VFR flight plan - why?

deyoung

deyoung

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Dumb question perhaps, but - who routinely files a VFR flight plan, and if you do, why?

I generally don't, but I always use flight following, which is easier and seems to have most of the same benefits. I am dumb? Why or why not? :)
 
There are a few reasons you may need to file one. TFRs and/or the possibility of TFRs (election season), DC SFRA, etc.
 
ADIZ penetration or flight in remote areas such as Alaska. Aircraft without radio or transponder.
 
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Flight plans file your entire route.

Flight following is subject to ATC workload, comms and radar contact. I’ve had several times where ATC told me to switch the code to 1200 and good day.

Flight following can keep you on your game and active at flying, good if you are bored, tired, or uncomfortable.

If it’s sky clear and beautiful out, you might just want to do your own thing and not be listening to ATC.

If you have a satellite 406MHz ELT, that’s good enough in my opinion.
 
Chrisgoesflying said:
I do because up north in Canada it's mandatory for flights over 25 NM.
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Does Canada require it for flights overflying Canada? I am unsure if US requires a flight plan for overflying (not landing in) Canada.
 
mandm said:
Does Canada require it for flights overflying Canada? I am unsure if US requires a flight plan for overflying (not landing in) Canada.
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No idea. I never just overfly Canada. Usually I depart, arrive or do both in Canada - in all of these cases, flight plans are mandatory.
 
Flight Following and file VFR flight plans. Like someone else mentioned, I've been dropped from FF long before my destination airport...
 
I use flight following. The only time I've gotten rejected due to controller workload was in Chicago and Phoenix metro, where search-and-rescue would be the least of my concerns. In these areas my forced landing will probably be lived-streamed on TikTok by a bystander before flight services ever knows there's a problem. I've never had an issue picking up flight following in less congested airspace.
The bigger concern is flying in areas where radio comms don't work. Happened on some of my longer XCs to the southwest where they'd say "I'm going to lose you, try back every 10 miles". Then you fly 30 miles w/o talking to anyone (can feel like an eternity at night time lol). There I can see the value of a flight-plan, especially if cutting over rough terrain where it wouldn't be obvious you disappeared.
 
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Mongoose Aviator said:
DC SFRA does not require the filing of a VFR flight plan.
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That’s right, either you file a SFRA flight plan or you head west from Leesburg using the Leesburg Maneuvering Area exemption.

A vfr flight plan would be a separate plan and is not required for the non SFRA portion of the flight
 
Why? Situations aside where you must, like FRZ TFR ADIZ and others I can’t think of right now, is you want someone to come looking for you if you crash. If you don’t, at least let someone know what you are doing, who will miss you if you don’t get to your destination, and call the authorities to tell them you are missing. Beneficiaries of your Will, Trust, Life Insurance or other financial instruments like bank accounts, may not be a good choice.

EDIT: I knew I would be doing an edit because I didn’t read down the thread and just replied to the OP. And yeah, the pros and cons have been well covered. Sometimes Flight Following can initiate a sooner activation of the SAR system. Sometimes not.
 
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VFR Flight Plan stays with Flight Service. Used for SAR at some point after the fact. Don't hold your breath expecting a 30 minute response.

VFR Flight Following is real time and what is used and expected for TFR outer ring VFR flights. Regardless of what the TFR verbiage or AOPA says, controllers do not care about a VFR Flight Plan but simply want you speaking to them and squawking a discrete code (ie - NOT VFR/1200) to fly through the outer TFR ring. Flying VFR while talking to a controller with a discrete code is afaik - Flight Following?

I never flew into the inner ring of a TFR so I have no idea what is expected and required for that.

luvflyin said:
If you don’t, at least let someone know what you are doing, who will miss you if you don’t get to your destination, and call the authorities to tell them you are missing.
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:yeahthat:
I send a "departing" and a "landed" txt msg to 2 of my peeps.
 
