Reference: Flight Plan

Table of Contents

General instructions

• Adhere closely to the prescribed format
• Report hours in Universal Time Coordinated (UTC).
• Use the 24-hour clock (e.g. 1800, 0930, etc.).
• Complete item 19 as indicated. It will facilitate help by search and rescue (SAR) services.
• Coordinates shall be in degrees and minutes (e.g. 6725N01215E)

Flight plan items

Item 7: Aircraft Identification (Maximum 7 characters)

Insert one of the following:

1. The registration marking of the aircraft (LNABC, N1234GA)
2. The ICAO designator for the aircraft operating agency, followed by a flight number.
3. The call sign determined by the military authorities

Item 8: Flight rules and type of flight

Flight rules (1 character)

Insert one of the following letters to denote the category of flight rules with which the pilot intends to comply:

• I if the entire flight will be operated under the IFR rules
• V if the entire flight will be operated under the VFR rules
• Y if the flight initially will be operated under the IFR, followed by one or more subsequent changes of flight rules or *
• Z if the flight initially will be operated under the VFR, followed by one or more subsequent changes of flight rules *

* – specify in item 15 the point at where a change of flight rules is planned.

Type of Flight (1 character)

Insert one of the following letters to denote the type of flight:

• S if scheduled air services
• N if non-scheduled air transport operations
• G if general aviation
• M if military
• X if other than any of the defined categories above *

* – specify in item 18 under RMK/ if reason for specific handling by ATS is needed.

Item 9: Number and Type of aircraft

Number (1 or 2 characters)

Insert number of aircraft, but only if more than one

Type of aircraft (2 to 4 characters)

Insert the appropriate designator as specified by ICAO Doc 8643, or, if no designator assigned insert ZZZZ and specify in item 18 the (numbers and) type(s) of aircraft preceeded by TYP/

Wake Turbulence Category (1 character)

Insert one of the following letters to indicate the wake turbulence category of the aircraft:

• L – Light, to indicate a MTOW of 7.000 kg or less.
• M – Medium, to indicate a MTOW less than 136.000 kg but more than 7.000 kg (15.000 lb).
• H – Heavy, to indicate an aircraft type with a MTOW of 136.000 kg (300.000 lb) or more.
• J – Super

Item 10: Equipment

Radio Communication, Navigation and Approach Aid equipment

Use the follwing indicators to indicate the status of the radio communication, navigation and approach aid equipment:

• The letter N to indicate that no radio communication, navigation or approach aid equipment for the route to be flown is carried or the equipment is unserviceable.
• The letter S to indicate that the standard radio communication, navigation and approach ais equipment for the route to be flown is carried and serviceable. See note 1
• One or more of the following letters to indicate the serviceable radio communication, navigation and approach aid equipment:

A maximum of two of the following letters shall be used to indicate the serviceable surveillance equipment in the equipment indicator of that flight plan, where the second indicator, if used, must be ‘D’:

• Note 1 If the letter S is used, standard equipment is considered to be VHF RTF, VOR and ILS
• Note 2 If the letter G is used, the types of external GNSS augmentation, if any, are specified in Item 18 following the indicator NAV/ and separated by a space.
• Note 3 See RTCA/EUROCAE Interoperability Requirements Standard for ATN Baseline 1 (ATN B1 INTEROP Standard – DO-280B/ED-110B) for data link services air traffic control clearance and information/air traffic control communications management/air traffic control microphone check
• Note 4 If the letter R is used, the performance-based navigation levels that can be met are specified in Item 18 following the indicator PBN/. Guidance material on the application of performance-based navigation to a specific route segment, route or area is contained in the Performance-based Navigation (PBN) Manual (Doc 9613)
• Note 5 If the letter Z is used, specify in Item 18 the other equipment carried or other capabilities, preceded by COM/ , NAV/ and/or DAT, as appropriate
• Note 6 Information on navigation capability is provided to ATC for clearance and routing purposes

Radio Communication, Navigation and Approach Aid equipment

SSR Mode S

INSERT N if no surveillance equipment for the route to be flown is carried, or the equipment is unserviceable, or

INSERT one or more of the following descriptors, to a maximum of 20 characters, to describe the serviceable surveillance equipment and/or capabilities on board:

SSR Modes A and C

Note: Enhanced surveillance capability is the ability of the aircraft to down-link aircraft derived data via a Mode S transponder.

The following letter shall be used to indicate the ADS equipment:

ADS-B

ADS-C

Alphanumeric characters not indicated above are reserved. Example: ADE3RV/HB2U2V2G1
Note: Additional surveillance application should be listed in Item 18 following the indicator SUR/

Item 13: Departure Aerodrome and Time (8 characters)

Insert the ICAO four letter Location Indicator of the departure aerodrome, or if no location indicator assigned, insert ZZZZ and specify in item 18, preceded by DEP/ the name of the aerodrome and position in LAT/LONG (e.g. DEP/RISOER PSN 5843N00914E)

Item 15: Route

Cruising Speed (maximum 5 characters)

Insert the first cruising speed as the True Airspeed for the first or whole portion of the flight, in terms of:

Cruising level (maximum 5 characters)

Insert the planned cruising level for the first or the whole portion of the route to be flown, in terms of:

* When so prescribed by the appropriate ATS authorities.

Route

Including changes of speed, level an/or flight rules. (Note that this is an abbreviated instruction)

Flight along designated ATS routes

Insert the designator of the first route, or the letters DCT followed by the point of joining the route. Then insert each point at which a change of route, speed, level or flight rules is planned, followed by the designator of the next route segment.

Flight outside designated routes

Include at least each point where a change of speed, level or flight rule is planned.

Note: For VFR flights it is also recommended to insert a point approximately every 30 minutes flying time.

Item 16: Destination Aerodrome and EET

Destination Aerodrome and estimated elapsed time: (8 characters)

Insert the ICAO four letter location indicator of the destination aerodrome followed by the total estimated elapsed time, or if no designator has been assigned, insert ZZZZ followed by the EET and specify in item 18 the name and position of the aerodrome preceeded by DEST/ the name of the aerodrome and position in LAT/LONG (e.g. DEST/VERDAL PSN 6348N01127E).

Alternate aerodromes

Insert the ICAO four letter location indicator of not more than two aerodromes, or, if no designator has been assigned, insert ZZZZ and specify in item 18 the name and position of the aerodrome preceeded by ALTN/ the name of the aerodrome and position in LAT/LONG (e.g. ALTN/VERDAL PSN 6348N01127E).

Date of flight

Date of flight indicates the day the flight will take place in 6-figure format (YYMMDD).

Item 18: Other information

Note! No other indicator than the ones shown below may be used.

Insert 0 (zero) if no other information, or, any other necessary information in the preferred sequence shown below, in the form of an appropriate indicator followed by an oblique stroke and the information to be recorded.

STS (Special ATS-handling)

STS/, Reason for special handling by ATS, e.g. a search and rescue mission, as follows:

Other reasons for special handling by ATS shall be denoted under the designator RMK/.

PBN (Performance Based Navigation)

PBN/ Indication of RNAV and/or RNP capabilities. Include as many of the descriptors below, as apply to the flight, up to a maximum of 8 entries, i.e. a total of not more than 16 characters.

Item 19: Supplementary Information

This information is not filed with the plan, but is kept at the unit where the plan was filed. In case of emergency the supplementary information will be transmitted to the appropriate rescue agencies.

Endurance

After E/ insert a 4 number group giving the fuel endurance in hours and minutes.

Persons on Board

After P/ insert the total number of persons (passengers and crew) on board, when required by the appropriate ATS authority. Insert TBN (to be notified) if the total number of persons is not known when filing.

Emergency and Survival Equipment

Radio

• cross out U if UHF on frequency 243.0 MHz is carried
• cross out V if VHF on frequency 121.5 MHz is carried
• cross out E if emergency location beacon – aircraft (ELBA) is available

Survival Equipment

• cross out all indications of survival equipment is carried
• cross out P if polar survival equipment is carried
• cross out D if desert survival equipment is carried
• cross out M if maritime survival equipment is carried. Note: this refers to equipment in addition to the lifejackets in the following section
• cross out J if jungle survival equipment is carried.

Jackets

• cross out all indicators if lifejackets are carried
• cross out L if lifejackets are fitted with lights
• cross out F if jackets are equipped with fluoroscein
• cross out U of V or both as in R/ above to indicate radio capability of jackets, if any

Dinghies/Number

• cross out indicators Dinghies and Cover if dinghies are carried, and insert number of dinghies carried and;
• (CAPACITY) insert total capacity, in persons, of all dinghied carried, and
• (COVER) cross out indicator Cover if dinghies are not covered and
• (COLOUR) insert colour of dinghies if carried.

A/ (AIRCRAFT COLOUR AND MARKINGS)

Insert colour of aircraft and significant markings

N/ (REMARKS)

Indicate any other survival equipment carried and any other remarks regarding survival equipment.

C/ (PILOT)

Insert name of pilot in command

Empty Flight Plan Form