ICAO Flight Plan Update

It only takes a cursory look at an ICAO flight plan form to get cranial blood-vessel spasms and the resultant migraine. Who starts a form at item seven? Yes, you really have to look up aircraft type codes in ICAO DOC 8643. Can equipment codes really use the whole alphabet, indecipherable by humans? Do they really have only one remarks box that serves as an explanation for nearly every other box on the whole form?Despite the forms flaws and seemingly unfathomable complexities, the FAA is committed to drag U.S. pilots to the ICAO flight plan. Since the ICAO form is already required for flights utilizing performance based navigation (PBN), flying in RVSM airspace, utilizing ADS-B services, and flights outside the U.S., everybody else might as well share the pain.

jmiller

Monday, August 10, 2015 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The ICAO flight plan is a complex, committee-designed form mandated for increasing numbers of U.S. pilots due to its international standardization requirements.
Its intricacies stem from accommodating diverse national regulations and being designed primarily for airlines with dedicated dispatchers, not individual general aviation pilots.
Specific challenges for pilots include understanding the various equipment codes and correctly populating the remarks section, particularly regarding Performance Based Navigation (PBN).
For ease of use and to avoid complications, pilots are advised to simplify entries, stick to essential equipment codes, and specifically avoid filing the "R" (PBN/RNAV) equipment code for domestic flights.

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Despite the form’s flaws and seemingly unfathomable complexities, the FAA is committed to drag U.S. pilots to the ICAO flight plan. Since the ICAO form is already required for flights utilizing performance based navigation (PBN), flying in RVSM airspace, utilizing ADS-B services, and flights outside the U.S., everybody else might as well share the pain.