taking your time to produce this to help others in the community.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thanks for the kind words.

[@johnholland5534]

Thanks very much for this. You’ve filled a huge hole in my knowledge base.

[@jimmyskite]

If you have time I would highly recommend popping over to Alderney too. Great restaurants and beautiful sandy beaches.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Yes, I would like to visit.

[@jimmyskite]

There is a nice little museum on the Island that is worth checking out too.

[@geoffreycoan]

Good video as ever Jon. As well as SkyDemon which makes flight planning a doddle, you should mention two alternatives - RocketRoute and AeroPlus Flight Plan. Before I got SD I used both quite successfully; unfortunately Rocket Route now requires you to have a subscription before you can file FP’s but AeroPlus enables free VFR flight plan filing. Available as a website and an iOS app (unfortunately not Android), its a really easy way of entering flight plans, amending, delaying them etc. And free

[@garydell2023]

Thank you Jon. It's similar here in the U.S. but I use ForeFlight. Fly safe & keep current.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Cheers Gary.

[@kevchilton908]

Very informative and a big help Jon. Thank you.

[@desertpoj]

Excellent and informative Jon. I would just like to add: I’m an ex-military and ex-long haul chap with five figures hours who’s getting into G.A., carefully. So my take from this is exactly what you said; I’ll download the documents and read them properly. I’ll even go with a knowledgeable friend on my first trip to France. I’ll do this because in my career I’ve never had to personally file a GAR and I bet I’ve only ever filed a dozen flight plans myself; and they were in aeroplanes where I filed FL400 O.A.T. DCT. However, on a previous video I noticed that on a cross channel trip with your family you weren’t what I’d call, ‘dressed to survive’. I did figure that you must have had a dinghy. Looking at your flight plan perhaps that’s not the case. I’ve been in the water in the middle of the English Channel in summer and, unless you’re oiled up and swimming it, hyperthermia will take less than 60 minutes to set in. Also, the chances of a SAR helicopter finding you in a little orange LSJ without a personal locator beacon (PLB) on it within a survivable time-frame are about the same as winning a premium bond nowadays. Your head and jacket will stick about ten inches above the water; so the chances of a boat finding you before you get hyperthermia or drown, drowning in a life jacket is common which is why good ones, like military ones, had integral splash hoods, are even less. Do you stay within gliding distance? Even at the shortest point of the Channel you’d need to be FL100 to be sure in a PA28. I’ve been hugely impressed by your professionalism throughout your GA journey. I realise weight might be an issue on your aeroplane, but next time you cross the channel hire yourself a dinghy. Think carefully about what your wear. Invest in a PLB; I hope you already have one. And get your son, who’s comments I find jolly amusing, a dry suit. A decent summer sailing one would suffice, which he’d only have to have zipped up for the crossing, would cost you about £300. (Or make the crossing at FL100 Lydd to Le Touquet.) I don’t think I’m being a kill joy, but would you cross the Channel in a 160 HP boat without a life-raft in shorts and a T-shirt? You’re doing a great job with your channel so keep exploring. Fly safely and enjoy your aviation. David. P.S. As an an idea perhaps you could do a piece about sea survival.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Hi there! The maximum level outside controlled airspace for the channel crossing to Le Touquet is FL075. At that you should, according to the POH be able to glide 15 miles, which is the distance to land from the mid point. Here is an episode on water survival I produced. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gnzcXqWbi76ZiMk

[@jackbrasier-creagh9139]

Very informative and helpful towards my flight planning n perf exam. TY Jack

[@neilrich3]

CAP 694 contains a glaring mistake, published Jan 2013 it states that VFR is not allowed at night within the UK, however VFR at night has been allowed since Nov 2012.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Yes, I saw that. Not sure if it's superseded by other regulation, or just one of those complications that arises from the combination of UK and EASA law/regulation applying to different classes of aircraft/license.

[@michaelsummers9579]

I also find Sky Demon useful when using flight simulators like X-Plane too. Excellent flight planning tool. Good video Jon, thank you.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thanks Michael.

[@pilotsocial3908]

It's my dream to fly around Europe one day! Thanks for sharing

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thank you for watching.

[@user-vj7cb4ve8k]

Thank you for the video. Very useful for me. 🙏

[@stewartwilkinsonsnr]

Excellent insight to Flight Planning ✈️

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thank you Stewart.

