Best Practices for Flight Planning

[LAWYER2]

I'm learning how seemingly intimidating manual flight planning can be, but it seems like once you get a solid system down, it's pretty straight forward. We're (understandably) required to learn how to do it manually, but Foreflight looks so incredibly simplified! I came across this video (below) where the CFI uses FF to sort of reverse-engineer & confirm flight planning accuracy. I would be interested hearing other folks experiences and what worked best for them.

 

[KE5BM]

I personally use Garmin Pilot. The day of my PPL checkride, there was a paper chart update so in an effort to be absolutely prepared I went to the FBO the day prior and bought the new edition. The DPE had instructed me to use whatever method I chose for flight planning a 150nm or so cross-country flight. I decided to do both on paper and on Garmin. I spent probably 2 hours getting everything calculated, chosen, written down and verified on paper. The same process took me about 10 minutes on Garmin and provided me significantly more accurate numbers and information. Also, up-to-the-minute updates. There's a reason professional pilots carry iPads as opposed to chart briefcases nowadays.

 

[rhkennerly]

First, I like her a lot. You should talk with your instructor about the local DPE attitudes toward EFBs, but I imagine most are resigned to them.

I’ve heard that most will have you turn off “enable ownship” in the settings, so there is no position marker for you to crib. You can also fly just by the flight log to practice DR.

I always carry paper charts, but I’m old, particularly the low-level VFR charts that show the wormholes through crowded class B airspace. But i find paper charts particularly useful for chair flying and pre-planning. The Bushcat is slow and my maximum bladder and need-to-leash-up-the-prostate-and-take-it-on-a-walk range is 3hrs, which leaves about an hour in the tank.

It’s a lot easier to sit at a table with a plotter, tick off 3 hrs on the plotter under expected conditions, swing it around left and right of the course to find airports that might be good to tank up at (using ForeFlight to check prices). Also, to evaluate runway alignment to expected winds, particularly if they’re gusty or strong.

But, in flight, I use ForeFlight. Be aware, that ForeFlight is powerful, but it’s also intimidating to learn and to set-up. However, it’s also amazingly useful. The latest update even serves up radio frequencies as you might need them, depending on location and speed.

 

[TommyG]

I personally use Garmin Pilot. The day of my PPL checkride, there was a paper chart update so in an effort to be absolutely prepared I went to the FBO the day prior and bought the new edition. The DPE had instructed me to use whatever method I chose for flight planning a 150nm or so cross-country flight. I decided to do both on paper and on Garmin. I spent probably 2 hours getting everything calculated, chosen, written down and verified on paper. The same process took me about 10 minutes on Garmin and provided me significantly more accurate numbers and information. Also, up-to-the-minute updates. There's a reason professional pilots carry iPads as opposed to chart briefcases nowadays.

I worked for a 135 back in the 90s that had approach charts for the entire country. The dreaded headache of updated those papers charts every time the updates came. 3 of us would spend hours.