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Do you file a VFR flight plan?

N941WR

N941WR

Legacy Member
A comment in another thread by a student pilot got me thinking...

Do you file flight plans for VFR travel? (IFR flight plans are required, so I'm not asking about those.)

If so, do you do it for local flights or only long trips? (What defines a long trip?)

I'm not talking about the use of Flight Following, just the use of flight plans.

As for me, I can't remember the last time I filed a VFR flight plan. It must have been shortly after I got my PPL in the 80's. However, I do use flight following a good bit.
 
I never file them anymore. The main benefit was an emergency, but SPOT satellite tracking pretty well takes care of that. I like changing direction on a whim if desired. My Garmin 696 with XM weather gives me all the other information I need. At best, it would be some flight following once and a while..................but flying in between mountain ranges, doesn't allow for radar coverage much of the time. I'm not a fan of VOR to VOR flight planning, either.

edit: I do plan long trips though. I'll go through the sectionals, and detail it all out, including desired altitudes & frquencies. Then I'll usually enter the plan into the GPS.

L.Adamson --- RV6A
 
I almost never file a flight plan. I usually opt to just tell a friend that I'm flying (when going cross country) - for local flights I'm almost always talking to a tower (sf bay area).

That said, I considered making a cellphone based alternative to flight plans. But largely for liability reasons I opted not to roll it out. If you'd like to take a look at what I was considering, go to:

www.latesafe.com
The VAF alpha test password is fish1923

For a description of the idea see http://www.latesafe.com/user/faq.jsp
 
I have filed lots of VFR flight plans, just never activated them, not one.

Here's the thing, flight following is sooo much better, you get traffic alerts, TFR notifications, weather updates, and search and rescue. Now, here's the problem and the task. As soon as one approach radar facility can't keep you any longer you are dumped into 1200 mode and are back on your own. Someone would be a genius to create a Droid app (I-phones are just a fad) that can give you the sequence of controlling agency frequencies along a route of flight. This would be a great addition to the already fantastic, weathermeister.

A low-altitude IFR chart kind-of does this, but not really. I wish Garmin would add it to the portable GPS's!?
 
During the past almost 13-years of flying my RV, the only times I have filed a VFR flight plan is when it was required. Flying into or out of a Military Base (three times in and out) and flying in an air race.

Would rather have flight following or tell a friend where I am going with expected arrival time.
 
I always file a Flight Plan when going on cross countries past the 25 mile mark. It is just way to easy to do and only takes minutes, and I don't have to rely on someone else having to worry about my intineraries. Search and rescue will be initiated after 1/2 hour of your ETA, and actually know where to conduct there search. Carrying the Spot is only an extra safety margin, as you can press the SOS button and have help on the way, however not much good if you are injured and can't press the button. With the combination of FP, SPOT and ELT, my chance of a speedy rescue are fairly good.

I fly mostly in canada, and uncontrolled airspace, so Flight Following is not a good option for me.
 
I used to use it more often, but mostly I use FF and/or personal flight plans filed with friends/family. I did use it going to and from Canada (required to cross the border).

greg
 
Not often.

I do however use flight following regularly, carry my SPOT, my better half gets a call before and after, etc...and I probably would outside of the flatlands.
 
Flight following is a great resource, but unlike a VFR flight plan, flight following dumps you back to 1200 as you approach the airport. If you should go down, especially at night, NOBODY is coming to look for you. As has been said...the VFR flight plan affords you the search and rescue team activation if you fail to cancel the flight plan after 30 min of your ETA. If you like to change your route on a whim....no problem, just call flight service and either cancel, or tell them the new, amended plan.

Now, do I use it? Nope. ; )
 
Never never never never never never never

Many years ago, my family had a very bad experience as a result of a miscommunication between two pilots (one was my dad) and ATC.

A search resulted, which was fine and proper after the first error, but the search was handled with extreme ineptitude (procedures that would have located us immediately were skipped). Our renting FBO ( a good friend ) was able to protect my mom from the CAP zealots who were telling the news media we crashed 600 miles away from our actual location. She was already very fragile due to recent accidental death of my brother. Her actions could have been extreme.

