Pilot Courses of Instruction

Flight Plan and Fuel Requirements

Fuel Requirements

VFR

Airplanes

Enough fuel to fly to the first point of intended landing and, assuming normal cruising speed:

1. During the day: 30 minutes reserve
2. At night: 45 minutes reserve

Rotorcraft

Enough fuel to fly to the first point of intended landing and, assuming normal cruising speed:

• 20 minutes reserve

Reference:

14 CFR 91.151

IFR

Enough fuel to:

1. General:
   1. Fly to the first point of intended landing;
   2. Fly from that airport to the alternate airport; and
   3. At normal cruising speed:

      1. Airplanes:

         45 minutes reserve

      2. Helicopters:

         30 minutes reserve
2. Paragraph (a)(2) [above] does not apply if:
   1. There is an applicable instrument approach procedure for the first airport of intended landing; and
   2. Appropriate weather reports or weather forecasts, or a combination of them, indicate the following:

      1. Airplanes:

         ETA plus/minus one hour, the ceiling will be at least 2,000 feet above the airport elevation and the visibility will be at least 3 statute miles.

      2. Helicopters:

         ETA plus one hour, the ceiling will be at least 1,000 feet above the airport elevation, or at least 400 feet above the lowest applicable approach minima, whichever is higher, and the visibility will be at least 2 statute miles.

Reference:

14 CFR 91.167

Flight Plan Information Requirements

VFR

1. Information required:

   1. The aircraft identification number and, if necessary, its radio call sign.
   2. The type of the aircraft or, in the case of a formation flight, the type of each aircraft and the number of aircraft in the formation.
   3. The full name and address of the pilot in command or, in the case of a formation flight, the formation commander.
   4. The point and proposed time of departure.
   5. The proposed route, cruising altitude (or flight level), and true airspeed at that altitude.
   6. The point of first intended landing and the estimated elapsed time until over that point.
   7. The amount of fuel on board (in hours).
   8. The number of persons in the aircraft, except where that information is otherwise readily available to the FAA.
   9. Any other information the pilot in command or ATC believes is necessary for ATC purposes.

2. Cancellation:

   • Cancel an activated flight plan with a Flight Service Station or ATC facility.

Reference:

14 CFR 91.153

IFR

1. Information required:

   1. All VFR flight plan information (above)
   2. Except as follows, an alternate airport.
   3. An alternate is not required if:
      1. There is an applicable instrument approach procedure for the first airport of intended landing; and
      2. Appropriate weather reports or weather forecasts, or a combination of them, indicate the following:

         1. Airplanes:

            ETA plus/minus one hour, the ceiling will be at least 2,000 feet above the airport elevation and the visibility will be at least 3 statute miles.

         2. Helicopters:

            ETA plus one hour, the ceiling will be at least 1,000 feet above the airport elevation, or at least 400 feet above the lowest applicable approach minima, whichever is higher, and the visibility will be at least 2 statute miles.

2. IFR alternate airport weather minima.

   • To be included as an alternate airport in an IFR flight plan, the appropriate weather reports or weather forecasts, or a combination of them, indicate that, at the estimated time of arrival at the alternate airport, the ceiling and visibility at that airport will be at or above the following weather minima:
     1. If there is an applicable instrument approach procedure for the alternate airport, the following minima:

        1. Airplanes:

           The alternate airport minima specified in that procedure, or if none are specified the following standard approach minima:
           1. For a precision approach procedure. Ceiling 600 feet and visibility 2 statute miles.
           2. For a non-precision approach procedure. Ceiling 800 feet and visibility 2 statute miles.

        2. Helicopters:

           Ceiling 200 feet above the minimum for the approach to be flown, and visibility at least 1 statute mile but never less than the minimum visibility for the approach to be flown
     2. If there is no applicable instrument approach procedure for the alternate airport, the ceiling and visibility minima are those allowing descent from the MEA, approach, and landing under basic VFR.

3. Cancellation:

   • Cancel an activated flight plan with a Flight Service Station or ATC facility.

Reference:

14 CFR 91.169

IFR Alternate Airport Precautions

From the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM), §5-1-9, "IFR Operations to High Altitude Destinations"

1. Pilots planning IFR flights to airports located in mountainous terrain are cautioned to consider the necessity for an alternate airport even when the forecast weather conditions would technically relieve them from the requirement to file one.
2. The FAA has identified three possible situations where the failure to plan for an alternate airport when flying IFR to such a destination airport could result in a critical situation if the weather is less than forecast and sufficient fuel is not available to proceed to a suitable airport.
   1. An IFR flight to an airport where the Minimum Descent Altitudes (MDAs) or landing visibility minimums for all instrument approaches are higher than the forecast weather minimums specified in 14 CFR 91.167(b). For example, there are three high altitude airports in the U.S. with approved instrument approach procedures where all of the MDAs are greater than 2,000 feet and/or the landing visibility minimums are greater than 3 miles (Bishop, California; South Lake Tahoe, California; and Aspen-Pitkin Co./Sardy Field, Colorado). In the case of these airports, it is possible for a pilot to elect, on the basis of forecasts, not to carry sufficient fuel to get to an alternate when the ceiling and/or visibility is actually lower than that necessary to complete the approach.
   2. A small number of other airports in mountainous terrain have MDAs which are slightly (100 to 300 feet) below 2,000 feet AGL. In situations where there is an option as to whether to plan for an alternate, pilots should bear in mind that just a slight worsening of the weather conditions from those forecast could place the airport below the published IFR landing minimums.
   3. An IFR flight to an airport which requires special equipment; i.e., DME, glide slope, etc., in order to make the available approaches to the lowest minimums. Pilots should be aware that all other minimums on the approach charts may require weather conditions better than those specified in 14 CFR 91.167(b). An in-flight equipment malfunction could result in the inability to comply with the published approach procedures or, again, in the position of having the airport below the published IFR landing minimums for all remaining instrument approach alternatives.

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