Step 1: Weather Assessment
Weather is typically the most important factor in flight planning. Review the following for your departure, destination, alternate(s), and en-route:
| Product | Key Questions |
|---|---|
| METAR | Current conditions? VFR/IFR? Wind crosswind component? |
| TAF | How will conditions change? Any TEMPO/PROB groups of concern? |
| SIGMET/AIRMET | Any severe weather along route? Turbulence or icing areas? |
| PIREPs | What are pilots reporting? Icing, turbulence, cloud tops? |
Step 2: NOTAM Review
Check NOTAMs for:
- Departure airport - Runway closures, NAVAID outages, taxiway restrictions
- Destination airport - Approach restrictions, lighting outages, hours of operation
- Alternate airports - Ensure your alternates are fully operational
- En-route - TFRs, airspace restrictions, military activity
- FDC NOTAMs - Instrument procedure changes, chart amendments
Step 3: Airport Analysis
For each airport in your plan, review:
- Runway lengths and conditions - Adequate for your aircraft? Any contamination?
- Available approaches - If IFR, which approaches are in service?
- Services available - Fuel, handling, customs (if international)
- Elevation and terrain - Density altitude considerations, obstacle departure procedures
Step 4: Route Planning
- Select optimal altitude for winds, weather avoidance, and airspace
- Identify alternate airports meeting weather minimums
- Calculate fuel burn with reserves (45 min VFR / alternate + 45 min IFR, or applicable regulation)
- Plan for terrain clearance and oxygen requirements
- Identify en-route diversion options
Step 5: Performance Check
- Weight and balance - Within limits for all phases of flight?
- Takeoff performance - Can you clear obstacles with required margins?
- Landing distance - Adequate runway length at destination and alternates?
- Density altitude - Performance impact at high elevation airports?
Step 6: Go/No-Go Decision
The final decision framework. Ask yourself these questions honestly:
Decision Framework
PAVE Checklist:P - Pilot (Am I rested, current, proficient for these conditions?)
A - Aircraft (Is the aircraft airworthy and capable for this flight?)
V - enVironment (Weather, NOTAMs, terrain, airspace - all acceptable?)
E - External pressures (Am I being pressured to fly? "Get-there-itis"?)
CavokSky: Your Briefing Partner
CavokSky brings together the essential elements of your pre-flight briefing in one modern interface:
- Live decoded METAR and TAF data
- Active NOTAMs with clear formatting
- Real-time SIGMET and GAMET advisories
- Comprehensive airport data including runways, frequencies, and navaids
- Live flight tracking on an interactive map