Mongoose Aviator said:
DC SFRA does not require the filing of a VFR flight plan.
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I think it does. The document specifying "Requirements to Operate To, From, or Within the DC SFRA" states:
  1. Two-way radio
  2. Operating transponder with altitude reporting (Mode C)
  3. Flight plan appropriate to intended operation:
    IFR: IFR flight plan
    VFR: DC SFRA flight plan for all operations, except:
    •  JYO ingress/egress on 1227/1226 (no flight plan required)
    •  Fringe airport egress (no flight plan required)
    •  Towered airport pattern work (make request to tower)
  4. Discrete transponder code for all operations, except:
    •  Leesburg (JYO) ingress (1227) or egress (1226)
    •  Fringe airport egress (1205)
    •  T owered airport pattern work (1234)
  5. VFR speed restriction (≤ 180 KIAS in DC SFRA, & ≤ 230 KIAS from 30 NM - 60 NM from DCA VOR/DME unless otherwise authorized.)
  6. Communication with ATC for all operations, except:
    •  Leesburg (JYO) ingress/egress: make CTAF calls
    •  Fringe airport egress: monitor guard if able
    •  Towered airport pattern work: talk to tower
    •  Non-towered airport pattern work:
 Make CTAF calls & monitor 121.5 if able

You also must take an orientation course and be assigned a PIN.
 
mandm said:
Does Canada require it for flights overflying Canada? I am unsure if US requires a flight plan for overflying (not landing in) Canada.
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What do US rule have to do with it?

==============================
602.73 (1) Subject to subsection (3), no pilot-in-command shall operate an aircraft in IFR flight unless an IFR flight plan has been filed.
​
(2) No pilot-in-command shall operate an aircraft in VFR flight unless a VFR flight plan or a VFR flight itinerary has been filed, except where the flight is conducted within 25 nautical miles of the departure aerodrome.​
​
(3) A pilot-in-command may file an IFR flight itinerary instead of an IFR flight plan where​
​
(a) the flight is conducted in part or in whole outside controlled airspace; or​
​
(b) facilities are inadequate to permit the communication of flight plan information to an air traffic control unit, a flight service station or a community aerodrome radio station.​
​
(4) Despite anything in this Division, no pilot-in-command shall, unless a flight plan has been filed, operate an aircraft between Canada and a foreign state.​
==============================

BTW, notice that for within Canada flights, they require either a VFR light plan or a "VFR flight itinerary." That's basically a flight plan you don't file but leave "with a responsible person, an air traffic control unit, a flight service station or a community aerodrome radio station who will notice you are missing and call for help. It's a terrific alternative which should be used anywhere if you don't file.
 
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The reason where one is required aside, I filed VFR flight plans in the mountain west because I was regularly flying below radar capability. @deyoung, unless you keep entirely away from your mountains, I'm surprised you don't find them useful (unless someone always knows where you are going and when you should arrive).
 
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Lawson_Stone said:
I think it does. The document specifying "Requirements to Operate To, From, or Within the DC SFRA" states:

  1. Flight plan appropriate to intended operation:
    VFR: DC SFRA flight plan for all operations, except:
Click to expand...

I believe the point he was making is that you need a SFRA flight plan, not a VFR flight plan. They're not the same. The SFRA plan is entirely about getting you in and out of the FRZ/SFRA and they don't care after that.

The SAR response can be delayed, but if you want people to start looking, it's one more tool in the book. ELTs are better, but sometimes don't activate. It's your life, more tools => better chances.
 
midlifeflyer said:
The reason where one is required aside, I filed VFR flight plans in the mountain west because I was regularly flying below radar capability. @deyoung, unless you keep entirely away from your mountains, I'm surprised you don't find them useful (unless someone always knows where you are going and when you should arrive).
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The problem with VFR flight plans in the mountains is I’m not familiar enough with the area to communicate my intended route (this pass name, that valley name, etc.)
 
If you didn't file a VFR flight plan and you get dropped by ATC along a portion of your flight, switch that radio to 121.5 until you're in another sector then try again on another frequency. As long as you're in a radio reception area and have an emergency, you'll get their attention immediately while you set your transponder to the emergency squawk code. (You can also activate your ELT while in flight for added attention.)

Those steps subtract a minimum of 30 minutes and more like several hours before SAR in initiated and also defines a more precise location to help SAR know where to look. Even if you're not on flight following the steps above will likely be far superior to flight following for SAR purposes.
 
