IFR pilots can streamline mid-flight IFR pickup by filing an IFR flight plan with a VFR cruising altitude and "VFR flight following" in the remarks section.
This method ensures ATC holds your planned routing, enabling controllers to see your intentions when you initiate VFR flight following and reducing pre-flight questions.
Should you decide to pick up an IFR clearance mid-flight, ATC can more easily convert your VFR flight following into an IFR routing since your basic information and planned route are already in their system.
Here’s a time-saving trick for IFR pilots who want to depart their home airport VFR and then have the option of easily picking up an IFR routing midflight.
To do it, simply fill out an IFR flight plan form as you normally would, but input a VFR cruising altitude (for example, 8,500 feet) in the altitude block, with “VFR flight following” written in the remarks section.
CREATE A FREE ACCOUNT
Sign up to keep reading
Create a free account to continue. Already a member? Sign in below.
