Flight planning for GA flying (VFR/IFR) and PFPX

[Bert Pieke 7,585]

An LPV approach is simply one kind of RNAV approach.

 

http://www.flyingmag.com/training/instrument-flight-rules/how-do-you-fly-lpv-approach

[captain420 3,099]

Gotcha, thanks!

[twojastara 85]

1) In eal life do GA pilots (VFR) just get up in the air and fly with no specific flight plan in mind and just fly to sight see freelyand casually or do they have to plan it first? I'm assuming with VFR you have more flexibility and freedom to fly wherever you want and with IFR in GA you should create a flight plan first if I'm not mistaken.

 

2) How does one properly create a flight plan for VFR/IFR flying in a GA aircraft such as Cessna 172/182, RealAir Legacy. Can you use PFPX? If so do you guys manually create the route yourself, or let PFPX create the route for you? I'm assuming that in PFPX you would select LOW airspace when finding a route?

 

Hi Aaron,

 

I am a pilot with PPL. Some time ago I have created these 5 videos to explain how to create VFR flight plan and navigate. Those videos have 31 minutes in total, so not too much.

 

Hope they will be useful for you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lukasz

[Guest]

Nice video's, Lukasz! I just finished watching them all. I seriously never ever gave dead reckoning a try (I mostly fly using VOR) but I think I will give it a try. I will also download your program because it has some very nice features concerning VORs that Plan-G doesn't have.

 

BTW At first I wondered why you use VOR as a backup only and not as the main navigation tool but I suppose this is because VORs can go down or something like that and dead reckoning simply is the most basic form of navigation any pilot should be able to use?

 

Anyway, thanks for the video's, I learned a lot from them already! I think it is time to take my flying skills to the next phase. Well... I think I should say 'to the previous phase' because dead reckoning is what you should learn first, I suppose.

[skelsey 765]

 

 

BTW At first I wondered why you use VOR as a backup only and not as the main navigation tool but I suppose this is because VORs can go down or something like that and dead reckoning simply is the most basic form of navigation any pilot should be able to use?

 

Indeed -- and also because, to be honest, VORs/NDBs etc are often not located very conveniently for the average VFR flight in a spamcan. It's much easier just to look out of the window than go out of your way to route via VORs. This is particularly relevant these days with ground-based aids like VORs and NDBs being decommissioned in large swathes across the globe -- there are some places (I know Australia, for instance, has been particularly ruthless) where there might not be any radio aids for hundreds of miles. Plus, most of these beacons exist to support the airways structure and instrument approaches, and so the coverage may not always be reliable or certified at lower levels where light GA VFR tends to trundle around.

 

Radio navigation is only taught to a very basic level in the PPL syllabus -- the emphasis is on visual flying and navigation, and keeping your eyes out of the cockpit looking for traffic rather than peering at instruments.

[Guest]

Cool, nice to know, Simon. Now I am definitely going to give dead reckoning a try!

 

Maybe I should read the Plan-G manual (for the first time) but it seems that VFRFlight offers more when it comes to dead reckoning flights then Plan-G? I will give VFRFlight a try anyway.

[fppilot 4,371]

 

 

If PFPX is the flagship planning software for IFR and tubeliners, then what's the equivalent for GA and VFR flying? Is there a paid software out there that's really good?

 

http://www.fltplan.com

 

https://skyvector.com/

 

They are free. Just need to learn to use the tools at those sites.  At fltplan.com I use the IFR (Domestic Format) option when creating a flight plan. That because the other two types require aircraft registration and aircraft specific IFR specifications.  It is a real world USA and Canada (and Caribbean) flight planning and aviation site, so there is a need for us flight sim users to keep within the allowable limits of what is real world and what is sim. 

[captain420 3,099]

Thanks everyone for the info. Lukasz, great videos! These will definitely come in handy for me. Much appreciated it.

[twojastara 85]

BTW At first I wondered why you use VOR as a backup only and not as the main navigation tool but I suppose this is because VORs can go down or something like that and dead reckoning simply is the most basic form of navigation any pilot should be able to use?

 

Anyway, thanks for the video's, I learned a lot from them already! I think it is time to take my flying skills to the next phase. Well... I think I should say 'to the previous phase' because dead reckoning is what you should learn first, I suppose.

 

Simon has answered this question nicely.

 

I would add up that I am usually flying in C152, where you have one radio nav. And I don't have NDB receiver. If I would stick to VOR navigation only, I would have to switch frequency back and forth to get at least 2 radials at any place and then locate myself in the map. At the same time I need to keep altitude, direction, speed, communicate, watch for traffic etc. This is pretty heavy work load. Try to do this in sim without pressing pause button and with no autopilot on .

Hence, in many situations it is much easier (and safer) just to look out the window.

 

The other thing is that in real world VORs and NDBs doesn't have to work flawlessly. Sometimes you can get invalid readings on some radials due to some maintenance, or you have limited range because of terrain etc.

