Flight planning checklist

Printable kneeboard · each line links to source

01 · Self · Pilot fitness

I'M SAFE — illness, medication, stress, alcohol (8h+), fatigue, eating
AIM 8-1-1. If any one of these is borderline, it is a no-go.

AIM 8-1 →
Medical certificate current
14 CFR 61.23 — class, calendar month limits.

§ 61.23 →
Flight review (BFR) current within 24 calendar months
§ 61.56 →
IFR currency / IPC if filing IFR — last 6 calendar months: 6 approaches, holding, intercept/track
§ 61.57(c) →
Passenger currency — 3 takeoffs and landings in 90 days (full stop if tailwheel/night)
§ 61.57(a) →
Required endorsements current (complex/HP/HA/tailwheel/etc.)
§ 61.31 →

AROW — Airworthiness, Registration, Operating limits (POH/AFM), Weight & balance
Required onboard. § 91.203 / § 91.9.

§ 91.203 →
Inspections — annual (12mo), 100-hr (commercial), pitot-static + transponder + ELT (24mo each)
§ 91.409 →
Equipment list (91.205) for the operation — VFR day/night, IFR additions
§ 91.205 →
MEL / placards reviewed; deferred items signed off
§ 91.213 →
Open ADs / SAIBs reviewed for this tail + type
Look up your tail; we link applicable ADs and SAIBs from the type page.

Atlas Aircraft →

Standard or abbreviated briefing (1800wxbrief or DUATS)
Required by § 91.103 to be familiar with all available information.

1800wxbrief.com →
METAR — departure, en route, destination, alternate(s)
Decoder →
TAF — destination + alternate; check change groups (FM/BECMG/TEMPO)
Decoder →
Winds aloft for cruise altitude; pick best altitude
AWC winds aloft →
SIGMET / AIRMET / G-AIRMET — convective, icing, turbulence, IFR conditions
AWC →
PIREPs along route
AWC PIREPs →
Radar / satellite — convective trends 1–3 hours pre-departure
AWC radar →
Go / no-go for personal weather minimums
Stricter than legal? Document why. Personal mins exist for a reason.

NOTAMs — departure, destination, alternates, en-route navaids
NOTAM decoder →
TFRs along the route (presidential / sporting events / firefighting / disaster)
FAA TFR map →
Special-use airspace — restricted, prohibited, MOA, alert, warning
FAA SUA portal →
Sectional / TAC / IFR low chart current edition; route highlighted
FAA digital products →
Frequency + waypoint review for entire route + alternate
Not just departure ATIS / clearance — every transition.

Density altitude — departure, en route ridgeline, destination
DA calculator →
Crosswind component — verify within demonstrated limit
Crosswind calculator →
Takeoff distance — from POH at today's DA, weight, surface, slope, wind
Add the FAA recommended 50% safety margin for short field.
Climb gradient verified for any departure procedure / obstacle clearance
Landing distance — destination + alternate. Both. At today's conditions.
Weight & balance — within envelope at takeoff and after fuel burn at landing

VFR fuel — destination + 30 min day / 45 min night at normal cruise
§ 91.151 →
IFR fuel — destination + alternate (when required) + 45 min reserve
§ 91.167 →
Alternate required? 1-2-3 rule (1 hour before/after dest, 2,000 ft ceiling, 3 SM vis)
§ 91.169 →
Alternate weather meets 600/2 (precision) or 800/2 (non-precision) at ETA
§ 91.169 →
Time + fuel plan with leg-by-leg breakdown; ETA + ETE; PIM updated en route

Flight plan filed (VFR or IFR) — departure / destination / alternate / fuel / souls / route
Passenger brief — seatbelts, doors, no-smoking, no-talking-on-radio, sterile cockpit takeoff/landing, sickness bag
Takeoff brief — abort below Vr; engine fail before 700 AGL → straight ahead +/- 30°; engine fail above → return-to-field decision; lost comm
Approach brief — runway, expected, weather, missed approach, missed alt, expected hold

Walk-around per POH — fuel quantity + grade + sumps; oil; controls; pitot/static; lights; baggage door + tie-downs
Avionics — flight plan loaded, frequencies preset, transponder set, altimeter set
Charts up — sectional / approach plates / chart supplement page for departure airport
Kneeboard set — tail #, route, ATIS, clearance, freqs
Survival gear / PFDs / ELT armed / first aid for the operation