File flight plan online uk

You do the same flight every week and know it like the back of your hand. So there you are doing your routine Sunday flight. Suddenly something unexpected happens! Maybe you got cut off by a UFO. Regardless of what it was, it caused you to crash out in the boonies somewhere with no one around for miles! Whatever airport you planned on landing at would be aware of your ETA.

They would be required to alert rescue authorities once you were 30 minutes late with no contact. Help would be on the way. However, we understand your fear. Well, you could, but it would take much longer than necessary. However, we have provided a broad overview of what to include in your preflight actions.

Scroll down near the end to check those out! The form you choose will depend on the type of flying you plan on doing. However , it is highly recommended. As we noted in our bone-chilling scenario above, failure to do so may result in being hunted by hillbillies. You could use Form , but Form is preferred. You can find that information on the AIM using table Go on ahead and fill out the form. Your next step will be the actual filing of your flight. There are multiple ways to file your plan, whether online, by phone, or on an app like ForeFlight.

Low-tech, old school, whatever you want to call it, the phone service will never let you down. We recommend taking the weather briefing. In that case, knowing how to file a flight plan on Foreflight will be your best option.

Users can add aircraft to their account, which usually comes with preloaded performance values. You can add information manually that may be missing from the app. This info will be automatically imported into your flight plan if you make it your default aircraft.

You can construct your route once your performance values have been loaded. The ForeFlight app does more than spare your brain cells from having to do math.

It allows you to file, activate a flight plan, amend a flight plan, and cancel it all with the tap of a screen. Remember that you will have to pay for a ForeFlight subscription. On the plus side, filing is included! According to their website :. The core of our system is FltPlan. Registering for an account is free and only takes a few minutes. FltPlan has 26 years of flight planning and filing experience and is known for accurate flight times, fuel burn, and routing.

FltPlan continues to evolve to meet the complex and changing needs of our users. It compiles a complete flight pack you can flip through with NOTAMs and any other pertinent information along your route of flight. You can also now hit a button and it will open your flight plan for you. I accidentally forgot to open my flight plan on the ground and I was able to open it in the air.

Luckily I was low enough to still have cell service. Otherwise, I would have had to call over the radio. This is an excellent alternative to Foreflight and I highly recommend it. A lot of corporate operators use this program. You can print the briefing packet to take with you on the airplane.

You will need to set up an account and set up an aircraft profile first. Pretty easy. Either one will work. Stick with one so you get good at it. There are other ways of filing, but these four are the best. How do you fill out a VFR flight plan? These are pretty self-explanatory. Aircraft ID : Use the full five digits of the aircraft. Some aircraft have less than five digits, just make sure you use the entire aircraft ID. Star with the aircraft identifier then add a slant and then the special equipment code.

True Airspeed Use software to compute. It is NOT your indicated airspeed. Check out the article I wrote on True Aipseed if you need a quick refresher. Each country has its own identifier. I recommend you get a watch that gives you Zulu time or download a Zulu time app on your phone. Route of flight Do not be lazy and file direct. The only purpose of a flight plan is for search and rescue. Be realistic, but provide value to your rescuers. Note: Think twice about deviating from your flight plan.

Once you go off course you may never be found. Destination airport This is self-explanatory Time en-route Use current wind calculations at cruise altitude to get an accurate time. Foreflight and Fltplan. Remarks The AIM suggests adding in a telephone number the rescue workers can call in case you do not close your flight plan within 30 minutes.

Flight plans should be filed at least 1 hour before EOBT. The flight plan should include the expected times of entering and leaving the area and the details must also be passed to the appropriate ACC. A flight plan may be submitted for any flight. There may be different requirements in other countries, including how a flight plan can be submitted, which can be found in the relevant national AIP ENR 1.

It is a requirement that a copy of a filed flight plan is carried on board the aircraft. How to File a Flight Plan. Rather than include extracts from CAP here, which may be updated, it is recommended that you read the relevant content yourself. As a private individual you may apply for a free account here. Once the account is activated you will have your own AFTN address to send and receive messages, including filing flight plans.

