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One flight plan for multiple legs

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WMUchickenhawk

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 12, 2005
Posts
197
Im doing a three legged IFR cross country tonight to multiple airports. Another instructor mentioned that I should just file one flight plan to cover all the legs because it makes it easier for ATC, rather tham opening and closing multiple flight plans. Previously I've always done a flight plan for each leg.
What are the pros and cons for a single plan covering the whole trip, and which should I do?
 
The remarks section will be your bestest buddy in this case. For departure point and destination, put in the airport you are starting out from and the airport you intend to finish the day at. Then in the remarks section you put in your routes, including the airports you intend to go to along the way. Then put in a statement that you intend to do practice approaches at those airports along the way.

When you get to those airports, tell the controller what exactly it is that you want to do when you get there and they will work with you. If you want to shoot an approach, miss, and then be on your way, they'll take care of you. If you want to shoot an approach, land, taxi back, and take off again a couple minutes later, that's ok too. They may even be able to keep you active in the system long enough for you to run in and take a bathroom break, but that would be a hellacious stretch. Point is, coordinate with the controller.
 
They may even be able to keep you active in the system long enough for you to run in and take a bathroom break, but that would be a hellacious stretch. Point is, coordinate with the controller.

It's slightly off the subject but I was flying a piston twin late one night on an IFR flight plan and really had to whizz. To make a long story short, I landed at a non-towered airport, did a quick drain at an FBO and took off again on the same flight plan and clearance.
 
The tower/ tracon controllers at my airport have told us multiple times not to do a round robin IFR flight plan. Apparently if done this way, the NAS will only print a strip out at your departure and destination, which would be the same airport (or tracon/ARTCC sector), and not "fill in the blanks" along your route. So everyone else along the route including the other airports you plan to visit along the way will not get a strip. The controllers then have to manually re-file your round robin in to multiple flight plans.

As for practice apps at other airports I find it helpful to put what approach you want to do in the remarks. This usually works well without having to explain to a controller what you want to accomplish.
 
I ended up splitting the difference and filed the flight to Metro as one leg, then the legs to Kalamazoo and Battle Creek as a single one. Leaving Metro we were cleared direct to Battle Creek, bypassing Kalamazoo. Since Kalamazoo and Battle Creek are on the same TRACON, it wasnt a problem though and as soon as we tuned into Kalamazoo approach I let them know of our plans.
 

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