Cross Country / Planning

Aircraft Performance:

• See Performance below.

Airspace:

• 6 tips to help you fly through complex airspace.
• TFRs, 3 ways to check them before your next flight.
• See also Airspace.

Cross Country, General Checklist:

• Draft an overview
• Is it feasible?
• Check big picture weather
• Charts, chart supplements, plotter, whiz wheel (flight computer), NAVLOG, flight plan template
• Start with a straight line and consider terrain, obstacles, airspace, special use airspace, NAVAIDs and options for a divert
• Checkpoints (for visual recognition, timing and fuel computations)
• Picking good cross-country checkpoints (Boldmethod)
• Develop the route and map it
• Planning a Flight on a VFR Sectional | How TO (FLY8MA)
• Obtain a weather brief
• See the Weather page, specifically the Standard Weather Brief
• Make NAVLOG (there are dozens, but here is one version)
• How to fill one out?  Example 1 
• X/C Navigation Log | VFR Cross Country Nav Log Calculations
• Flight Following:
• About | How to get it | How to use it.
• Do you need to tell ATC you're changing altitude on VFR flight following?
• Flight following vs VFR flight plan (vid).
• Picking up flight following. (vid)
• Flight Plan:
• 6 key elements to the perfect cross country flight plan.
• ICAO format is the standard.
• If you don't file, I recommend flight following (above).
• Info from the FAA.
• Perform self-assessment and airplane pre-flight
• Other
• Map management (if using paper maps)
• Selecting Fuel Stops (also see Fuel Planning below).

Cross Country, Other Information:

• Cross country flight planning. (webinar by Rob M)
• Solo - Five tips to prepare for your first cross country. (boldmethod)
• Required information (Acronyms and Mnemonics).

Fuel Planning:

• 6 things every pilot should know about fuel planning.

Performance, Aircraft and Calculations

• Aircraft performance and calculations (FAASTeam)
• Aircraft performance explained. (video)
• CG
• Why does CG location affect your airplane's performance?
• Climb performance, 6 question quiz.
• Density altitude: what is it and how it affects performance.
• Drag (see Aerodynamics)
• Performance calculations confidence. (Pilot Tip)
• Quiz:
• An aircraft with an aft CG... 6Qs 
• You and a friend are in two identical... 6Qs
• You're at an airport with... 6Qs
• Real world takeoff performance.
• Takeoff:
• 7 rules-of-thumb for takeoff performance.
• Takeoff - performance skepticism. (Pilot Tip)
• Turn Radius - how to calculate it.
• Weight:
• Why aircraft weight affects climb performance.
• See also Takeoff, Landing, Weight and Balance.

Routes / Routes Selection:

• Route selection in remote areas.

Sectionals / Charts:

• Right patterns on a sectional chart. VID 12 and VID 93. 
• Quizzes:
• In general -What is the order of airspace.... 7Qs
• Symbols (common) - You are on the ground at... 6Qs
• Symbols (uncommon) - What airspace starts at... 6Qs

Weight and Balance:

• REMEMBER - you need to calculate W&B AND Performance. Just because you're in the W&B envelope doesn't mean everything will work out. You must consider the environment.
• CG = 'Mom's over Weight'
• Weights x Arms = moments
• Add the moments = total moment
• Total moment / total weight = overall CG
• Why does CG location affect your airplane's performance?
• For Springs Aviation aircraft, go to Springs Aviation

- FIG -