How are People Filing IFR Flight Plans?

[co-joe]

Problem with master flight plans in CFPS is that many pilots think it's like a "saved list" and multiple copies of flight plans are saved that way. Sometimes, master plans for the same aircraft contain different data (example: equipment, colors, etc). That forces us to confirm all the information on the phone when using a master, which almost takes as much time as starting a FP from scratch. IMO, master plans should be created and updated by the owner only, while leaving the possibility to the different pilots to save different flight plans, but locally only.

As for VFR flight plans forwarded to the FIC and the IFR ones to the ACC, it's for the purpose of alerting service. All the data is then sent to CAATS and the FIC can see all the IFR flight plans, but just some limited data in forms of flight strips (at least here in QB). Normally, ACC should be able to close your VFR flight plan though, as we are able to close IFR flight plans. However, I agree that there is still a lot of work to be done for better systems integration.

The master flight plan isssue became just too much of a problem here so the CP decided that "All pilots shall use fltplan.com hence forth". It's really too bad that Navcan's cyber peeps can't just allow users to create their own flight plan data base separate from the "master" flight plan.

Better yet, create a flight plan form with the master fields already populated like colour and markings, emergency contact etc...

Allowing pilots to file a flight plan inside the ACC computer was amazing. One day at YEG I plumb forgot to file a flight plan home. Ground/clearance (why bother even having 2 frequencies if EIA won't pay for 2 people) said he didn't have a strip on us, so out comes my phone, 10 seconds later I hit "File" and by the time I have my phone back in my pocket ground/clearance says hey the strip just popped up here's your clearance. magic.

Fltplan.com has glitches from what I've heard, as does the Ipad. CFPS was perfect.

[Posthumane]

Is flight "flight template" option in CFPS the same as a master flight plan? When I log in I only have two options - file a flight plan or create a flight template (that can later be copied, filed, or edited). I didn't see any option there for a master flight plan, and didn't think the flight templates could be seen by anyone other than myself.

[photofly]

The templates on CFPS are visible to FIC staff when you file by phone, and you can ask them to be used; there was also an option to mail a paper master flight plan to NavCanada (I recall it needed an inordinate number of signatures and waivers) but I think that has been subsumed in to CFPS.

[ragbagflyer]

Foreflight all the way. If your aircraft profiles are set up properly in foreflight it had all your equipment codes. Put in departure and destination, pick a suggested route, make adjustments for mandatory routing and it creates a navlog based on the manufactures performance specifications. Proceed to "file" and all the data from the routing, navlog, and aircraft profile are auto-filled into the flight plan. You can plan and file a flight anywhere on the continent in minutes. Too easy. Plus it'll often kick back "expected route received" notifications which are handy in places where the actual clearance received is long and convoluted (vor intersection to vor insersecton etc) so that you can send that route right back to the map screen with one tap.