IFR cross-country flight planning

Start with the flight and the information it requires

Section 91.103 requires the PIC to become familiar with all available information concerning the flight. For IFR or a flight away from the airport vicinity, that includes weather, fuel, alternatives if the flight cannot be completed, and known ATC delays. Runway lengths and applicable takeoff/landing performance information also matter. Filing a route is one output of this work, not evidence that the work is complete.

Define departure time, passengers/cargo, destination needs, aircraft and a usable backup plan. Confirm qualifications, currency, proficiency, fitness, inspections, equipment and approval. Read the actual AFM/POH and supplements for the installed navigation, automation and performance limits. A familiar aircraft type with unfamiliar equipment needs preparation of its own.

Obtain current observations, forecasts, advisories, PIREPs and NOTAMs for departure, route, arrival and alternates. Correlate at least three conditions—for example cloud/visibility, icing/temperature and wind/shear—with actual altitudes and times. An acceptable destination ceiling cannot offset an unsafe climb through icing or a runway crosswind beyond the aircraft/pilot limit. Record when information was checked and what change would require a new decision.

§91.103: preflight action · IFH 10-2: planning publications and aircraft information · ACS I.B.S1–S3: briefing, analysis and go/no-go preparation

Assemble a route that every source supports

Use the current en route chart to connect fixes/routes and read segment distances, minimum/maximum altitudes, navigation requirements, reporting points and changeover points. Check navigation-facility availability and usable coverage, not just the existence of a symbol. A direct line may cross terrain, restricted airspace or a gap in the required navigation capability. A suitable IFR RNAV installation can support routes that an unsupported tablet cannot.

Check preferred IFR routes and any applicable TEC routes in current publications; they help fit a proposal into the traffic system but do not guarantee the issued clearance. Use the TPP for departure, arrival and approach procedures, required climb gradients, equipment, restrictions and alternate notes. Use Chart Supplements for runway dimensions/surface, lighting, communications, airport hours, services and local notes. A chart may show an airport without establishing that its fuel or weather service will be available at your arrival.

Read NOTAMs for closed runways, procedure/facility outages, GPS interference and temporary restrictions. Check effective times against UTC and the planned use. Reconcile amendments with the chart and loaded database. Resolve any inconsistency before selecting the procedure.

For special use airspace, identify the type, vertical/lateral boundaries, schedule and controlling/using agency. Restricted or prohibited areas are not interchangeable with a MOA. IFR transit through an active MOA depends on ATC separation arrangements; ATC may reroute when separation cannot be provided. An inactive restricted area may be available when released to ATC, whereas an active area may require avoidance or appropriate permission. Published schedules do not establish today's status. Check current activity and temporary information, and retain a viable reroute.

AIM 5-1-1, 5-1-3 and 5-1-6: publications, NOTAMs and route filing · AIM 3-4: special use airspace and IFR coordination · Current FAA en route charts, TPP and Chart Supplements

Choose airports and altitudes for more than legality

Evaluate the primary and alternate airports as operations: runway length/surface, winds, terrain, approach and missed-approach equipment, weather-reporting availability, fuel/services and escape choices. Apply the alternate requirement and actual procedure-specific alternate minima taught in Alternates and fuel. Consider a practical alternate even when the destination forecast meets the exception. Weather, terrain or one common navigation outage can make nearby airports fail together.

Choose an altitude that satisfies the cleared route and minimum IFR requirements, with terrain and obstacle clearance throughout departure, cruise and descent. Distinguish obstacle clearance from navigation reception and communications coverage. Consider climb capability at weight/temperature, winds, freezing levels, cloud tops, turbulence, oxygen and the ability to descend safely. A faster tailwind at an unreachable or unsafe altitude has no planning value.

For a single-engine airplane, consider the consequences of an engine failure along the route: terrain, reachable landing areas, gliding distance under the actual POH conditions, winds and loss of altitude during recognition/maneuvering. Altitude can improve options but does not create a guaranteed landing site over mountains, water or cloud. Plan route and escape alternatives around those limits.

