How Do You Flight Plan?

[uwochris]

Hey guys,

Just wondering how you charter/freight/airline types do your flight planning.

Do you have discretion as to what routes to choose? Or, are there company-specific routes? Also, do you file your flight plans the same way you did as a student pilot (by phone), or do you use computers onboard the aircraft (i.e. FMSs)?

Thanks in advance and enjoy the holidays!

 

[SDCFI]

Center Store Baby

Here at Ameriflight we use center-stored flight plans, same as the airlines. All our scheduled runs are stored with ARTCC so they automatically come up 1hr before scheduled departure. All we have to do is call clearance and we're off. For unscheduled flights we have to file just like everyone else, through FSS. If the dispatcher's feeling nice sometimes they'll file for us. They don't fuel plan for us like the airlines though, we still have to do that.

 

[mar]

Flight planning

Our flight planning is done by a Canadian company (Navtech???). Don't ask me why?

Our flight plans are filed by dispatchers.

We watch both very closely.

Fly safe.

 

[mike1mc]

Fltplan.com and DUATS
Is there another way??

Also use Universal for Int'l stuff.

 

[banned username 2]

GDC (Global Data Center) for Domestic
Air Routing for International

 

[skyking1976]

Jepp Flightstar

 

[SkyWestCRJPilot]

At SkyWest we pick up a release (6-10 pages of paper. I wish we could get our release via ACARS but that's supposed to happen some year they say.) The release it has pertinent information for the flight: weather, flight plan, ship number, flight number, crewmembers, etc. That release is generated by a dispatcher who also does the flight planning using computer software. It also has our runway performance should we lose an engine at V1 to know how much weight we can take and still be legal and safe. Under Part 121 the dispatcher and captain share joint responsibility to make sure the flight is conducted (and planned) safely. I've had to call the dispatcher a couple of times about flight planning because he'd missed something. He made the change and reissued the flight plan and release. Enroute the dispatcher may call up on company frequency to let us know about unforecast weather and assign us a new or different alternate. It's great having someone else helping out.

 

[jergar999]

www.fltplan.com or by phone.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

Jeppesen
Universal
GDC
Afiscom (domestic flight planning)
AIRINC flight planning

download them via Afiscom (GDC) or ACARS....

or if you are on your own more, just use plain old DUATS!!

 

[flint4xx]

I haven't seen a flight plan form or spoken to flight service since I got hired. A plan shows up at the gate already done, and I enter into the FMC.