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Vance Breese said:
I file a flight plan so search and rescue will start looking if I am thirty minutes late and will have a general idea of where to look.
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The first thing they do is telephone all of the airports near your planned route of flight to see if you landed somewhere else. At some point, they will notify the Civil Air Patrol. The CAP requires a pilot and observer, and these folks have to be located for the mission, which will take some time. They have to have an airplane somewhere near your departure point so it can retrace your planned route and listen for an ELT. All of this will take a bit of time, probably a few hours.

On the other hand, if you are talking to ATC for flight following, and have an emergency, they will be able to pinpoint your location immediately.
 
Because if something happens the media will say something like "and get this, the pilot did not even file a flight plan". :p


P.S I actually always file it because it will show that I had in fact done a briefing. I dont activate it unless I am unable to get FF.
 
A VFR flight plan is a very inefficient way to get help.

If you don’t close a VFR flight plan, 30 minutes (or so) after ETA, FSS will call the listed contact number. No answer, they’ll contact the destination airport and ask for someone to check the ramp and hangars. No luck, then they will contact local law enforcement if it’s the pilot’s hometown, and request an attempt to contact at their home. (Got dispatched to that once - the pilot was fine, just forgot to close his flight plan. His wife said he going to be in more trouble with her than the FAA.)

If all of those fail, then they’ll request SAR. That could be law enforcement, CAP, or military/National Guard. Unless it’s LE and they have an aircraft on duty already, it can take a while - could be a couple hours - before they’re airborne. And then there is a gigantic area to search.

If you have a 406 ELT and/or PLB, SAR can be dispatched within minutes of an activation and go directly to you. The time difference could literally be days.
 
ateamer said:
A VFR flight plan is a very inefficient way to get help.
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I agree with that statement - there are tools available to help launch SAR much faster than a VFR flight plan can, like flight following, a modern ELT or a PLB. But there are also example of accidents where those other tools didn't work and a VFR flight plan could have saved people. I don't suggest to only rely on a VFR flight plan, but out west when I'm in the mountains where VFR flight following is less likely to work for me, I file VFR flight plans as an additional safety net, hoping of course I'll never need to rely on them.

- Martin
 
ok, refresh my rusty pilot memory....way back in ancient times....back when you'd actually use a landline phone to call a real person as FSS, I used to file a vfr flight plan in some special way, so that they would enter it into the system, similar to an IFR plan....so when I'd call for flight following the controller would have a strip, just like an IFR plan...and it made the whole process easier.... and if my fuzzy memory serves it also assisted with the handoff moving form one controller to another....
what was it that I was asking for?
....and is that still a thing?
 
Brad W said:
I used to file a vfr flight plan in some special way, so that they would enter it into the system, similar to an IFR plan....so when I'd call for flight following the controller would have a strip, just like an IFR plan...and it made the whole process easier....
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My experience flying in the US only goes back 25 years, but during that time a VFR flight plan is basically invisible to ATC. It's only visible to search-and-rescue.

What people do at times to assist ATC with VFR flight following request is file an IFR flight plan before the flight, and then tell ATC over the radio that they want that as VFR flight following. From what I've heard, it's a very easy switch for ATC to make - certainly easier than entering the information for a new VFR flight from scratch.

- Martin
 
The only time I filed a VFR flight plan I forgot to close it... :) then I got a nice call from the FSS asking if I was ok.
 
I spent money on a PLB I keep in the plane. I have more faith in that than the time for notifications from FSS. Minutes matter in a crash or forced landing.
 
Gilbert Buettner said:
The first thing they do is telephone all of the airports near your planned route of flight to see if you landed somewhere else. At some point, they will notify the Civil Air Patrol. The CAP requires a pilot and observer, and these folks have to be located for the mission, which will take some time. They have to have an airplane somewhere near your departure point so it can retrace your planned route and listen for an ELT. All of this will take a bit of time, probably a few hours.

On the other hand, if you are talking to ATC for flight following, and have an emergency, they will be able to pinpoint your location immediately.
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You missed a step or two. The call doesn’t go to CAP, it goes to the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, who validates it, coordinates information, authorizes a response mission, and then informs one or more partner agencies to dispatch resources.

