How to fill in a flight plan in two minutes
- Use On the form if you know flight plans, or Step by step if you want every box explained in order. Both fill the same form.
- Start at item 7 and work down. Letter boxes like flight rules and wake category have quick-pick buttons in the help panel, and the aircraft type box suggests common designators.
- Watch for red boxes (not a valid value) and amber boxes (worth checking). The button at the top lists everything left to check and jumps straight to it.
- Tick the emergency and survival equipment you carry. Anything you do not carry is crossed out with an X, exactly as the paper form expects.
- Press Download PDF to email or hand in, Print for a paper copy, or Copy FPL to paste the ATS message into an online filing system.
Your plan is remembered in this browser, so for a regular route next time you only change the date, time and anything else that is different. If you are learning, press Example to load a complete VFR helicopter flight plan and click through each box to see why it is filled in that way.
Flight plan items explained
The ICAO flight plan is split into numbered items. The numbers are not consecutive because some items only appear in the ATS message, not on the form. Items 7 to 18 are sent to air traffic services. Item 19 is supplementary information that stays on file at the departure unit and is only passed on if search and rescue need it.
| Item | Box | What goes in it | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Aircraft identification | Your radio callsign. For most GA flights, the registration without the hyphen. Up to 7 characters. | ZSRZW |
| 8 | Flight rules | I (IFR), V (VFR), Y (IFR then VFR) or Z (VFR then IFR). | V |
| 8 | Type of flight | S scheduled, N non-scheduled, G general aviation, M military, X other. | G |
| 9 | Number | Number of aircraft, for formation flights. | 1 |
| 9 | Type of aircraft | ICAO Doc 8643 type designator, or ZZZZ with TYP/ in item 18. | R44 |
| 9 | Wake turbulence category | L up to 7,000 kg, M up to 136,000 kg, H above that, J for the A380. | L |
| 10 | Equipment | COM/NAV letters, a slash, then surveillance (transponder and ADS-B) letters. | VG/C |
| 13 | Departure aerodrome and time | Four letter ICAO code, then estimated off-block time in UTC. | FAGC 0730 |
| 15 | Cruising speed | True airspeed: N plus 4 figures for knots, K for km/h, M for Mach. | N0100 |
| 15 | Level | F for flight level, A for altitude in hundreds of feet, S or M metric, or VFR. | A065 |
| 15 | Route | Points and airways separated by spaces, DCT between points not on an airway. | DCT HBV DCT |
| 16 | Destination and total EET | Four letter ICAO code, then flight duration as HHMM. | FAPP 0150 |
| 16 | Alternate aerodromes | Up to two diversion aerodromes. | FAPN |
| 18 | Other information | Indicator/value pairs such as DOF/, REG/, OPR/, PBN/, RMK/, or 0 if none. | DOF/260925 REG/ZSHEL |
| 19 | Endurance | Fuel endurance on board at take-off, HHMM. | 0300 |
| 19 | Persons on board | Everyone on board, three figures, or TBN. | 002 |
| 19 | Emergency radio | Cross out UHF, VHF and ELT that you do not carry. | R/E |
| 19 | Survival equipment and jackets | Cross out what you do not carry: polar, desert, maritime, jungle; jackets with light, fluorescein, UHF, VHF. | S/D |
| 19 | Dinghies | Number, total capacity, cover and colour, or crossed out. | D/01 004 C ORANGE |
| 19 | Aircraft colour and markings | What the aircraft looks like from the air. | WHITE WITH RED STRIPE |
| 19 | Remarks | Extra survival equipment or information for search and rescue. N is crossed out if none. | FIRST AID KIT WATER |
| 19 | Pilot in command | Name of the pilot in command. | J SMITH |
Item 7: aircraft identification
This is the callsign you will use on the radio, not always the registration. Private, training and most charter flights use the registration with the hyphen removed: ZS-RZW is filed as ZSRZW and G-ABCD as GABCD. Operators with an ICAO telephony designator file that plus a flight number, and then give the registration in item 18 as REG/.
Item 8: flight rules and type of flight
V for VFR and I for IFR are the common ones. Y means you start IFR and change to VFR, Z means you start VFR and change to IFR. With Y or Z, the route must show where the change happens, for example CTV VFR. Type of flight is G for general aviation, which covers private, training and most aerial work.
Item 9: number, type and wake turbulence category
The type designator comes from ICAO Doc 8643 and is often not the marketing name. A Robinson R44 is R44, but an AS350 or H125 is AS50, a Bell 206 is B06, a Cessna 172 is C172 and a Piper Warrior is P28A. Wake category is based on maximum take-off mass: L for 7,000 kg or less, which covers every piston helicopter and nearly all light aircraft.
