Flight Plans

[kb]

OK, even though microlights don't often file flight plans (if ever), I might not get far with question. Anyway, I'll try.
I was under the impression that you ONLY need to file a flight plan under one of the following requirements.
A) If you are flying from Controlled to controlled airspaces.
B) If you are flying from either controlled to uncontrolled and need SAR, or vice versa.

This them means, lets say for eg, you are flying Richards bay to PMB. So, you load up your super-long-range tanks, and head off. On the way, you are craving a smoke, or just want to pop in to "that farmens house" ofr coffee. This naturally means that you are then going to be MORE than 5 mins late at reporting points, and certainly late at your dest. Does this mean that before you know it, you're gonna have the SA airforce trying to slow down enough next to you on their SAR??? If you are flying from uncontrolled to controlled, do you actually have to have one, (assuming that you are aware of the fact that you have requested NIL SAR??

[Wart]

kb, as I am in the process of doing my radio course I can tell you the following:-
Flight Plans may be filed for any flight; Flight Plans must be filed for the following flights:-
1. All flights conducted wholly or partly in controlled or advisory airspace, except:
1.1 A local flight
1.2 A flight crossing an airway or advisory route at right angles
1.3 A VFR flight taking off in a CTR or ATZ to fly to an uncontrolled airfield or vice versa, and not entering any other controlled or advisory airspace.
2. All international flights
3. All flights in the public transport category
4. All flights for which an alerting action is required

Amendments to a Flight Plan may be requested at any time (by radio) but must be approved by ATC before implementation.

Flight Plans are closed when landing at a controlled airfield or by radio or telephone when landing at an uncontrolled airfield.

SAR/NIL can only be specified (in a Flight Plan) when landing at an uncontrolled airfield; SAR/NORMAL can only be specified when landing at a controlled airfield; usually if SAR is specified it is SAR/place/time where "place" is the ATSU which should initiate the SAR if ATC is not contacted by "time".

I hope that this clears it up for you. Boy these lectures have come in handy; now I just have to pass the exam

[kb]

cool, tks wart, and P.S. good luck for the exams.

[Lodewyk Engels]

kb

If I remember well enough, you are also supposed to file a seperate flightplan for each leg of your flight if you land somewhere in between.
Our cross country went from George with touch and go's at Oudtshoorn and Swellendam and back to George.
You would then actually need to file 3 flightplans
I usually file only one - if I make stop somewhere I just ad some time to the ETE and I always make my SAR to uncontrolled fields something like:
SAR ETA + 1 hour