Fortunately, the ATC and S&R errors were recognized and we were not charged for the wonderful service.

In my book, the risks far outweigh the gains for filing VFR flight plans.
 
I have not filed a VFR flight plan in quite a while. I always get flight following when operating VFR and usually file IFR on my long cross country trips. I have the SPOT and a 406 ELT, so I feel pretty well covered. Mary and I have talked about the cockpit "drill" if it becomes apparent that we are going to have an off airport landing. Switching the ELT to "on", pushing the 911 button on the SPOT, and squawking 7700 are the job of the right seat occupant. The left seat occupant will be flying the airplane, looking for a good landing spot, and communicating with ATC.
Someone noted earlier the main weak spot with flight following and even IFR at some airports. When flight following turns you loose a few miles from the airport and says "radar service terminated, squawk 1200, have a good day", you are on your own again. In the unlikely event that you go down between that moment and reaching the airport, nobody will be looking for you. This can also be true when canceling IFR while airborne with your destination airport in sight, a few miles ahead. This is often done to free up the airspace for other IFR traffic, to avoid having to remember to close the flight plan on the ground, or even to help out a busy controller.
It's all about managing and minimizing risk, IMHO.
 
With SPOT, flight following, GPS, cell phones, I just don't see the need to file a VFR flight plan any more, like others have said. Does anyone have a good reason to file? Are we missing something?
 
I haven't filed a VFR flight plan since I was a student. I always use flight following for anything other than strictly local joyrides.
 
Nope.. I just plug in the nearest approach or tower freq in the radio as I chug along so that I can talk to someone with a trigger pull if need be.
 
I do...

file a flight plan. Flying has a lot of components to it. If you want to stay in practice flying in Class B airspace the way to do it is to fly in Class B airspace. Working the radio and transponder while maintaining altitude, etc is all part of that. I file VFR flight plans so I stay current with all that stuff. Now with the advent of online flight planning it is incredibly easy. You store your airplane information and just punch in the origin, destination, altitude and route. The flight planning app does it all and you just call up FSS to activate.

Bill Near
 
Closing VFR flight plans

I recently filed and activated a flight plan for a Pilots N Paws flight. It had been a long time since I had filed a VFR flight plan. I also used VFR Flight Following.

What I noticed as a big difference between Lockheed Martin Flight Services (here in the U.S.) and the previous FAA Flight Service is that they called my destination airport BEFORE the end of the 30 minute window after ETA. They actually called the FBO and had them search for me on the airport within 10 minutes of my ETA. This was a first for me. When I called to close my flight plan, the Lockheed Martin person said under their contract they are expected to close VFR flight plans as soon as the pilot lands. :eek:

wow
 
Not here, but...

I carry a Spot for all flights and request VFR Flight Following for any VFR flight beyond 50NM or through a very busy airspace.

For a local joyride, I rely on the spot and keep a tower or approach freq loaded in case I need it.

All of my cross countries are either IFR or VFR with Flight Following though.

Phil
 
I don't file no stinkin' flight plan for VFR, any more than I would file a flight plan to drive to work.

If I'm going to go to the trouble of filing, it will be IFR.

:D
 
I always file in both countries.

In canada it is no question, I file everywhere I go. When I first started flying in the US I filed sometimes as I always fly Flight Following. So many people down your way said they don't file as seems to be the way again, so I went that route. I then got pushed down do to weather one day (happens lots in the mountains) and got dropped by Centre. Here I am with the family on board and no one set up to look for us if trouble arises. I have the spot as a back up, but I feel it is not fair to my family or passengers to not file a flight plan. It easy, quick and there is no reason to compromise safety.
 
I don't file

I have worked for the federal government for too long to even think of talking to ATC unless it is required. The feds want to start user fees and I would be SHOCKED to find out that ATC does not document every flight through their air space, every Flight Following activity, every communication and every Flight Plan that they put in the system.

