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RyanC
Joined: 10 Jun 2010
Posts: 14
Location: Erie, Colorado (EIK)
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| Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 3:57 pm Post subject: VFR Flight Plans |
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What are people's opinions on when to file VFR Flight Plans? I know we all had to do them as part of training, but for most of my flying it seems like a waste of time.
Around me, most of the airports I'd be going to are within 50nm or so over reasonably well-populated areas, so I don't really bother. I still usually call and get a AFSS weather briefing so I suppose somewhere there's some recording with me asking about the weather at such-and-such along whatever route.
Is there a good rule-of-thumb for when to go ahead and file? Distance, terrain type, etc? |
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Jim Stewart
Joined: 12 Oct 2006
Posts: 259
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| Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 4:11 pm Post subject: |
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| VFR flight following is where it's at. ATC knows just where you're at, you're on frequency to get help and you get constant traffic advisories. Use a flight plan if you can't get flight following. |
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zdc
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 5:40 pm Post subject: |
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| No rule of thumb, just common sense. Flying over Lake Michigan VFR? File a flight plan. Taking off from a rural airport and flying over sparcely populated areas, good idea to file. In some situations I would advise to give FSS an assumed departure time instead of activating in the air. It has occured in the past where the pilot, filed a FP, took off from a remote airport, crashed into the trees at the departure end of the runway and no one knew or looked for him because the FP was never activated. |
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bryancobb
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Joined: 02 Jun 2009
Posts: 346
Location: Cartersville Georgia
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| Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2010 6:19 am Post subject: Loacate |
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Ryan,
Not to be a gloom-doom-guy, but the decision to file or not should be made based on how you could be found if you were to crash in an unpopulated area.
If you are using VFR flight following, you are on radar (or some other tracking method) and if you crashed, the FAA would have the location.
FLIGHT PLAN NOT NEEDED
If you are going somewhere where you could go down where no one would know, without using flight following, for your loved ones' sake, you should file.
FLIGHT PLAN NEEDED |
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ArionAv8or
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Joined: 20 Mar 2010
Posts: 271
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| Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2010 8:03 am Post subject: Re: Loacate |
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bryancobb wrote: Not to be a gloom-doom-guy
But that's how we know and love you Bryan, LOL JK. |
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bryancobb
Guest
Joined: 02 Jun 2009
Posts: 346
Location: Cartersville Georgia
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| Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2010 9:57 am Post subject: The Sky is Falling & So is The Dow!@ |
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| We're D-O-O-M-E-D !!!! |
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