For U.S.-registered civil aircraft, §91.211(a) uses cabin pressure altitude. Above 12,500 through 14,000 feet, the required minimum crew must be provided with and use oxygen for the part exceeding 30 minutes. Above 14,000, they must use it throughout that exposure. Above 15,000, every occupant must be provided oxygen. “Provided” and “uses” are distinct in the text. These are legal thresholds, not guarantees of unimpaired performance below them; evaluate physiology and use the actual oxygen equipment instructions.

§91.169: alternate requirement and planning criteria · §91.177: minimum IFR altitudes · §91.179: IFR cruising altitude/flight level · §91.211(a): cabin-pressure oxygen requirements · ACS I.C.K1d/K2: airport, terrain, glide, wind and oxygen planning

Keep course, heading and speed in their proper frames

Course is the intended ground track; heading is where the nose points. Forecast winds aloft are referenced to true north. Solve the wind triangle using true course, true wind and planned true airspeed; then apply local magnetic variation to the resulting true heading. Apply any required compass deviation using the aircraft's correction information. Do not combine a true wind with an unconverted magnetic course.

IAS is the cockpit speed indication; TAS accounts for the air mass conditions and appropriate instrument/position corrections. Obtain planned TAS from the aircraft's performance data at the selected altitude, power, temperature and weight. To determine TAS from cockpit-speed data, first use the aircraft calibration information to obtain CAS from IAS, then enter CAS, pressure altitude and outside-air temperature in an E6B/flight computer, using its stated conventions. For a low-speed study example, CAS 110 knots at 6,000-foot pressure altitude and 5°C gives about 121 KTAS. This is an approximate educational result, not a cruise prediction for an unidentified airplane. An actual performance-chart lookup must also match power, weight and configuration. Groundspeed is the velocity over the ground after wind is included; it controls travel time. A larger indicated airspeed does not necessarily overcome a stronger headwind.

Study example: true course 090°, TAS 120 knots, wind from180° true at 20 knots. The wind blows north and pushes a tracking airplane left. A heading about 099.6° true corrects into the wind from the right; the resulting groundspeed is about 118.3 knots. With 7° west variation, magnetic heading is about 106.6°, before compass deviation. These values are a wind-triangle illustration, not aircraft performance data.

Check the direction qualitatively before accepting a number: correction must point into the crosswind, and a pure crosswind consumes some along-track speed. Recompute for each meaningful route direction and wind layer. In flight, compare predicted and actual groundspeed/track and update ETA and fuel.

IFH 10-2: use actual POH/AFM planning data · AWH §27.2: winds/temperatures aloft direction and units · PHAK 8-9: CAS and TAS determination using pressure altitude and temperature · ACS I.C.K3a: course, heading, airspeed and groundspeed calculations

Build a log with distinct climb, cruise and descent segments

Use time in minutes = distance in NM ÷ groundspeed in knots × 60. Keep units visible. For climb, use the actual performance chart's time, fuel and distance, with the required temperature/weight/altitude corrections and allowances. Do not apply cruise groundspeed and fuel flow to the entire flight or count the climb distance again as cruise distance.

A study climb gaining 6,000 feet over 12 minutes averages 500 feet/minute: altitude gain divided by time. This average is not a guarantee of 500 feet/minute at every altitude; use the actual POH climb data for required gradient/performance checks. At an average 85-knot groundspeed, those 12 minutes cover 17 NM. If the remaining cruise portion is 80 NM at 100 knots, its time is 48 minutes. A descent of 4,000 feet at an assumed constant 500 feet/minute lasts 8 minutes; at 120 knots it occupies 16 NM. Total airborne time for those distinct segments is 68 minutes, with a 113-NM distance under those assumptions. Real climb/descent data and ATC restrictions can differ.

