UPDATE: The requirement for ICAO flight plans has been extended a few times now and is still not required yet
If you’ve never filed a flight plan using the ICAO format, then now is the time to learn it! In October of 2016 the old flight plan forms will be obsolete and you will be required to use the ICAO format when filing domestic flights.
How to Fill out an ICAO Flight Plan
This video tutorial should help you through the learning process. There are a few things that are different from the way you do it now, but after watching this video you should feel more comfortable. Of course there are online flight planning services but as a student pilot or a pilot that is trying to set up the specs of the flight planning application, you still need to know what is going on to be sure you are doing it right. I hope you enjoy the video!
Here is a link where you can find the designators for each aircraft as discussed in the video:
Running out of fuel is a common cause of engine failure
Here’s another story sent to us by a one of our readers. This is more common than you think and could have ended very badly! Many pilots just put fuel in the plane and don’t give it much thought afterwards. You have to keep track of your fuel, change tanks regularly and use descent and landing checklists because missing any of these could cause an engine failure.
The following story was submitted by Golan Bar Tal
Fuel starvation – The most stupid reason for engine cut-off
I had this cross country flight with a friend. I checked the available fuel, calculated the required for the full flight (both directions) and made the decision we are good to go. Landing at our destination, I checked the fuel again, and realized I was consuming more than expected. But still, should have enough for the way back.
In the last part of the flight, before descending into the pattern, my fuel gauges showed EMPTY. I was above mountainous area, full of trees, and could only think what I’m going to do if the engine quits! I was never so terrified in my life! I was back with about 3 gallons of usable fuel. It was enough, but looking at empty indication on fuel gauges was scary….
Lessons learned:
1. ALWAYS take the maximum fuel that you can. Even if calculations (including spare) show it is enough – don’t get lazy and get some more. If you don’t have weight limitation, fill it all the way up!
2. At our destination, it was required to schedule fuel in advanced. Since I thought I would have enough, I didn’t schedule it. Once I realized I burned more fuel than I planned for, I should have gotten more fuel. It’s better face a mistake and deal with it on the ground, than to feel bad by doing so and deal with it in the air. There is nothing more stupid than dealing with engine cut-off due to lack of fuel, especially if there is no real reason to go with less than maximum.
Advice From Flight Instructor Joe
My advice to any pilot, whether you are a student or not is to be sure that know your fuel burn well and always be conservative in your estimates. Always take more than enough fuel. Get in the habit of changing fuel tanks every half hour because there have been many accidents with pilots running out of fuel and crash landing with a full tank of fuel in the other wing. Also, if you are flying at a high altitude and you have leaned the mixture for cruise, the engine could stop while descending due to lack of fuel if you forget to enrich the mixture. Reading the checklist helps prevent this kind of situation.
Engine failures and mechanical problems are not all fuel related though so knowing as much about your plane as you can is very important for preventing problems before they happen. We have a few e-lessons that are related emergencies in flight or mechanical issues that would be beneficial to anyone and we also have an e-lesson specific to emergencies during IFR flying that you will find helpful in our IFR pilot section.
Do the best you can to remember and learn from this story. Fly Safe!
Student Pilot Makes 2 Big Mistakes During X-Country Solo
Here’s a story sent to us by a one of our readers that you really need to pay attention to, especially if you’re a student pilot. Mistakes like this happen all the time, especially with a student pilot who has a million things going on in his or her head. Using your checklist and knowing your airplane could prevent this problem. This student almost put himself into 2 different situations that could have made his flight a very scary or dangerous one.
This story was written by Russell Butz
I was waiting for a fellow student pilot to return from his second cross country solo so I could take the plane he was using on my own cross country solo. He was running a little bit late so when he taxied to the ramp, I went out to begin my preflight inspection. As we exchanged pleasantries, he told me he experienced radio trouble on his final leg and thought he might have to enter the class Delta airspace without radio communication. Observing that the Garmin was flashing and on a hunch, he turned the alternator ON. Magically, the radios began functioning! He indicated he had not flown this particular airplane, although the flight school has a fleet of three, and did not realize the alternator switch should be ON! I informed him that it was certainly essential no matter which of the three that he flew.
