Bye-bye domestic flight plan form...

RotorDude

RotorDude

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Got an email saying FAA is finally retiring the domestic flight plan form on Jan '17.
It's all ICAO from now on...
(Better figure out your equipment code by then.)
 
I hope that rental operations will post the codes for their aircraft.
 
Been using ICAO for years and years, it's really not that hard to set up, just do it in FltPlan, got a guide for what box to check.
 
Been using ICAO since Foreflight suggested the switch. No big deal once you just take a look at it.
 
BGF_Yankee said:
Been using ICAO since Foreflight suggested the switch. No big deal once you just take a look at it.
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When you're planning a flight in a plane that you don't fly on a regular basis, how long does it usually take to find the required information?
 
/G now, looking through the codes it looks like I will stay /G...
 
Palmpilot said:
When you're planning a flight in a plane that you don't fly on a regular basis, how long does it usually take to find the required information?
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In Foreflight? Not long. They list out all the codes for you. Otherwise, not hard to look up as long as you know what equipment is in the aircraft.
 
BGF_Yankee said:
In Foreflight? Not long. They list out all the codes for you. Otherwise, not hard to look up as long as you know what equipment is in the aircraft.
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It just seems like it would be more efficient for rental operations to tell their customers what the codes are for their planes.
 
fiveoboy01 said:
/G now, looking through the codes it looks like I will stay /G...
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My GNS530/430 plane is a /L

Technically for equipment code it says SGRZ/S


Fltplan does a better job than foreflight when it comes to this stuff IMO
 
Palmpilot said:
It just seems like it would be more efficient for rental operations to tell their customers what the codes are for their planes.
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I agree with that, but... you should know what avionics your rental is equipped with, and as BGF_Yankee says, it's pretty easy to get the correct codes from that information in ForeFlight.
 
bullwinkle said:
What's a flight plan?
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It's what will be listed as a big negative fault in the news article in case you fly somewhere VFR and encounter trouble (let's say you perform an emergency off-airport landing).
"Pilot failed to file a flight plan". :D
Now you have one more thing to worry about. You sure don't want the news to say "Pilot failed to file an ICAO flight plan". :D

FWIW, been using the ICAO format for a while now, no big difference if you file from an app or from FltPlan.com.
 
I refuse to buy ForeFlight just tomfigure out what mix of random letters will replace my current "/G."

Surely there is some guidance available for less than $75???
 
Hank S said:
I refuse to buy ForeFlight just tomfigure out what mix of random letters will replace my current "/G."

Surely there is some guidance available for less than $75???
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$75 for ForeFlight is one of the best bargains in aviation.

One of the last things I would give up if I was poor.
 
JoseCuervo said:
$75 for ForeFlight is one of the best bargains in aviation.

One of the last things I would give up if I was poor.
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I am not going to purchase ForeFlight to figure out the ICAO code for my plane . . . That's just stupid!
 
What is this ICAO flight plan you speak.
 
Hank S said:
I am not going to purchase ForeFlight to figure out the ICAO code for my plane . . . That's just stupid!
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They have a free trial, 30 days I believe.

Or they made this video you can watch on youtube (for free):
 
Thanks, ya'll. These'll help. Guess I can soon ditch the laminated cards for Domestic flight plans, and make some new ones.
 
ICAO codes are confusing at first.

Then you realize that there's not just one unique list of codes for your plane. You can file all kinds of different combinations and your flight plan will still be accepted.
 
Hank S said:
I am not going to purchase ForeFlight to figure out the ICAO code for my plane . . . That's just stupid!
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I'm not saying to get Foreflight to find out. I'm saying that's what I use and they made it very easy for me to figure out. You clearly have internet as you are posting here, but let me save you the time:

http://bfy.tw/699S
 
I see a disconnect here.

Why should WE switch to ICAO flight plans, when it's up to the rest of the world to upgrade to OUR standards?????
 
Sac Arrow said:
I see a disconnect here.

Why should WE switch to ICAO flight plans, when it's up to the rest of the world to upgrade to OUR standards?????
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In the case of ICAO flightplans, the rest of the world would have to downgrade to our standards. If you limit yourself to the domestic flightplan form capabilities, it is a relatively painless switch over to ICAO. ICAO provides a means of defining PBN capabilities and is currently required in the US if you wish to use an RNAV SID/STAR. It also provides greater capability in specifying search and rescue equipment on board and special handling for things such as humanitarian flights. In general, it provides more ways of describing the capabilities of your aircraft.

If your aircraft is currently filing with /G and you have no additional needs, then filing ICAO with SG/C will work. S is for Standard equipment and includes VOR, ILS, and VHF Com. G is for GPS. The surveillance code of C means your transponder is mode C capable. All the rest of the stuff can be ignored.
 
Apparently my sense of sarcasm does not transmit well.
 
Hank S said:
I am not going to purchase ForeFlight to figure out the ICAO code for my plane . . . That's just stupid!
Click to expand...


Maybe you can start a GoFund me type of thing to raise money so you can buy Foreflight.

Or ask relatives and friends for help.
 
JoseCuervo said:
Hank S said:
I am not going to purchase ForeFlight to figure out the ICAO code for my plane . . . That's just stupid!
Click to expand...
Maybe you can start a GoFund me type of thing to raise money so you can buy Foreflight.

Or ask relatives and friends for help.
Click to expand...
No need for pointless snide comments.

Hank was simply conveying that there is no need to succumb to pier pressure. Just because everybody's doing it doesn't mean we all must follow suit. You know ... if everybody jumped off a cliff ....
Anyway, Hank already got an answer suggesting the FltPlan webpage etc so all is good.

FWIW, I set up the ICAO profile for my airplane on FltPlan.com in less than a minute. They made it very simple and I am grateful. So filing for me is no big deal. As a user, I don't see any difference between domestic or ICAO flight plan, it is transparent.
 
Pier pressure could be fatal - those things tend to be really heavy! ;)
 
Thanks, John Collins. It shouldn't be too hard to remember SG/C. The only way I'll ever remember that other long string of random letters, which is apparently not standard since it can be written in more than one way (what a great idea! Makes it really easy to encrypt and decypher. Multiple correct codes per aircraft? This is better?? YGBSM . . .

Anyway, I will have to write that series of letters down. If it's fun, I'll write down several different strings, and use a different one each time I fly. If there's more than one "right" description, then I have to ask: is there a wrong description? I wonder if I can file using "YGBFSM"? :p Flight plan filing for everyone!
 
I'm wondering how useful a long equipment code is going to be when ATC asks for it when a pilot requests flight following.
 
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