Plan descent early enough to meet route restrictions without excessive speed or an improvised dive. The chosen descent rate must fit terrain, weather, passenger needs and aircraft limits. An ATC level-off or lower groundspeed changes the distance available. Departure gradients and STAR restrictions receive detailed treatment in their later lessons.

Use UTC consistently. An actual off time of 1850Z plus 68 minutes gives an estimated arrival of 1958Z. Add waiting/taxi before takeoff to a ramp-departure estimate separately. Carry the calendar date through a midnight crossing; local UTC offsets can change with location and daylight-saving rules. Recalculate after a reroute or hold and tell ATC when required.

IFH 10-8: arrival/descent preparation and changing clearances · ACS I.C.K3a/K3b: climb/descent, distance, time and UTC ETA · AIM 5-1-12 and 5-1-13: flight-plan changes and delayed departure

Prove the load and fuel fit the aircraft

Use the current empty-weight/equipment records and actual AFM/POH loading method. Include people, baggage, usable fuel and any special equipment at their applicable arms. Moment = weight × arm; CG = total moment ÷ total weight. A study total of 2,000 pounds and 82,000 pound-inches yields a 41-inch CG. That arithmetic alone proves neither a permitted weight nor a permitted CG; compare with the aircraft's applicable envelope and limits.

Check both departure and expected landing/loading conditions as fuel is consumed. Passing maximum gross weight does not prove that CG or compartment limits are satisfied. More fuel can solve a reserve problem while creating a weight/performance problem; reducing passengers or delaying may be the workable answer. Use the loaded weight in takeoff, climb and landing calculations for expected elevation, temperature, wind, runway condition and slope under the manual's provisions.

Build fuel from the same distinct segments. For the study log, climb is 0.2 hour at 12 gallons/hour = 2.4 gallons; cruise is 0.8 hour at 9 = 7.2; descent is 8/60 hour at 7.5 = 1.0. Destination fuel totals 10.6 gallons. A required alternate leg of 5 gallons, 45-minute reserve at normal cruise 9 gallons/hour (6.75 gallons), and 1 gallon of otherwise uncounted start/taxi make 23.35 gallons before added operational margin. These assumed rates are teaching values; actual airplane data controls.

Consider weather, missed approach, delay, rerouting and actual usable fuel. The 45-minute reserve is at normal cruising speed, not a conveniently low hold or descent flow. Establish an early diversion/fuel trigger before delays consume the useful alternatives. Recheck after loading changes, and physically verify fuel under the aircraft's procedure rather than treating a planner's number as a measurement.

§91.103: fuel and expected takeoff/landing performance · §91.167: destination, required alternate and normal-cruise reserve fuel · PHAK Chapter 10: moment, arm and CG arithmetic and loading limits · ACS I.C.S1: weight/balance, performance and fuel planning preparation

Check the electronic planner’s inputs and failure options

An EFB can assemble charts, weather, performance and a route log quickly. Its result is only as good as the selected aircraft profile, current data and inputs. Verify model/registration, equipment, weight, fuel units, power/TAS, climb/descent assumptions, wind layer/time and route. A default cruise flow from another airplane or a pounds-versus-gallons entry can produce a polished but unsafe plan.

Cross-check a representative leg by hand or another understood method. Compare total distance, time, usable fuel and reserves with a rough estimate; investigate surprising outputs. Check the publication cycle and amendments, weather valid time, download completion and offline access. The EFB does not substitute for required installed navigation, communication or surveillance equipment.

Prepare for heat, battery loss, a failed connection, unreadable screen and distraction. Use an accessible, current alternative and rehearse retrieving essential charts/checklists without the failed device. A second app on the same depleted tablet is not independent power. Secure and position the device appropriately, avoid heads-down programming during demanding phases, and use current aircraft procedures for installed equipment.

AC 91-78A supplies Part 91 EFB guidance, including current/valid information and cross-checking data entry and computed results. Its recommendations are not an independent regulation. The PIC still makes the preflight and operational decisions and complies with applicable rules and aircraft limits.

