VFR Flight Planning; What’s Involved
VFR flight planning is the term used to describe flight planning for an aircraft which will be flying under the Visual Flight Rules which are a set of rules which come into play when a pilot may navigate an aircraft using only visual aids as his or her main means of piloting the craft. In order for VFR flight planning to come into play, the weather on the day of the scheduled flight must be superior in terms of visibility and stability than that which necessitates a flight under IFR (Instrument Flight Regulations). What constitutes “superior” in terms of weather is dependent upon many variables. When a pilot flies under VFR, he or she must use all of their natural senses to determine the course of the aircraft and it is necessary for them to be able to meet certain criteria in order to achieve this.
VFR Flight Planning and What is Required
To undertake a flight under VFR, a pilot must be able to see clearly from the cockpit, to be able to avoid obstacles either natural or man-made and also to be able to manage the aircraft’s altitude at all times. Pilots who are flying a craft under VFR are responsible for clearance (the distance between them and other craft etc) and they will not receive instructions from Air Traffic Control who in circumstances where IFR flight is underway, will usually guide a pilot in terms of clearance and route. VFR flight planning is in no way simpler than IFR flight planning and there are many considerations which must be managed with great care. A pilot flying under VFR flight planning is required to use a transponder to assist them in identifying other aircraft in their vicinity on radar; this is especially true when an aircraft is flying in the area around busier airports where the air traffic is heavier. A transponder is basically an electronic device which responds when it detects something in its path. Transponders were first developed by the American and British military during the Second World War as a means of detecting “friend or foe” in the air. The technology was adapted in the 1950s for use by Civic Air Traffic Control.
VFR Flight Planning and Safety
The main aim of all flight regulations is of course to safeguard those on board and those on the ground where relevant. VFR flight planning takes many variables into consideration and whilst the rules are stringent there is sometimes room for manoeuvre in certain cases. Where an aircraft is attempting to take-off or to land in conditions which almost but not quite meet the requirements of VFR, then it is possible (in the USA and Canada) for a pilot to request “Special VFR”. This exception may only take place during the day unless the pilot possesses an “instrument rating”; an instrument rating which is the qualification that allows a pilot to fly under IFR. So the rules and regulations may be extremely rigorous but it is only because of these carefully laid regulations that most commercial flights today may be undertaken by both pilots and the public with a great degree of confidence.