In article
,
Bob Nixon wrote:

Another question would be; these days, a VHF radio, GPS unit, UART &
maybe a transponder would be all that would be required for a VFR
flight. Is this the case or did I miss something obvious like a guy
sitting in the pilot seat with flight schooling and pilot's license +
his AC certified for flight by an FAA inspector?,-

Actually, if you stay away from big airports, you don't need any of
those items. Radio is optional, GPS is definitely optional, I don't even
know what a UART is, and a transponder is optional. The radio and
transponder can become mandatory if you go into airspace that requires
it, but there's plenty that doesn't.

No comment on your flight plan questions, because as a glider pilot my
"flight plans" tend to be considerably different and more informal than
the usual kind.

--
Mike Ash
Radio Free Earth
Broadcasting from our climate-controlled studios deep inside the Moon