They have to run stats every year to justify their needs. All this is needed to demonstrate the need (or lack of it) for updating equipment and FTE (number of people they have working). I do not object to this use of such data.

What I do object to is the possibility of use of such info to argue the "need" for user fees. I give them as low a profile as I can when flying.

I am on the Gulf Coast so have ADS-B service (ADS600-B UAT from NavWorx) as well as TIS from my Garmin 330 that is well worth the money in the Houston area. I also usually carry a SPOT & XM weather so why should I further burden the "system" when I have most of the info I need in the cockpit?
 
not too often...........

vfr to the bahamas, vfr into the dc adz. thats all folks.
vafwwwmasthead.jpg
 
While I was using my instructor's aircraft training for my PPL, he told me that if you at least file (or even get just a wx briefing), there's a record of it in case something DOES happen and the insurance company says something about "due diligence".

Do I file now? If the flight's out of the local area, maybe...
 
md9680 said:
While I was using my instructor's aircraft training for my PPL, he told me that if you at least file (or even get just a wx briefing), there's a record of it in case something DOES happen and the insurance company says something about "due diligence".
Click to expand...

I do usually get an authenticated (logged in) briefing through duats on my cell phone before launching...
 
I carry a Sat. phone and have APRS tracking. My last VFR flight plan was filed in 1962. I ALWAYS tell a friend where I am going, and make sure he has the APRS link.
 
N941WR said:
Do you file flight plans for VFR travel? (IFR flight plans are required, so I'm not asking about those.)
Click to expand...

Actually I file IFR for xcountry even on a severe clear day. An IFR flight plan guarantees me flight following and you never hear 'too busy...' from ATC. Sometimes I have to deviate from my plan and cancel if ATC wants to send me to Timbuk before they will allow me to go to Tu. But I rarely have to do that.
 
Not sure that I would depend on APRS tracking in some areas. Has fooled my wife (unpleasantly) more than once. A few weeks ago I flew from Reno to eastern NV and there is/was no coverage there. My last hit was near Eureka (I was going to Ely, further east) and :eek: I forgot to call her when I arrived safely. An hour or so later my buddy got a call asking whether I had arrived safely. So she certainly doesn't count on APRS. I carry a PLB and usually use FF when it is available (not available in central NV at below about 11-12k).

greg
 
One reason to file a VFR flight plan...

I have filed on occasion (usually when talking to the briefer, and he says "do you want to file"...if I have time on my hands), but rarely activate them anymore. Generally, I can reach Houston Center at a lower altitude than I can reach FSS, so I already have flight following...and it is inconvenient to then leave their frequency to go activate the flight plan.

However, here is a recent event that highlights a potential reason IN FAVOR of filing VFR. On a night flight several months ago, the weather ended up being a less than VFR at altitude (I could have gone low, but didn't want to), so I requested an airborne IFR pick-up, which was promptly granted. I was given an IFR clearance. After several minutes, they came back and asked me if I had filed an IFR or a VFR flight plan. "No." So they had me go over to FSS and file an IFR plan, then come back to them.

The impression I received is that if I had filed, even if I had not activated it, I would have had a slight bit less workload. I would be interested to hear any ATC specialists confirm if this is correct.
 
Flight Plans

I use to file VFR flight plans, when I first got my license but no more. I use flight following all the time and I file IFR for cross countries. Flight following doesn't dump you off until only a few miles from destination and I keep one radio tuned to ATC so if something went wrong on final, I'd have them dialed in to talk to.
 
I really do like the freedom of changing my mind, and not having to call an FSS to tell them so. My SPOT has worked flawlessly in sending out position reports within a 10 or 11 minute time frame. I usually do make a cell phone call to give someone an idea of variations or future plans.

Out here in the west, we're fortunate to have a lot of splendid and varied scenery. That's why I like the option of changing my mind on a whim, and not having to worry about preset schedules. Within our circle of friends and families, several will always keep track of SPOT reports when any one of us takeoff on a long cross country. And from personal experience, I know that that 911 SPOT button works (accidental activation).

L.Adamson --- RV6A
 
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