AC 91-78A §§9.1–9.2: current valid information and substitution limits · AC 91-78A §11: workload, failures, training and data cross-checks · ACS II.B.K3/R4: EFB use and risk preparation

File capabilities and a route that match reality

Use the current international flight-plan format, FAA Form 7233-4, through the chosen filing provider. Its entry screens can look different; the underlying information has defined meanings. Confirm the submitted route, times and equipment rather than accepting a saved profile silently.

Capability codes affect the routes/procedures ATC may assign. A GNSS receiver's presence does not establish every PBN approval or radius-to-fix capability. Use the aircraft supplements, current AIM Appendix 4 and provider guidance. Filing does not issue an IFR clearance or authorize takeoff; compare the actual clearance with this plan and amend the analysis if it changes.

Before departure, arrange clearance/release communications appropriate to the airport; an IFR clearance in controlled airspace is required under §91.173. At arrival with a functioning tower, the IFR plan closes on landing; without one, the pilot must initiate cancellation. Cancel airborne only when the remaining operation can be conducted lawfully in VFR conditions outside Class A, and ensure any required VFR airspace arrangements. A frequency change alone does not close the IFR plan.

Current AIM Appendix 4: Form 7233-4 items and capability coding · AIM 5-1-6 and 5-1-15: IFR filing and cancellation · §91.173: IFR flight plan and clearance · §91.169(d): notification on cancellation/completion

Name a workable response to each remaining risk

Review the plan with explicit decisions. Pilot: fitness, currency, proficiency and workload. Aircraft: airworthiness, performance, installed capability and backup systems. Environment: terrain, weather, darkness, airspace and airport availability. External pressure: passenger expectations, deadlines and the appeal of “finishing” after departure. Give each material risk a control, a limit and an alternative.

ATC knows traffic-system needs and provides important services, but cannot decide whether your airplane can meet a gradient, whether a forecast escape is usable, or how much usable fuel is actually aboard. A clearance change can invalidate a carefully calculated plan. Tell ATC early about an inability and request a workable amendment; resolve an unclear instruction rather than improvising.

Set triggers before launch: the latest acceptable departure, a weather/icing deterioration that requires delay/diversion, a fuel level/time for leaving a hold, and the point where an alternate will no longer be available. Decide what information would make you change the plan. A forecast, a clearance and a passenger deadline are inputs—not guarantees that the original route will remain suitable.

ACS I.C.R1–R7: pilot, aircraft, environment, pressure, ATC, application and fuel risk · AIM 5-5-1: pilot/controller responsibilities · §91.123: clarification and clearance compliance

Build a plan you can defend in a ground briefing

With an instructor, current charts, real-time weather/NOTAMs and the actual AFM/POH, prepare a complete cross-country plan. Explain each route fix and aid, SUA check, preferred route, airport/alternate choice and altitude. Interpret the departure, arrival and approach restrictions, and identify which airport, Chart Supplement or NOTAM detail changes the plan.

Provide a navigation log with climb/cruise/descent, course, heading, TAS, groundspeed, distances, UTC times, fuel, power, weight/balance and reserves. Demonstrate how you checked the EFB inputs and one calculated output. Analyze at least three weather conditions against the route and aircraft, then state a supported go/no-go decision and alternatives. Simulate filing the correct capabilities and route without submitting a real flight plan.

Then accept a fictional reroute, delay or weather change and revise the relevant calculations and decision. This prepares the assigned ACS briefing/planning/chart-interpretation tasks on the ground. It does not establish flight proficiency, confer equipment approval or substitute for instructor-supervised flight training.

ACS I.B.S1–S3: ground preparation for briefing and weather analysis · ACS I.C.S1/S3/S4/S6: planning, simulated filing and publication interpretation preparation

FLIGHT SCENARIO

What would change your plan?