Item 10: equipment and capabilities
Item 10 has two parts separated by a slash. Before the slash is your radio and navigation equipment, after it your surveillance equipment. Only list equipment that is fitted, serviceable and that you are qualified to use.
Before the slash (COM/NAV)
- N nothing, or:
- S standard: VHF radio, VOR and ILS
- V VHF radio, U UHF, H HF
- G GNSS (GPS), D DME, F ADF
- O VOR, L ILS
- Y 8.33 kHz radio, W RVSM
- R PBN approved (needs PBN/ in item 18)
- Z other (describe with COM/, NAV/ or DAT/)
After the slash (surveillance)
- N no transponder
- A Mode A (code only)
- C Mode A and C (code and altitude)
- S Mode S with identification and altitude
- E Mode S with ADS-B extended squitter
- H, L, I, P, X other Mode S variants
- B1 / B2 ADS-B out (1090 MHz), U1 / U2 UAT
So a helicopter with a VHF radio, a panel GPS and a Mode C transponder files VG/C. A light twin with standard radio and navigation, DME, ADF, GPS, 8.33 kHz radio, PBN approval and a Mode S transponder with ADS-B out might file SDFGRY/EB1.
Item 13: departure aerodrome and time
Four letter ICAO location indicator, then your estimated off-block time in UTC as four figures. If the departure point has no ICAO code, enter ZZZZ and describe it in item 18, for example DEP/MY FARM 2530S02815E. If you are filing once airborne, use AFIL.
Item 15: cruising speed, level and route
Speed is true airspeed with a unit letter and leading zeros: 100 knots is N0100. Level is A045 for 4,500 ft on the altimeter setting, F085 for flight level 85, or VFR for uncontrolled VFR flights with no planned level. The route lists points and airways separated by spaces, with DCT (direct) between points that are not joined by an airway. A simple point to point VFR flight is just DCT. To change speed or level along the way, write the point, a slash and the new speed and level together: IPLEX/N0120A070.
Item 16: destination, total EET and alternates
Destination is the ICAO code of where you are going. Total EET is how long the flight will take, as hours and minutes, not the time you expect to land. Add one or two alternates if you have them.
Item 18: other information
Item 18 carries everything else ATS need, as indicators followed by a slash and a value, separated by spaces. If there is nothing to add, enter a single 0. The ones light aircraft and helicopter pilots use most:
- DOF/ date of flight as YYMMDD, when you file for a day other than today.
- REG/ registration, if the callsign in item 7 is not the registration.
- OPR/ operator name.
- PBN/ RNAV and RNP capability codes, whenever R is in item 10.
- EET/ elapsed time to FIR boundaries, for example EET/FAJA0139.
- DEP/, DEST/, ALTN/ and TYP/ when you used ZZZZ.
- STS/ special handling, such as HOSP for a medical flight or SAR for search and rescue.
- PER/H performance category for helicopters, when an ATS unit asks for it.
- RMK/ plain language remarks, such as a contact phone number.
Item 19: supplementary information
Item 19 is for search and rescue. Endurance is how long you can stay airborne on the fuel you will actually have on board. Persons on board includes you. For emergency radios, survival equipment, life jackets and dinghies, the paper form has every option printed and you cross out what you do not carry. This form does that for you: tick what you carry and the rest is crossed out. Aircraft colour and markings help searchers spot the aircraft, and remarks are for anything else, like a first aid kit or a personal locator beacon. If you leave remarks empty, the N is crossed out, which means no remarks.
Worked example: a VFR helicopter flight plan
An R44 flying VFR from Grand Central (FAGC) to Polokwane (FAPP) via the navaid HBV, departing 0730 UTC tomorrow at 6,500 ft and 100 knots, 1 hour 50 minutes en route with 3 hours of fuel, two people on board and an ELT. Press Example above to load it. As an FPL message it reads:
(FPL-ZSHEL-VG -R44/L-VG/C -FAGC0730 -N0100A065 DCT HBV DCT -FAPP0150 FAPN -DOF/260925 REG/ZSHEL OPR/EXAMPLE HELICOPTERS RMK/PIC CONTACT 0821234567)
Reading it line by line: callsign ZSHEL, VFR, general aviation. One R44, wake category light, with VHF radio and GPS and a Mode C transponder. Departing FAGC at 0730 UTC. Cruising at 100 knots true airspeed at 6,500 ft, direct to HBV then direct to the destination. Destination FAPP, 1 hour 50 minutes, with FAPN as the alternate. Then the date of flight, registration, operator and a remark with a phone number.
Common flight plan mistakes
- Local time instead of UTC in item 13. Every time on a flight plan is UTC.
- A hyphen in the registration. ZS-RZW is filed as ZSRZW, in item 7 and in REG/.
