Do you flight plan?

For most VFR flights of significant length I plan carefully, especially since I
like to fly very low. I draw the lines on the sectionals, checking for special
use airspace, obstacles such as towers, landmarks, frequencies of interest
(ATIS and CTAF of nearby airports and navaids). I plan waypoints and calculate
time and distance, course and heading, and make note on my form of the maximum
obstacle altitudes along my route or quadrant as appropriate. I also put my
destiation frequences, runway designations, and altitudes and TPA up at the
top. In flight, having all this info readily available is very convenient and
helps keep track of where I am.

I don't pay much attention to the GPS... at least I try not to. Lean on it too
much and one day you'll realize you've become a passenger rather than a pilot.

I use pilotage as my primary navigation when VFR.

IFR I plan the route based on Victor airways, and then throw it all out upon
getting my clearance. I throw the clearance out when I get reroutes in flight.
However the planning does help me cope with reroutes because it helps me find
the new routing on the chart.

I am capable of just picking up and going, but I prefer to have the flight
planned ahead of time.

Jose

--
(for Email, make the obvious changes in my address)

For most VFR flights of significant length I plan carefully, especially
since I
like to fly very low.

This is an interesting statement that begs for an explanation. Why do you
like to fly "very low"?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

In article vQRAb.459661$Tr4.1277818@attbi_s03,
"Jay Honeck" wrote:

For most VFR flights of significant length I plan carefully, especially
since I
like to fly very low.

This is an interesting statement that begs for an explanation. Why do you
like to fly "very low"?


I was about to ask the same question.
Scared of heights?
A burning desire to knock those branches out of the landing gear?

--

Tony Roberts
PP-ASEL
VFR OTT
Night
Almost Instrument
Cessna 172H C-GICE

Why do you like to fly "very low"?

It's pretty.

Jose


--
(for Email, make the obvious changes in my address)

This is an interesting statement that begs for an explanation. Why do you
like to fly "very low"?

Gosh, doesn't everyone?

My primary reason for flying at 2900 feet AGL (if you consider that
low--I do!) is that it frees me from having to think about airways
while getting me above the controlled airspace near my home.

I almost never go higher, and I am so accustomed to this altitude that
I feel a bit uncomfortable flying lower, though I will do so if
there's a strong headwind. There aren't many pastures where I fly, and
I like the extra gliding distance.

The view is great from 2900 feet. If the poster means that he likes to
smell the newmown hay--well, that's another matter.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email:

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

2900 Feet AGL is Low???? Just kidding. Army helicopters, if anything other
than the rotors are above the trees, your too high. But when I fly PP-ASEL
anywhere, I get up there. There is nothing like altitude.

What is that saying? Two things that are useless, Fuel on the ground and air
above you?

Fred


"Cub Driver" wrote in message
...

This is an interesting statement that begs for an explanation. Why do
you
like to fly "very low"?

Gosh, doesn't everyone?

My primary reason for flying at 2900 feet AGL (if you consider that
low--I do!) is that it frees me from having to think about airways
while getting me above the controlled airspace near my home.

I almost never go higher, and I am so accustomed to this altitude that
I feel a bit uncomfortable flying lower, though I will do so if
there's a strong headwind. There aren't many pastures where I fly, and
I like the extra gliding distance.

The view is great from 2900 feet. If the poster means that he likes to
smell the newmown hay--well, that's another matter.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email:

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

My primary reason for flying at 2900 feet AGL (if you consider that
low--I do!) is that it frees me from having to think about airways

I was presuming he meant lower than 2900 AGL.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:
My primary reason for flying at 2900 feet AGL (if you consider that
low--I do!) is that it frees me from having to think about airways

I was presuming he meant lower than 2900 AGL.


I almost never fly higher than 2000 AGL, and spend most of my time at
1500. I got into that habit when I spent most of my time flying below
the Washington class B's 1500 foot veil. Now, even on the Eastern Shore
of Maryland and Delaware, I still fly at 1500' most of the time. I like
looking at stuff on the ground. :-)

-- Jay


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http://www2.ari.net/jmasino/ ! ! !

Checkout http://www.oc-adolfos.com/
for the best Italian food in Ocean City, MD and...
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In a previous article, Cub Driver said:
My primary reason for flying at 2900 feet AGL (if you consider that
low--I do!) is that it frees me from having to think about airways
while getting me above the controlled airspace near my home.

The problem with flight below 3,000 AGL is you keep encountering other
aircraft. Every time I'm down there, I feel like I'm a World War II
fighter pilot over Germany, because there's always somebody whizzing past
in one direction or another, and if I stop scanning the skies for even a
second in order to sight see, I'm going to get killed.

I like to cruise between 6,000 and 10,000 - there's NOBODY up there. I
flew for five hours yesterday, and the only traffic pointed out by ATC was
down in the weeds, and I saw a few Dash-8s climbing or descending through
my altitude, but otherwise it was pure bliss with the world stretching out
as far as the eye could see in all directions.

--
Paul Tomblin http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
It's fun to mock old people. They're going to die soon anyway.
-- Mike Sphar

I like to cruise between 6,000 and 10,000 - there's NOBODY up there.

I go for the mid-latitudes, between 4500 and 6500. Well above the patterns
(in the MidWest), and well below the big boys.

My O-540 loves that altitude range as well.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"