[@SteveCox72]

Great video again John, look forward to your next content

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thanks Steve.

[@JUSTYH82]

Thanks Jon

[@rsmckgla]

This is an interesting subject... only really realised that flight plans weren't covered at any point of my PPL training and I've never filed one beyond "booking out", in contrast to friends who trained in the US or Canada where it's mandatory even for basic PPL.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

There's so much that the basic European PPL doesn't cover. As many people say, it's a license to learn!

[@biesty1]

Excellent, thanks John very usefull

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thanks for watching Adrian.

[@eurofoxgroup4103]

Thanks Jon, I have sent quite a number flight plans, but still found it interesting. I know you only intended to do an introduction to FP and were not able to cover everything, but if I could add a few points. The route has to be entered in the correct notation for it to be accepted by the system. (SD does this for you), but this is tricky if it is your first time, and expect a few error codes, that you will need to correct. I would definitely recommend preparing this before the day of flight to take away unnecessary stress on the day. As you said you can then enter the DOF in the comments box. If you submit it on the day you do not need to enter this DOF comment. I have also found that FPs are less likely to go missing if they are sent on the day. In answer to a previous question, you can CANCEL or DELAY your flightplan easily if you have done it on Skydemon. They give the instructions for this when they send the confirmation email. It can also be done on AFPEX, but more difficult when you have left home. The actual departure time can I believe be up to 30 mins either side of the time submitted. (All times in UTC)

[@andrewrtbaron69]

Really good information. Does a VFR flight plan also go to Eurocontrol? Will the FP be rejected if you put in an altitude which takes you into class A?

[@jackaviation5393]

Very good video so helpful 😀

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Cheers Jack.

[@richardchan1634]

Anyone has the "International Flight Plan" in Word format? I meant that particular page only. Thanks.

[@yoloolo3790]

Nice content!

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thanks.

[@oj2591]

When flying VFR would you still have to input intersections and waypoints, or could you just input VRPs?

[@TheFlyingReporter]

You have to input coordinates, or points relative to waypoints or nav-aids. You can't enter VRPs, generally speaking. There are some exceptions. I think an arrival to the channel islands. will accept VRP entries.

[@JillesvanGurp]

Interesting to see how some simple tools can make this way less painful. What happens when you need to change / cancel an existing plan or track the status of your current plan. Does the app also support this or does that happen over the phone or radio?

[@TheFlyingReporter]

The app I use, and others will allow you to cancel and delay a flight plan.

[@robinwicks52]

A couple of comments. Don't use AfPex, it's a nightmare, and the fact that it doesn't work on an IPad makes it pretty useless. SkyDemon is much easier and you can edit the flight plan before you send it. Also it sends you an acknowledgement. AeroPlus is good. Anything is better than AfPex in my opinion. For a VFR flight plan always use VFR as the altitude.

[@TheFlyingReporter]

AfPex is a bit of a hassle, the reasons you outline. EuroPFL I think is the one I use for IFR plans.

[@Wings154]

As always excellent video Jon and thank you for sharing. :) I just did as part of my hour building training a flight from Trencin, Slovakia to Benesov (South of Prague), Czech Republic using a flightplan for the first time and at first I found it scary, unfamiliar and not so straightforward. I probably annoyed the briefing centre with a lot of questions!! After the flight and some dodgy weather, I really liked it and I plan to do this much more often as there are a lot of countries around me. My question is that I also use SkyDemon and think it's a brilliant tool and a life saver if you have issues with weather and need to divert but how do you find using SkyDemon for flightplans? Some controllers I speak to here in Slovakia said the flightplans they receive from SkyDemon users are of poor quality but I just wondered if you've had any issues with the service in that sense? Thanks again. Jamie

[@TheFlyingReporter]

Thanks Jamie. I haven't had any problems with the SkyDemon flight plans. I suspect that many of the problems the controllers have emanate from the user not completing their aircraft profile and flight details properly. That would really mess them up.

[@jean-jacquescamus5605]

thanks Jon. One question. In july i went in UK (isle of wight). Unfortunatly i wasn't able to file FP and more than that how to transmit it to Uk authorities. To whom have i to send it for next time i'll come in UK ? @+

[@MAGApepe]

use foreflight,,, it does it for you lol