zatatime wrote
Isn't this still required? Not trying to nit pick, I was surprised to
see you say it isn't expected any longer, but I've not heard that
before. I don't remember if it was a reg, or just the culture that
required it. Anyone with a little more info?

It was the PTS. The PTS was changed several years ago, and not for
the better. Some of the more egregious damage has been undone (for
years, slow flight was done at 1.2 Vso rather than at the edge of
stall) but some remains.

Andrew Sarangan wrote
On-the-spot planning might be useful if
you fly for a living and your employer gives you 30 minutes to plan a
flight.

Did you forget about flying in support of your business? We are
discussing private pilot privileges, not recreational.

The only time you have a time crunch is if you are
running low on fuel

This is not even close to true. The most likely time you are in a
crunch is when the weather is going to crap around you.

A properly planned flight with a backup plan is
unlikely to run into that situation.

This is absolute nonsense. Weather is unpredictable. On a 2000 mile
trip, you WILL encounter weather you didn't expect, and you WILL need
to plan a way around it.

Michael