Cross Country PT2

Q: Walk me through your cross-country planning process in order.

1.Assess personal readiness (IMSAFE, PAVE)

2.Gather weather briefing, NOTAMs, charts

3.Check aircraft airworthiness (AROW)

4.Plot route on sectional (course, distance, checkpoints)

5.Calculate headings, groundspeed, time

6.Compute fuel requirements + reserves

7.Evaluate airspace and select altitude

8.Identify alternates and risks

9.Complete nav log and brief the flight

Q: What are the first 3 things you check before planning?

Weather

NOTAMs

Aircraft status (airworthiness/fuel)

Q: What documents/sources are required?

Sectional chart

Chart Supplement

NOTAMs

Weather briefing (METARs, TAFs, winds aloft)

POH

FAR/AIM

Q: How do you determine airworthiness?

Airworthiness certificate

Registration

Operating limitations (POH)

Weight & balance

Q: Flight planning vs risk management? Describe them

Flight planning = calculations/logistics

Risk management = identifying & mitigating hazards

Q: Course 180°, wind 270° @ 20 knots—what wind components?

Wind from the west → right crosswindNo headwind/tailwind component (pure crosswind)

If you don't correct for crosswind?

You will drift off course (track error)

Q: Difference between TC, TH, MH, CH?

TC: intended path over ground

TH: TC corrected for wind

MH: TH corrected for variation

CH: MH corrected for deviation

Q: How do you apply variation and deviation?

"East is least, West is best"

Subtract east variation, add west

Then apply deviation from compass card

Q: If wind speed increases, what happens to WCA?

WCA increases (more correction needed)

Q: How do you calculate total fuel required?

Fuel flow × total flight time + reserve + taxi/climb allowance

Q: Legal VFR fuel reserves?

Day: 30 minutes

Night: 45 minutes

Q: Danger of "best case" fuel planning?

Leads to fuel exhaustion if conditions worsen (winds, delays)

Q: If groundspeed decreases?

Time increases → fuel burn increases

Q: Why lean mixture in cruise?

To improve fuel efficiency and prevent engine fouling

Q: What determines cruising altitude?

Direction of flight (hemispherical rule)

Winds

Terrain/obstacles

Airspace

Q: How do you plan around airspace?

Identify on sectional → decide to avoid or comply → plan communications

Q: Requirements for Class B, C, D?

B: clearance required

C: two-way communication

D: two-way communication

Q: How does Special Use Airspace affect planning?

May restrict or prohibit entry → must check status and avoid or coordinate

Q: What are personal minimums?

Pilot-defined limits stricter than legal minimums for safety

Q: Risks of overwater flying?

Limited landing options

Survival concerns

Navigation challenges

Q: How to mitigate overwater risk?

Life vests/rafts

Fly within gliding distance when possible

File flight plan

Maintain altitude

Q: When would you cancel a flight?

Unsafe weather, aircraft issues, fatigue, exceeding personal minimums

Q: Tailwind becomes headwind—what changes?

Lower GS, longer time, higher fuel burn → may require diversion

Q: Fuel lower than expected halfway?

Divert immediately to nearest suitable airport

Q: Arrive 10 minutes late at checkpoint?

GS is lower than planned → recalculate ETA and fuel

Q: GPS fails—what do you do?

Use pilotage + dead reckoning + VOR

Q: Weather worse ahead than forecast?

Divert, delay, or turn around—never press into unsafe conditions