15.cross-country-flight-planning. Cross-Country Flight Planning
Cross-country flight planning is the systematic process of preparing a VFR flight from departure to destination using pilotage, dead reckoning, and the resources required by 14 CFR 91.103. A well-planned flight reduces cockpit workload, improves situational awareness, and provides the data needed to make in-flight decisions about fuel, weather, and diversions.
Step 1: Assemble Charts and Publications
Gather the current VFR Sectional Chart, and if appropriate, the VFR Terminal Area Chart (TAC) for Class B airspace. Obtain the current Chart Supplement (formerly A/FD) for airport information, and review NOTAMs through 1800wxbrief.com or an EFB. Verify chart currency — sectionals are revised every 56 days.
Step 2: Choose a Route
Draw a course line from the departure airport to the destination using a plotter. Select a route that:
- Avoids prohibited, restricted, and MOA airspace when active
- Provides recognizable checkpoints every 10–20 NM (towns, rivers, highways, lakes, distinctive terrain)
- Maintains terrain clearance and respects 14 CFR 91.119 minimum altitudes
- Complies with 14 CFR 91.159 cruising altitudes (odd thousands +500 ft for magnetic courses 0°–179°, even thousands +500 ft for 180°–359°, when above 3,000 ft AGL)
Measure the true course (TC) with a plotter at the midpoint of each leg, and measure total distance in nautical miles.
Step 3: Gather Weather
Obtain a standard weather briefing from Flight Service (1-800-WX-BRIEF) or a qualified source. Required items include:
- METARs and TAFs along the route
- Winds and Temperatures Aloft (FB) for cruise altitudes
- Area Forecast Discussion / Graphical Forecasts for Aviation (GFA)
- AIRMETs, SIGMETs, and Convective SIGMETs
- PIREPs
- NOTAMs and TFRs
Step 4: Complete the Navigation Log
Using winds aloft, perform wind correction calculations on a flight computer (E6B or electronic):
- True Heading (TH) = True Course (TC) ± Wind Correction Angle (WCA)
- Magnetic Heading (MH) = TH ± Variation (east is least, west is best)
- Compass Heading (CH) = MH ± Deviation
- Ground Speed (GS) results from solving the wind triangle
For each leg, compute distance, ground speed, estimated time enroute (ETE = distance ÷ GS × 60), and fuel burn (ETE × GPH). Total the legs, then add taxi, run-up, climb, and reserve fuel.
Step 5: Performance and Weight & Balance
Using the POH, compute:
- Takeoff and landing distances (corrected for pressure altitude, temperature, weight, wind, and runway surface)
- Climb performance and time/fuel/distance to climb
- Cruise true airspeed (TAS) and fuel flow at the planned power setting and density altitude
- Weight and balance — verify CG is within limits for both takeoff and landing weights
Step 6: Fuel Requirements (14 CFR 91.151)
For day VFR, plan to land with at least 30 minutes of fuel at normal cruise; for night VFR, 45 minutes. Most operators add a personal reserve of 1 hour. Verify the planned fuel load fits within useful load and CG envelope.
Step 7: File a Flight Plan
File a VFR flight plan through 1800wxbrief.com, Leidos, or an EFB. While not required by regulation for domestic VFR flights, it activates search-and-rescue services if the aircraft is overdue. Open the plan with Flight Service after takeoff and close it on landing — failure to close generates a search within 30 minutes of ETA.
Step 8: Preflight Action — 14 CFR 91.103
Before any flight, the PIC must become familiar with all available information concerning that flight. For a flight not in the vicinity of an airport, this specifically includes:
- Weather reports and forecasts
- Fuel requirements
- Alternatives if the flight cannot be completed as planned
- Known traffic delays advised by ATC
- Runway lengths at airports of intended use
- Takeoff and landing distance data
Example Leg Calculation
Assume TC = 090°, distance = 75 NM, TAS = 110 kt, winds aloft 030° at 20 kt, variation 10°W, deviation +2°.
- WCA solved on E6B: approximately +9° right, GS ≈ 103 kt
- TH = 090 + 9 = 099°
- MH = 099 + 10 = 109° (west variation added)
- CH = 109 + 2 = 111°
- ETE = 75 ÷ 103 × 60 ≈ 44 minutes
- Fuel at 8.5 GPH = 44/60 × 8.5 ≈ 6.2 gallons
In-Flight Updates
Once airborne, refine the plan continuously: revise ETAs at each checkpoint, recompute ground speed using the time between known checkpoints, monitor fuel burn against plan, and update weather using Flight Watch (122.0 historical) or Flight Service on 122.2. If actual conditions differ materially from forecast, divert early — a planned alternate is always part of a complete cross-country plan.