5.Flight planning

5.1Flight plan submission

5.1.1VFR flight plans shall be submitted exclusively by means of Central Air Traffic Services Reporting Office Praha. All VFR flight plans shall include information on the phone contact of the submitter. VFR flight plans shall be submitted for all flights except for:

  1. Domestic flights and flights within Schengen area, conducted in the airspace of “G” and “E” class, for which no alerting service is required by pilot.
  2. Domestic flights and flights within Schengen area, conducted in the airspace of “G” and “E” class, to or from CTR/TMA of D class.

    Note: A pilot-in-command, intending to perform an international flight within Schengen area, shall consult AIPs of the appropriate states, whether the FPL submission is not established as obligatory.

    Note: In order to provision of alerting service it is recommended to submit FPL before VFR flight along routes. In case of an accident, the FPL may determine whether hurt pilot will survive.

  3. International VFR flights other than those above mentioned, when so determined by the relevant agreement.
  4. Domestic flights of helicopters of Police of the CR to TMA of C class which are cleared by an appropriate ATS unit.
  5. Aerodrome traffic on aerodromes which are situated in CTR or below TMA, up to altitudes which will be cleared by the appropriate ATS unit.
  6. Flights of aircraft on police duty crossing state boundary conducted under relevant bilateral agreements concluded between states.
  7. Domestic flights of Police of the CR (with the exception of training flights - see AIP CR paragraph AD 1.1.2.3.2), SAR and aeronautical rescue service to or from the military airport (LKCV, LKKB, LKNA, and LKPD).

    Note: Civil operators who don`t comply with this exception, shall submit FPL for each VFR flight to or from military airports concerned.

    Note: Submitting of FPL does not guarantee that a flight to or from a military AD will be allowed. Before submitting the flight plan pilot shall meet all formalities relating to the flight to or from a military airport.

  8. Flights for parachute jump exercises in Class C airspace provided that the same airfield will be used for departure, landing and parachute jumping.

5.2Flight plan filed in the air (AFIL)

ATS units of the ANS CR can accept flight plans filed in the air only exceptionally under the fol lowing circumstances:

  1. if change of route or change of destination aerodrome is required or
  2. if pilot of VFR flight intends to proceed in compliance with IFR due to weather deterioration.

Flight plan filed in the air can be accepted for flight to aerodrome of first intended landing only.

5.3Flight plan modification

5.3.1Flight plans shall not be submitted more than 120 hours before the estimated off-block time of a flight.

A flight plan for a flight to be provided with air traffic control service or air traffic advisory service shall be submitted at least sixty minutes before departure, or, if submitted during flight, at a time which will ensure its receipt by the appropriate air traffic services unit at least ten minutes before the aircraft is estimated to reach:

  1. the intended point of entry into a control area or advisory area; or
  2. the point of crossing an airway or advisory route.

In the event of a delay of 30 minutes in excess of the estimated off-block time for a controlled flight or a delay of one hour for an uncontrolled flight for which a flight plan has been submitted, the flight plan should be amended or a new flight plan submitted and the old flight plan cancelled, whichever is applicable.

5.3.2Flight plan modifications

All changes to a flight plan, submitted for a VFR flight operated as a controlled one, shall be reported as soon as practicable to the appropriate air traffic services unit.

For other VFR flights, significant changes to a flight plan shall be reported as soon as practicable to the appropriate air traffic services unit.

Information submitted prior to departure regarding fuel endurance or total number of persons carried on board, if incorrect at time of departure, constitutes a significant change to the flight plan.

5.4Instructions for the completion of the FPL form

Note: Here bellow mentioned options for filling particular fields of flight plan don`t cover all alternatives (especially for equipment and capabilities). Further details are located in Appendix 2 to PANS ATM.

5.4.1Adhere closely to the prescribed formats and manner of specifying data. Commence inserting data in the first space provided. Where excess space is available, leave unused spaces blank. Insert all clock times in 4 figures UTC. Insert est. elapsed times in 4 figures (hours and minutes).