- Arrival time instead of EET in item 16. EET is the duration of the flight.
- Missing the unit letter or leading zeros: 100 knots is N0100, not 100 or N100.
- Forgetting DOF/ when filing the evening before for an early morning flight.
- Listing equipment that is not working or that you are not qualified to use in item 10.
- Filing Y or Z without the change point in the route.
- Endurance shorter than, or barely longer than, the EET. It should be the fuel you actually have, including reserves.
- Not closing the flight plan after landing, which can start a search.
When do you need to file a flight plan?
The rules come from ICAO Annex 2 and each country publishes its own in the AIP, so always check where you are flying. As a general guide, you need a flight plan for any IFR flight, for flights in most controlled airspace, and for any flight that crosses an international border. Many countries also require or strongly recommend one for VFR flights over water, over sparsely populated or mountainous areas, or at night, because it is what triggers search and rescue if you do not arrive. Even where it is optional, a VFR flight plan is cheap insurance.
Most ATS units want the plan at least 60 minutes before off-block time for flights that cross borders or enter controlled airspace, and will not accept one more than 120 hours ahead. Once filed, if you are delayed by more than about 30 minutes, send a delay message or update the plan so ATS know your new time.
How to file the finished flight plan
This page creates the form, it does not transmit it. Depending on the country, you file with the ATS reporting office or briefing office in person or by phone, by email, or through a national online system that accepts the FPL message text. For online systems, use Copy FPL and paste. For email or in person, download the PDF. For cross-border flights you will usually also need a General Declaration (GENDEC) for customs and immigration, which you can fill in the same way.
Flight plan FAQ
Is this the official ICAO flight plan form?
It is laid out exactly like the standard ICAO model flight plan form from ICAO Doc 4444 (PANS-ATM) Appendix 2, which almost every country uses, with the same items, boxes and order. Some countries also accept or require their own national version, so check your AIP for local rules. The content you enter is the same either way.
How do I fill in a flight plan quickly?
Press Example to see a complete plan, or start from blank and fill items 7 (callsign), 8 (rules and type), 9 (aircraft type and wake category), 10 (equipment), 13 (departure and time), 15 (speed, level and route), 16 (destination and EET), 18 (other information) and 19 (endurance, persons on board, equipment and pilot). Your last plan is saved in this browser, so next time you only change what is different.
What time goes on a flight plan, local or UTC?
Always UTC. The time in item 13 is your estimated off-block time in UTC, on a 24 hour clock. The current UTC time is shown at the top of the form. If you are filing for a different UTC date, add DOF/ with the date in item 18.
What is the difference between EET and the time I land?
Total EET in item 16 is a duration: how long the flight will take, for example 0145 for an hour and 45 minutes. It is not the clock time of arrival. ATS add it to your departure time to work out when you are due.
What do I put in item 10 for a VFR helicopter?
Only what is fitted, working and that you are qualified to use. A common setup with a VHF radio, a GPS and a Mode C transponder is VG/C. With a Mode S transponder with ADS-B out it might be VG/EB1. If you are not sure what your transponder does, check the aircraft's equipment list.
What does ZZZZ mean on a flight plan?
ZZZZ is used when something has no ICAO code: an aerodrome without a four letter location indicator, or an aircraft without a type designator. You then describe it in item 18, with DEP/, DEST/ or ALTN/ for places and TYP/ for the aircraft type.
What goes in item 18 if I have nothing to add?
A single 0 (zero). In practice most flight plans have at least DOF/ (date of flight) or REG/ (registration) in item 18, and many pilots add RMK/ with a contact phone number.
Why are the survival equipment boxes crossed out?
On the ICAO form you cross out the equipment you do not carry, so search and rescue know exactly what to expect. This form starts with everything crossed out. Tick what you carry and the X is removed. Crossing out a whole group, like survival equipment, also crosses out everything in that group.
Can I file this flight plan directly from this page?
No. This page creates the form and the FPL message, but you still file it through your usual channel: the ATS reporting office or briefing office, your country's online filing system, email or phone. Use Copy FPL to paste the message into an online system, or download the PDF to email or hand in.
What happens if I enter something invalid?
The box turns red and the help panel explains what is wrong and what is allowed, but it still lets you type it. Amber means something worth checking, such as endurance only just more than your EET. You can download and print even with errors, which is useful when practising.
Is my flight plan saved or sent anywhere?
No. Everything happens in your browser. Your last plan is remembered in this browser only, so you can pick up where you left off, and Clear removes it.
Do I need to close my flight plan?
Yes, in most places. Once you land, tell ATS you have arrived, by radio or by phone to the unit your plan was filed with. If you do not and you are overdue, search and rescue alerting begins. Rules differ by country, so check your local AIP.