The system requires the use of Java on either PC or Apple devices and browsers that support this. The flight plan form is assisted, it will normally enter the correct addresses for the planned route and has help options for the data fields. But, you are still responsible for ensuring that the addresses are complete.

This will be the default point of departure, so make sure that you change this if you are departing from another airfield! In France it may be worth using their Olivia System to file your return or onward flight plan. There are also many alternative, non-state, flight plan filing services, some free and some subscription. You use these at your own risk. Closing the Flight Plan. There is no requirement to close a Flight Plans in the UK. However, if you wish to clolse a flight plan you can do so by telephoning the AFPEx Helpdesk on If you are arriving at an airfield in the UK that does not have an ATSU, or it will be closed at the time of arrival, you should nominate a "responsible person" to alert the AFPEx Helpdesk on if overdue action is required.

In most other countries you are required to close a flight plan on landing, and within 30 minutes of your flight plan ETA, at an airfield where there is no ATSU or the ATSU is closed at the time of landing.

Failure to close your flight plan in these circumstances may result in overdue action being started and you receiving a bill for the cost. Activating your Flight Plan. If you are departing from a non-ATC aerodrome you will need to ask for your flight plan to be activated.

A change message CHG should be sent if there are changes to your flight, such as aircraft type, speed, level, or route. Your airfiled of departure may also have the facility to do this. If you have used another flight planning service you would need to check with them how to modify a flight plan. Similarly, should the flight be cancelled for any reason, a cancellation message CNL message should be sent.

If you are going to require services at Weekends or on Public Holidays there may be a requirement to give prior notice by close of business on the last working day before planned arrival. This information may also be included in Flight Guides, but you should ensure it is complete and up to date.

If you have given prior notice and have to change plans you should make that known as soon as possible. It is normal that the permission of the landowner or authorised operator of an Airfield or Airport is required prior to use, either arrival or departure.

There may also be a requirement for prior permission to be obtained for Training use, Night use, use outside normal operating hours, etc. For unlicensed Airfields not listed in the national AIP it is your responsibility to contact the owner and obtain prior permission. You cannot just turn up and land, except in an emergency! Do not assume that you can obtain PPR on the radio.

The notification requirements for the GAR form are:. You can submit the GAR form via the following methods:. If anyone onboard the aircraft has a non-EU or non-UK passport, you will need to consider their visa requirements as well.

You will receive acknowledgement by email if you submit via the OnlineGAR method. If you hear nothing to the contrary, continue with your planned flight knowing that you MAY be checked either before departure from or on arrival into the UK. If you are using another GAR submission service provider you should check what, if any, acknowledgement you will get. Sometimes these are only required at certain airports of arrival.

In this section we suggest that before you aviate you take a moment to carry out a brief risk assessment of your route and build in some risk reduction options. Of course it assumed that you have properly planned your flight in the first place!

Practical guidance for GA pilots, students and flight instructors on operational, safety and regulatory issues relevant to their flying. For downloadable and printed copies see: www. See the alerts and sign up at skywise.

The Airspace Infringement Working Group has produced this guidance to cover the key aspects of successful pre-flight preparation and planning. Facebook Twitter. The starting point for any successful and safe flight, even if remaining in the local area or circuit, should be a plan that includes: 1. If you are flying as PIC with no passengers there is no recency requirement.

Fit and Legal to Fly? ANO states: Chapter 4 Person not to fly after failing test ANO states: Chapter 3 In the UK, the Railways and Transport Safety Act sets out a prescribed alcohol limit for people involved in aviation activities, including flight crew, of: a in the case of breath, 9 microgrammes of alcohol in millilitres, b in the case of blood, 20 milligrammes of alcohol in millilitres, and c in the case of urine, 27 milligrammes of alcohol in millilitres. Aircraft fit for planned Flight?