T03 · Cross-Country Flight Planning: VFR, IFR & Go/No-Go
VFR Route and Altitude Plan
The route itself: legs, escape airports, checkpoints, and a cruising altitude that is actually legal for the course flown.
Worked example — fictional values, for format only. Never use these numbers for an actual flight.
Route legs
| From | To | True course | Distance (NM) | Airspace crossed | Escape airport nearby |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KLKE | Checkpoint A | 095° | 28 | Class G, Class E | KCED (confirmed, T02) |
| Checkpoint A | KDST (destination) | 090° | 27 | Class E, Class D (transition) | KLAK (confirmed, T02) |
Cruising altitude
- Magnetic course (true course corrected for variation)
- 090° true, 8° W var. → 098° magnetic
- Altitude chosen (91.159 hemispheric rule)
- 5,500 ft (odd thousand + 500, course 098°)
- Cloud clearance required for the airspace flown (91.155)
- Class E below 10,000: 3 SM, 500/1,000/2,000
- Terrain / obstacle clearance margin
- ~1,500 ft above highest obstacle on route
Fictional data, for format only, see this worksheet’s own chapter for the real regulation and source behind each figure. Never enter this data, or any invented data, into an operational flight plan.