Cross-country preparation timing

Cross-country prep starts before flight day.

Beforehand:

• Select route.
• Prepare chart.
• Check aerodrome info and chart-update data in the CFS.
• Enter each leg's direction and distance in nav log.
• Arrange weather briefing.
• Tell passengers what to expect.
• Plan weight and balance, including fuel load.

Day of flight: final prep once actual weather forecasts and reports are in (TP 1102:4697).

• Route, chart and nav log are done beforehand; final prep waits for the day's weather.
• Weather decides whether to delay, which altitude to fly, and whether a route around the weather exists (TP 1102:4741).
• Adequate weather information is needed for every cross-country flight, not only marginal days.

Flight planning form: organized plan and log.

• Cuts risk of forgetting data and of computing in flight.
• No single correct form.
• Balance complete data against clutter, which makes the log hard to use in flight.
• Many pilots split one printed log in half: planning on one half, in-flight record keeping on the other.

Trap: counting day-of forecast review as initial prep; it is final prep.

Practice