Definition of Flight Plan

For a airplane arrive at your destination with all the guarantees it is necessary to start tool basic technique, the flight plan or PV, also known as flight plan in English. Said plan is completed by the pilot of the aircraft in a specific document.

What is this fundamental document about?

Before preparing the flight plan itself, it is necessary to know in advance what the flight plan is. airport of origin and destination and, at the same time, the meteorological situation during the time of flight.

Once the previous aspects have been specified, the pilot must handle some charts of the upper airspace and others for the lower airspace (some charts or others are consulted depending on the type of plane).

Obviously, a series of data related to the flight to be carried out is specified in every flight plan. Some of them are the following: aircraft identification, the type of flight, time of departure and expected arrival, the velocity cruise, the maximum expected altitude, the chosen route and an alternative route, the aircraft load, as well as a number of technical issues related to the

safety air and radio communication equipment. All this information is reflected in a document through specific codes and acronyms that are common in the international aviation field.

It should be noted, on the other hand, that currently flight plans can already be completed through Internet and this circumstance facilitates the procedures of the pilots. All PVs are included in a centralized computer system and can be consulted by the air traffic controllers at the departure and destination airports.

Usefulness of a flight plan

In addition to a mandatory legal procedure compliance On most flights, these plans are very useful in two senses. In the first place, because when completing them, a series of technical aspects are supervised that allow the aircraft to fly with more safety guarantees. Second, it is a useful tool to facilitate air traffic management.

A PV is not required on certain flights

According to international aviation regulations, certain flights do not require a PV and are those that take place in uncontrolled airspaces. In addition, the services of emergency and air rescue are also exempt from a PV, as they engage in unforeseeable types of activities. Finally, the VPs of military flights have their own procedures and standards.

Photos: Fotolia - Jag_cz / kantver

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