There was more. I asked the person on the line to top off the fuel since I was going cross country and began my preflight inspection. After filling the right tank, the line-woman stopped briefly at the left tank before putting the cap back on and rewinding the fuel hose. Did it not need topping off, I wondered? When I asked about the refueling, the young lady who filled the right tank said that the right tank was practically empty but the left tank was almost completely full! To my shock, the previous student pilot apparently never switched tanks. Almost losing his electrical power, the guy was about to run out of fuel in his right tank! When I returned from my flight, I made it a point to tell the owner of the flight school about my experience. I don’t know who endorsed this guy to solo, but it scared me to know there was another student out there who could be as careless as that.
Advice From Flight Instructor Joe
My advice to any pilot, whether you are a student or not is to be sure that you use a checklist and know the airplane systems; know what information they are giving you and why. Knowing the systems well will help you problem solve in the event of some kind of problem. Things like this can be avoided by asking questions when you don’t understand how something works. Any time you fly a plane other than the one you have been flying, sit in it and get familiar with it. If there is something that does not look familiar to you or you are not sure of how it works, ask your flight instructor. Our e-lesson called Simple Explanations for the Mechanical Things on the Flight Training Products tab explains the things you should know about your airplane systems. I wouldn’t call this pilot careless, but he didn’t understand the systems completely and may have had other distractions which made him forget the checklist which would have reminded him about changing the fuel tanks.
Do the best you can to remember and learn from this story. Fly Safe!
We’ve got new material for the Instrument student who is looking for an easier way to learn real life IFR procedures!
Our new IFR training e-lessons include:
Aircraft Control for Instrument Flying talks about IFR Scanning and Correction Techniques that will help you stay ahead of the airplane by showing you how to anticipate deviations and correct for them before they happen while flying in IMC. Knowing how to anticipate and fix deviations before they happen will reduce your workload and make flying IFR much easier. Learn about straight and level flight, constant airspeed climbs and descents, turns, airspeed and vertical speed control and more.
Holds is an e-lesson that breaks down IFR holds into steps you can understand! Visualizing holds and hold clearances will be much easier for you. You’ll learn how to enter holds without difficult calculations. You will also learn about published and non published holds, holding at intersections and over VOR’s, wind correction, time correction and more.
IFR Clearances and Radio Communication talks in detail about how to pick up your IFR clearance on the ground or in the air, at airports with & without a control tower. It covers various different methods so you don’t get stuck wondering what to do. You will also learn how to communicate with ATC, Tower Controllers and on the CTAF with examples of exactly how you need to say it. It will also cover clearance void times, valid times, clearance on request and hold for release situations.
IFR Emergencies and Instrument Failures explains in detail many different dangerous scenarios that could happen to you while flying IFR. It will teach you exactly what you need to do when things go bad while flying IFR. Learn how to recognize instrument and equipment malfunctions, and anticipate how their failure will affect what you see and do to maintain control of the plane. You will learn how to recognize all the warning signs and maintain control with vacuum failures, gyro instrument failures, electrical failures, pitot static, icing and more.
Managing Single Pilot IFR Approaches discusses the details of what you should be doing and planning during your IFR flight to help you stay ahead of the plane by properly managing your workload. You will learn how to anticipate what the controller will say to you before he says it and to visualize where you are easily. Reading back approach clearances and setting up your approaches will be much easier for you.
Preparing for your IFR Flighttakes you through everything you need to check in preparation for an IFR flight, where to find it and why it is important. You will learn how to choose a destination airport, how to choose an alternate airport, things you need to know before taking off or landing at an airport from a legal and a safety standpoint, Stars, DP’s, Obstacle clearance requirements, weather requirements, etc.
Low Altitude Enroute charts Covers commonly seen and used symbols and information during IFR flight that will help Instrument Students to be able to interpret what they see easily.
IFR Approach Plates and Approach Types discusses the many different things you will see on Precision & Non-Precision approach plates such as: MSA, DA, MDA, VDP, Circling & Straight in Approaches, Missed Approaches, Procedure Turns, Transitions, Feeder Routes, IAF, IF & FAF & More. Covers things you need to know at a glance that will keep you safe while doing an approach.
If your current Instrument training material isn’t explaining things in enough detail and you need steps that take you by the hand and walk you through the process, then this is for you!
If you’ve never filed a flight plan using the ICAO format, then now is the time to learn it! In October of 2016 the old flight plan forms will be obsolete and you will be required to use the ICAO format when filing domestic flights.
Brand New IFR Student Training Material!