UK VFR PPL Flight Planning [2017] 

Thanks Christopher! Over the past week I've spent about 30 hours on the next leg. I expect to have it finished in a week or so.

Thanks my friend, I appreciate your comment. Glad you found it worthwhile and I hope other UK pilots also get something out of it.

Thanks Michal. Great that you found it useful. Exciting times ahead, navigation, dead reckoning in particular, is very satisfying. Best of luck!

Thanks mate. I do intend to do the next leg, it's been sat half finished for ages so I'll probably need to redo with current NOTAMs etc. Blame family, work, etc. I'll get on it!! :-)

No problem. This first video is fantastic and has improved my confidence/knowledge in navigation and flight planning greatly. Hope you do some planning in the next one through the northwest of the UK, would be great to see what the deal would be. Hope to see it soon and all the best. Chris.

Thank you!

Thanks my friend. I'm close to finishing the next leg but it's stalled due to a house move. I'll get there eventually!

Thanks my friend. You're in luck, I released another one yesterday! :-)

Thanks mate. Personal preference I suppose. I try to get as much distance as possible and like to keep it on one chart. My XCQ went from the Southern to the Northern half-mil and it was a bit of a pain to plan and then juggle. I suppose if I was planning a shorter trip I should give it a try.

Haha, well spotted! I got my PPL with Ravenair back in 2006. It's a great airport to fly from but due to commercial priorities we ended up doing most of our circuit work at Hawarden. I've been all over the UK, including Bournemouth Flying School. I'd always recommend learning to integrate in a Class D environment because it keeps the skills sharp. A lot of pilots I know who trained at small grass clubs wouldn't dare go near a big airport and that's a shame. I hope you can make time to get back in there and enjoy some good flying!

@@Quantiad I plan to complete my PPL, Night and IMC plus hour building at LFS but I'll go to Ravenair for my multi-engine. A MEP is my aspiration ever since seeing a Mosquito fly over the M62 on our way back to Liverpool from Manchester (my dad's VW van always used to break down). I won't lie to you. I was OK with RT in the United States but compared to a Class D airspace, it was like an information overload learning VRPs, the speed at which EGGP ATC talk etc. But, I'm getting the hang of it. I have no intention of being a commercial pilot so a CPL is irrelevant for me. But, I'd love to do a IR much later. I plan to leave Liverpool to start a PhD at Imperial so I'll be relocating (permanently) to SW London next year. Hope to be flying out of Fairoaks. Thanks again for the video.

Thank you. Unfortunately it takes hundreds of hours and work/family just don't allow it these days. I appreciate the support though and I'm pleased you found it useful!

@@Quantiad I am about to start on my ppl training. And I found your video a great source of information.

Hi, thanks for the comment. It's never been mandatory to fly at quadrantal levels, when flying VFR outside controlled airspace, so the choice is really yours. I like to avoid flying at levels where I think other aircraft might be grouping to get me.

iSquared Ah ok i get it now, thanks alot i appreciate all your effort, i encourage you to continue this amazing stuff, you're helping us a lot thanks again and fly safe cheers.

D K Yep, you absolutely can. Bear in mind, that would remove generality and make the sheet specific to that aircraft. You could always treat it as a variable, like the weather, input the deviation in each time. That could require some approximation, as the deviation table only gives values for certain cardinal points.

Hi Jack, thanks for the question. First of all, the regional pressure setting (RPS) is the lowest forecast QNH for that Altimeter Setting Region. That is, it's the lowest forecast (calculated) mean sea level pressure and as we know, pressure reduces as altitude increases. So if we're flying at an altitude on the lowest calculated mean sea level pressure, then we're measuring from the highest (vertically) physical pressure datum in that region and that gives us a margin of safety. To answer your question: The land you're flying over is generally above mean sea level, so if you're flying at an 'altitude' of 2000ft, your 'height' is going to be 2000ft minus the elevation of the terrain you're above. With the RPS set, your altimeter will be measuring your distance from mean sea level, so you'll be closer to the ground than indicated (there are exceptional areas where the ground is below mean sea level but that's very rare). It's important to bear this in mind, because you could easily be at 2000ft amsl (QNH) and still be breaking the minimum height rules, if the terrain elevation is high enough. I hope that answers your question. Safe flying!

@@Quantiad That makes sense, thanks. Thanks again for the great video, the visual production makes it much easier to understand.

Yes but it's payware. These are screenshots of the digital Memory-Map software. Each CAA 1:500,000 UK chart is £20.

iSquared thank you! I have like the physical copy but didn't know there was a digital one :)

I only bought it so I could make this video. I'm a bit of a purist, so I like to keep things basic, so don't have an electronic flight computer or a GPS. That said, the Memory-Map software is great if you need to free up capacity. You can plot your route and it will tell you your headings and distances, you can then plug it into a yoke mount and fly it like a GPS, as long as you're connected to the internet of course. It's obviously easier to handle, with no folds and you can easily switch between multiple maps in flight.

iSquared yeh I have seen that as well as an iPad app called Skydemon

Yep, and if you need to easily file a flight plan, RocketRoute seems to be the most popular tool of the moment.

Haha, nice one. You win my unwavering respect. That's the best I can do. To be more specific though, UK AIP, ENR Chapter 5.1 page 3. www.ead.eurocontrol.int/eadbasic/pamslight-84823F778CEEF4A1DBA265F7FF21B652/7FE5QZZF3FXUS/EN/AIP/ENR/EG_ENR_5_1_en_2017-07-20.pdf You're right, there is an information service but unlike, for example, D207 (see the same chapter), there is no crossing service available, DACS. So if this area is active, we may have no option but to go around. Alternatively, you could squawk emergency, declare your intentions with London Info (or D&D on 121.5) and see if they can arrange for activity to cease as you fly through. Thanks for getting involved!

I'm uploading videos of my flights towards my ppl. Channel name is: "Report on Final"Appreciate your 2 nav videos, they definitely helped.