Airplanes R Us: The ICAO Flight Plan Form (One of Three Installments)

As pilots, we have been variously notified by the FAA that the ICAO flight plan form will be used exclusively after August 27 (just now). OK, no big deal if you are a local flyer and non-filer. Its mostly a paperwork item but does require attention if you are an IFR flyer or a frequent user of VFR flight plans… or user of media services to file plans (Foreflight, GarminPilot).

The concept of the flight plan has not changed. It is still a portal to the ATC system (IFR) and / or an “insurance policy” for VFR flyers. In the latter case, real humans begin inquiries if a VFR plan remains open beyond the ETA (plus a little).

There are a million traditional “templates” for “old” US flight plans, often in the form of panel pasties, or key fobs, which will need to be relegated to dustbins or museums as historical pieces. Likely, if you needed to file a flight plan now (without a computer) and did not have an ICAO form, the live briefer at 1-800-WXBRIEF would kindly help.

Flight plan filing favors the media methods like FSS website or APPs. In those cases, the website template has some drop-down menus to help with the mysteries… mainly equipment codes and surveillance codes. For my Maule, the equipment code is “S” (for standard: VHF, VOR). If I had a hard-wired GPS, I could add “G”. My surveillance code is “CU1” (mode C and ADS-B of the UAT OUT type).

Most pilots like to sound “professional” and avoid flailing around during radio contacts, so radio-filing is a good thing to avoid if possible, especially with the new format. On the IFR side, “pop-up” clearances are still the same… at the convenience and discretion of the controller.

Next installment of Airplanes R Us… I’ll include a personal, historical encounter with ICAO flight plan.

John Meyers

Sept 2019