 

And dead reckoning itself, could be pretty fun and rewarding. I remember my longest cross country during the training - 150 NM with 2 landings on different airports. And almost in the last moment we had to change one destination to the airport that I was only once before. I could see that my Flight Instructor was pretty tensed, I tried to joke that 'I have to only fly half of the country using map, timer and compass, what could go wrong?', but it didn't work . Anyway, I remember my way to this airport, there was almost no landmarks, just plain fields everywhere. I had kept my course and watched the timer. I was almost sure, that I am on the right track, but still, that was something very new to me. And then, finally, I could see the airport just in front of me! I cannot describe how excited I was back then. This is one of the memories that will stay with me forever, because for such moments I have become the pilot in the first place.

 

 

Maybe I should read the Plan-G manual (for the first time) but it seems that VFRFlight offers more when it comes to dead reckoning flights then Plan-G? I will give VFRFlight a try anyway.

 

Well, maybe as an author of VfrFlight I shouldn't take part into this discussion, but I will just say that I am successfully using VfrFlight in every real world VFR flight I do. In my opinion, people who want to fly VFR 'as real as it gets' will appreciate VfrFlight more.

But - it is just an opinion.

 

Lukasz

[sd_flyer 6,042]

 

 

Using a Garmin is pretty common now, but the plans do need to be manually loaded, at least the first time.  SID/STARS in general do not apply to GA flying because we stay away from the big busy airline hubs.

 

 

 Why is that? If you airplane is RNAV capable you can use SID/STARS. If  you elect not to use them you, can file flight plan with remark "NO SID?STAR" 

 

It's ok to fly in any big international airport even in 152. It's not a big deal at all, just find out ahead of time FBOor transient parking info

 

 

The other thing is that in real world VORs and NDBs doesn't have to work flawlessly. Sometimes you can get invalid readings on some radials due to some maintenance, or you have limited range because of terrain etc.

 

 

 

 

You mean VOR facility maintenance? NOTAMs will be you friend prior the flight than

[skelsey 765]

 

 

Why is that? If you airplane is RNAV capable you can use SID/STARS. If  you elect not to use them you, can file flight plan with remark "NO SID?STAR" 

 

Would you be cleared on a SID/STAR in the on a VFR flight plan in the US? Over here anything VFR would normally be given separate departure instructions. Is a non-instrument rated pilot expected to be able to fly a SID? I'm fairly sure in Europe that's the sort of thing that would be covered in the IR.

 

Sure, a C152 can fly RNAV procedures if suitably equipped, but typically the limiting factor is the pilot!

 

 

 

It's ok to fly in any big international airport even in 152. It's not a big deal at all, just find out ahead of time FBOor transient parking info

 

In Europe big international airports (and, frankly, some less enlightened smaller "upstart" airfields as well) are very GA-unfriendly and have a tendency to charge enormous, extortionate handling/landing fees that make it very uneconomic to fly anything much smaller than a 737 in (not to mention lots of CAS). I know it's rather different in the States, though!

[sd_flyer 6,042]

Would you be cleared on a SID/STAR in the on a VFR flight plan in the US? Over here anything VFR would normally be given separate departure instructions. Is a non-instrument rated pilot expected to be able to fly a SID? I'm fairly sure in Europe that's the sort of thing that would be covered in the IR.

 

Sure, a C152 can fly RNAV procedures if suitably equipped, but typically the limiting factor is the pilot!

 

 

 

 

In Europe big international airports (and, frankly, some less enlightened smaller "upstart" airfields as well) are very GA-unfriendly and have a tendency to charge enormous, extortionate handling/landing fees that make it very uneconomic to fly anything much smaller than a 737 in (not to mention lots of CAS). I know it's rather different in the States, though!

 

 Of course if you won't be needed SID/STAR without filing IFR, but as I wrote in either way you can avoided and receive vectors. 

My point was that you can land in any international airport if you want. I've done it several times. Financial strains is different topic you can have old beaten up 152 or brand new Corvallis 400

[ErichB 3,643]

 

 

You should download the Airman Information Manual free from the FAA here (the AIM is a bible for student pilots): http://www.faa.gov/a...ations/#manuals

 

Great reference Dan, thanks

[Guest]

 

 

but I will just say that I am successfully using VfrFlight in every real world VFR flight I do. In my opinion, people who want to fly VFR 'as real as it gets' will appreciate VfrFlight more.

 

Well, that is indeed cool!

[downscc 1,327]

Why is that? If you airplane is RNAV capable you can use SID/STARS. If you elect not to use them you, can file flight plan with remark "NO SID?STAR"

It's ok to fly in any big international airport even in 152. It's not a big deal at all, just find out ahead of time FBOor transient parking info

 

Every RNAV SID/STAR I've seen is usually turbojet only, a few include turboprops.  There are still VOR-based procedures in use and these might be given in a clearance to an IFR GA arrival, depends on the location.  Going into Dallas Executive KRBD I'm given the CQY arrival, going into Houston Hobby I am given vectors all the way.  If you are VFR, you want to avoid the arrival routes unless you are assigned to them.

 

It's not common to take somethings as slow and small as a C152 into a major terminal, also note that students are not allowed in Class B airspace. As noted, there are FBOs at major terminals but they cater to the business market. You'll find exorbant fuel costs, parking fees and possibly landing fees.  GA avoids these whenever possible.  Even a Class C terminal like Jackson MS will have double the fuel cost compared to the nearby GA airport KMBA Bruce Campbell, where I have stopped for cross country fuel on several occasions.  Las Cruces instead of El Pase has saved me hundreds.