VFR Flight Planning
VFR flight planning is a simplified way of explaining a particular way of forming a flight plan when the rules of flight are governed by certain factors. VFR (visual flight rules) is basically a term used to describe those instances in which a pilot is not going to relay solely on instruments when navigating the aircraft. This type of flying is highly skilled and required a great deal of training…but surprisingly perhaps, not so much as IFR (instrument flight rules) which necessitates a great deal of technical knowledge. VFR flight planning is complex with many considerations to be covered. Fuel for instance is expensive, even on short flights and so it is obviously a concern that fuel consumption is carefully controlled. VFR flight planning is one way to ensure that VFR flights are not only cost effective but also as safe as possible. This can include the careful consideration of many factors; as pilots flying under VFR rely heavily upon their own senses and an accurate prediction of weather patterns. Flight plans take many things into consideration with regards to safety and the risks of collision are carefully calculated by considering the details of landscapes, weather and other air traffic which the pilot of an aircraft may encounter. Although the weather and the behaviour of other craft is never a definite, experienced flight planners know how to calculate things extremely closely and so with all things taken into consideration it is possible to draw up very accurate and almost fool-proof flight plans.
VFR Flight Planning; Fuel Costs
VFR flight planning like any other type of planning requires that the careful management of fuel is considered; fuel is a big expense for all flights and keeping costs to a minimum is preferential. Reserve fuel can be a difficulty as there is no avoiding the fact that it must be included in the fuel loaded onto an aircraft irrespective of whether or not it is believed it will be used. By calculating the risks of an aircraft needing to divert to another airport in the case of an emergency and also the expected weather conditions on the day of a flight, a good flight plan can effectively minimize the amount of extra fuel carried by an aircraft and this of course saves money as well as precious commodities.
The calculations of fuel are complex and many things are taken into consideration; not the least of these things is the expected weight of any particular aircraft; if a craft is carrying a heavy load then the amount of fuel which is burned is greater than that of a craft with only a light load. As an aircraft sets out on it’s journey, its weight will be at its heaviest due to the fuel which it is carrying on board; this consideration is something which means VFR flight planning must take into consideration this reduction of fuel as the journey progresses. Flight planning is complicated and requires very careful calculations which pilots can rely on at all times.