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For a U.S. private flight, review the conditions and constraints for the actual route, make a deliberate go/no-go decision, and—if using a VFR flight plan—file it, activate it after departure, then close it after landing. Give accurate contact details and arrange for a responsible person to check that you arrive. A VFR flight plan and ATC flight following are different services; neither should be mistaken for the other.
Prepare the flight before filing
The FAA puts the preflight information-gathering and safety decision on the pilot. Before departure, review current weather, NOTAMs, route and airport information, airspace, fuel endurance, aircraft capabilities, and other operational constraints. Use an appropriate briefing and decide whether the flight is safe to conduct.
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FAA guidance describes this responsibility in its AIP preflight information. The specific weather, airspace, and operating requirements depend on the flight; check current official guidance for the route, especially for international travel.
Choose the service that fits the purpose
| Service | Purpose | Availability and duration | Pilot action |
|---|---|---|---|
| VFR flight plan | Records intended route and timing to support search-and-rescue response if an aircraft is overdue. | Its SAR purpose depends on proper filing and activation; it remains a separate plan to be closed after arrival. | File accurate details, activate after departure, and close after landing. |
| ATC flight following | May provide traffic advisories, radar identification, and limited assistance. | Depends on ATC workload and radar/radio coverage; service may end before arrival. | Request the service and maintain communications as directed; do not treat it as a filed VFR flight plan. |
The FAA explains the distinction in its flight-following guidance and Aeronautical Information Manual material. Flight following does not by itself record the full intended route and timing for the VFR flight-plan SAR purpose.
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File, activate, and close a VFR flight plan
- File: Submit the plan through Flight Service or an appropriate filing service, following its current procedures. Enter the route and timing carefully. The FAA strongly recommends filing a VFR flight plan with Flight Service or an equivalent service in its preflight guidance.
- Activate: Filing alone does not activate the plan. Activate it after departure using the filing service’s current procedure, and obtain confirmation that the plan is active. An unactivated plan does not provide its intended SAR benefit.
- Close: Contact the appropriate service after landing and confirm closure. The pilot is responsible; do not assume an airport or tower will close the plan automatically. An overdue active plan that is not closed can prompt concern or response.
For a trip with planned stopovers, the FAA recommends filing a separate plan for each leg. Check the current AIM procedures and filing-service instructions for the method you use.
Provide contacts that can actually be reached
Use current, accurate information for the pilot and aircraft. FAA Form 7233-4 instructions identify domestic Item 19 information including fuel endurance, persons on board, pilot name and contact information, and aircraft color. They also allow remarks about survival equipment and a personal GPS locating service, if used. See the FAA flight-plan form instructions for the applicable fields.
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You may provide a responsible party’s name and contact information so that person can verify your VFR arrival or closure. Tell them your expected arrival time and how to reach you or the destination, and make sure they will be available at that time. The FAA instructions specifically say: “Ensure party will be available for contact at ETA.” A responsible-party check-in is an extra safeguard, not a replacement for activating and closing the plan or following emergency procedures. FAA instructions do not establish a personal locator service as a substitute for an aircraft ELT or flight plan.
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FAA guidance says IFR flights require flight plans and identifies circumstances where the ICAO flight-plan format is mandatory, including flights departing U.S. domestic airspace. For international flights and other routes subject to special rules, verify current FAA, ICAO, destination-country, and filing-service requirements rather than assuming a domestic VFR process applies. Consult the FAA’s AIM flight-planning guidance and current service instructions.
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If filing electronically, confirm that the service supports the format required for your route and makes activation, closure, and confirmation clear. FAA material recognizes electronic filing; exact provider features and procedures can change, so check the provider’s current instructions.
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