Guided path
Plan a VFR cross-country
The decisions behind a visual cross-country in the order you make them: the airspace you will cross, the minima you fly to, the fuel you carry, the alternate you keep in reserve, and the wind across the runway at each end.
5 guides in order
- Operations
Airspace classes explained
The ICAO airspace classes A to G, the service and separation each one provides, and how the US, Europe and the UK implement the same letters differently.
4 min read Read - Regulations
VFR weather minima and cruising levels
The visibility and distance-from-cloud minima for visual flight, and the semicircular cruising-level rule, with the ICAO baseline and the EASA and FAA figures attributed because the units and numbers differ.
4 min read Read - Regulations
Fuel planning and reserves
Why a flight carries more fuel than the trip needs, the ICAO baseline, the FAA VFR and IFR reserve rules, and the EASA fuel-scheme components, each attributed because the numbers differ.
4 min read Read - Briefing
Choosing an alternate aerodrome
When an alternate is required, the FAA 1-2-3 rule and alternate minimums, the EASA planning-minima approach, and the practical checks of weather, approaches, runway and services.
7 min read Read - Operations
Crosswind components
How to resolve a reported wind into its crosswind and headwind components with simple trigonometry, a worked example, the sine rule of thumb, and what a maximum demonstrated crosswind really is.
4 min read Read