Note: The term “aerodrome” where used in the flight plan is intended to cover also sites other than aerodromes which may be used by certain types of aircraft, e.g. helicopters or balloons.

5.4.1.1ITEM 7: AIRCRAFT IDENTIFICATION

To item 7 insert one of identifications, not exceeding 7 characters e.g. OKABC, OKAXX01

5.4.1.2ITEM 8: FLIGHT RULES. TYPE OF FLIGHT

Flight rules: insert letter V as VFR flight. Type of flight: insert letter G as General aviation flight or X if you conduct special activity.

5.4.1.3ITEM 9: NUMBER OF AIRCRAFT, TYPE OF AIRCRAFT, WAKE TURBULENCE CATEGORY

Note: Aircraft type identification is available on ICAO websites:  http://www.icao.int/publications/DOC8643/Pages/Search.aspx

Into item 9 insert the number of aircraft only if you are leader of formation flight. Type of aircraft - insert the appropriate designator. If your type is not standard type (specified in ICAO Doc 8643, Aircraft Type Designators), or in case of formation flight comprising more than one type, insert ZZZZ, and specify in Item 18, the (type(s) of aircraft preceded by TYP/.

Wake turbulence category: insert letter L - LIGHT, to indicate an aircraft type with a maximum certificated take-off mass of 7 000 kg or less.

5.4.1.4ITEM 10 EQUIPMENT

Item contains more options of navigational equipment which is necessary for IFR flight. For VFR flight insert one letter before the slash as follows:

Behind the slash insert one to 20 letters to describe the serviceable SSR transponder carried:

5.4.1.5ITEM 13: DEPARTURE AERODROME AND TIME (8 characters)

Insert ICAO four-letter location indicator of the departure aerodrome, or if no location indicator has been assigned, insert ZZZZ and specify, in Item 18, the name of the aerodrome preceded by DEP/ then, without a space, insert the estimated off-block time.

Note: When inserting SLZ fields with six-letter identifier, it is necessary to proceed like in case of the aerodromes without assigned location indicator.

5.4.1.6ITEM 15: CRUISING SPEED, LEVEL, ROUTE

Insert cruising speed in terms of Knots, expressed as N followed by 4 figures (e.g. N0125), or in Kilometres per hour, expressed as K followed by 4 figures (e.g. K0230),

Insert planned cruising level as follows (max. 5 characters):

Route – Insert the significant way points along the route and if you intend to fly between these points outside a designated route, insert letters DCT. For the VFR flight or its portion, which is planned as uncontrolled, the geographical location name as published on the Aeronautical Chart ICAO 1 : 500 000 Czech, is feasible to be used as for the description of the waypoint. In case of flight to or from CTR insert published entry/exit waypoints to/from CTR. Remember the VFR flights above FL 95 shall be planned along ATS routes (The coded designator assigned to the route min. 2 characters long).

5.4.1.7ITEM 16 DESTINATION AERODROME AND TOTAL ESTIMATED ELAPSED TIME, ALTERNATE AERODROME(S) (8 characters)

Insert the ICAO four-letter location indicator of the destination aerodrome followed, without a space, by the total estimated elapsed time, or, if no location indicator has been assigned, insert ZZZZ followed, without a space, by the total estimated elapsed time, and specify in Item 18 the name of the aerodrome, preceded by DEST/.

Alternate aerodrome(s) (4 characters), insert the ICAO four-letter location indicator(s) of not more than two alternate aerodromes, separated by a space, or, if no location indicator has been assigned to the alternate aerodrome, insert ZZZZ and specify in Item 18 the name of the aerodrome, preceded by ALTN/.

Note: When inserting SLZ fields with six-letter identifier, it is necessary to proceed like in case of the aerodromes without assigned location indicator.

5.4.1.8ITEM 18: OTHER INFORMATION

Insert 0 (zero) if no other information, or any other necessary information in the form of the appropriate indicator followed by an oblique stroke and the information to be recorded:

5.4.1.9ITEM 19: SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION