VFR Mastery Tag: Planning

Skirting the DC SFRA and Philadelphia Bravo with your iPad seemed simple, until that iPad displayed a low battery warning. You realize your charger has been dead the entire flight. You stop the music on your phone and check its battery … 2%. So much for redundancy. You’re just southeast of the SFRA, threading between […]

The rules say you can fly through an MOA, but conventional wisdom is you should avoid one if it’s hot, right? Sometimes that’s inconvenient or downright impossible. What then? Is ATC your ally on this—or something to avoid? Surely they wouldn’t let you wander in if it was truly dangerous, but what are the consequences?

Flight following is the best way to get an extra set of eyes for traffic and keep in touch with ATC inside busy airspace. That’s why you planned your trip to use this valuable tool. So what’s your next move when ATC decides to cut you loose just when you need Flight Following the most?

A smooth ride in clear skies takes a downturn when the airplane isn’t going to clear the next ridge. You can see the problem and know you must do something, but what will it be? Perhaps more importantly, what’s the best way to execute that plan?

Did you ever dream of flying airplanes in the Golden Age? You know: No radios, no GPS, no moving maps, no datalink weather, limited forecasting abilities, and reliance on a stopwatch plus your eyeballs to find an airport before you ran out of gas. Yeah, us too.

Everyone has had a great day at a local fly-in in a rural town. The departure poses some challenges that aren’t exactly what you planned and aircraft performance isn’t a simple calculation. So long as you have a solid plan to abort, there’s no issue in trying the takeoff, right?

You know high-altitude flying, as it’s where you trained. You have a capable airplane and a clear plan in mind. The devil is in the details when it comes to calculated performance, though, and a few extra degrees can make all the difference in getting off the pavement.

Flying through Alaska is a bucket list item for many pilots in the lower 48. Before you can fly through Alaska, you have to get to Alaska. What’s simple and direct exposes you to dire consequences, and what’s roundabout has hidden compromises. Which way will you go?

Flight following should make your journey safer and easier. If not, participation is voluntary so you can always simply opt out, right? The truth is it’s not always that simple. An ATC instruction can create a conflict that’s not so easy to solve.

The weather is perfect and the flight is just a quick hop to pick up a friend. However, the destination airport is virtually surrounded by a fortress of Class C and D airspace. The communications and coordination could be a nightmare with two radios—and you only have one. Is there a simple and safe solution?

It seemed like a good idea at the time: Expand your comfort zone with busy Class C airspace by meeting your friend at Fort Lauderdale International. Now you’re sandwiched between a stream of incoming jets thinking there’s wake turbulence you can’t see but must avoid. How will you avoid turning upside-down when you turn final?