If CAP is that resource, response depends on the volunteers. It has to go to CAP, have a management team and response crews activated. I’ve seen that take several hours to immediate if a crew is in the air training and retasked. However, it could be several hours or more after a crash before anyone starts looking.
 
Chrisgoesflying said:
I do because up north in Canada it's mandatory for flights over 25 NM.
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(Canadian here) Not to mention alot of the areas I fly in BC are REMOTE... much more so than the US. And, we see it all the time where GA aircraft go missing. So I at least want them to put the call out if I don't close my plan out.
 
Why VFR flight plan.??

There were times I was on flight following and was forgotten about only to get a relay from another aircraft to switch to another frequency or squawk 1200.

There were times on flight following another VFR aircraft got close enough to get me to change heading and nothing from ATC.

There were times I requested flight following and was told unable due to work load.

When I was in Alaska flight following was not available due to lack of radar coverage, so filing a VFR plan was done with FSS on the radio and also with the company dispatcher.

I would file VFR flight plans with the dispatcher for the company I was flying for even if on a IFR flight plan in Alaska and the lower 48.

Also I filed DVFR flight plans with FSS when crossing the ADIZ.
 
MauleSkinner said:
The problem with VFR flight plans in the mountains is I’m not familiar enough with the area to communicate my intended route (this pass name, that valley name, etc.)
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That's a preflight planning issue. Mountain flight route selection is primarily about passes. If you are high enough that passes are not a consideration, you will likely remain in Radar contact.
 
midlifeflyer said:
That's a preflight planning issue. Mountain flight route selection is primarily about passes. If you are high enough that passes are not a consideration, you will likely remain in Radar contact.
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Exactly…how would i put my route on my VFR flight plan if I don’t know the names of the route features?
 
bflynn said:
I believe the point he was making is that you need a SFRA flight plan, not a VFR flight plan. They're not the same. The SFRA plan is entirely about getting you in and out of the FRZ/SFRA and they don't care after that.

The SAR response can be delayed, but if you want people to start looking, it's one more tool in the book. ELTs are better, but sometimes don't activate. It's your life, more tools => better chances.
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Aha I stand corrected. Thank you.
 
Why both? Why put primer and paint on you airplane? The two do not provide the same service. And flight following can be canceled due to workload or other issues.

Victor 3 southbound, weekend before Easter. 3 hour leg into Savanah, with a VFR flight plan with the FSS system. About half way on that leg, flight following canceled due to to many IFR planes in the combined V3 and V1 routes, that are converging.

Arrived at SAV in drizzling rain, but good VFR, to be greeted by a line boy in slicker, and thrilled to see us. Go straight to the office, call FSS, they have started a search for you! He had just finished checking every plane in the tiedown area for our number. In the office, the manager dialed the number, and when FSS answered, they were very happy to hear from me. I was 55 minutes late, and they had called airports all along my flight plan to see if we might be there.

The feared accident turned out to be theirs, the teletype message to SAV FSS had 2 hours instead of my filed 3 hours. When we arrived, they were 55 minutes into a mostly telephone search, and at an hour, planned to consider a call to the Civil Air Patrol, which was much more active then. He admitted he was embarrassed that he had not considered that no Cessna 172 would have flown 300 miles in 2 hours.

If you stop responding to Flight Following, they do not start a search, unless they noticed your altitude went below radar coverage.

3 crashes within a quarter mile of College Park Airport, MD, went into soft treetops, and had no locator beacon activation. In the cell phone world, with at least one in condition to dial 911, they would have been rescued quickly, but out in the boonies, not much chance.

Extra layers of protection, with overlapping functions, plus the ELT make a bad injury accident more likely to be survived. And there is no extra charge for the flight plan.
 
MauleSkinner said:
Exactly…how would i put my route on my VFR flight plan if I don’t know the names of the route features?
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I'm missing something. Maybe we are thinking of different kinds of routes. The passes I flew in Colorado were marked on the Sectional with their names. Do you have a departure and destination in mind?
 

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