Route Planning

This is a long flight, so you want to minimize distance and go as direct as possible. You scan the route from TAFOY to KFSM on the chart, and it doesnt pass through any special use airspace (SUA), so you could go direct. But, you want to comply with the AIM guidance (see below) and pick a fix or two in each centers airspace. You zoom in on the chart to see TAFOY clearly, then just scroll the chart to the east along your route, looking for fixes on your route that you could add.

Fred Simonds

Monday, July 01, 2019 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The article details a methodical, iterative process for planning a long-distance cross-country flight, including identifying a necessary fuel stop and breaking the trip into distinct legs.
Route optimization involves strategically adding waypoints to navigate around high terrain, Special Use Airspace (SUA) like MOAs and Restricted Areas, and busy ATC centers, while adhering to AIM guidance for random routes.
Comprehensive pre-flight preparation extends beyond just the flight path, encompassing checks for departure procedures, alternate airports, NOTAMs, and meticulous weight and balance calculations.

See a mistake? Contact us.

You receive a letter from your family scribe, inviting you to a reunion in Statesboro, GA. It sounds like fun. Even so, Statesboro (KTBR) is a long way from your home in Santa Fe, NM (KSAF).

There’s a Cessna 350 Corvalis in your hangar itching to go anywhere. The 350 is built to travel—170 KTAS, 1300-mile range, Garmin Perspective avionics, and AP, WAAS, ADS-B, the works. The airplane has TKS deicing and a hot prop but is not known-ice (FIKI) qualified. It has supplemental oxygen to reach its service ceiling at 18,000 feet.