Radar Contact Flight Planning
Version 4 December 2, 2007
Copyright JDT LLC 2005 Page 65
Flight Planning
Radar Contact supports many flight planners, some of which are freeware and some that are
payware. The plans in this chapter will focus on two of the more widely used planners,
FSNavigator and FSBuild.
With the world‟s skies becoming increasingly crowded, having an accurate and efficient flight
plan is not just a convenience, it is a necessity. By giving some thought to your flight plan,
you will arrive at your destination with less time spent in the air, less fuel used, and more
efficient handling by air traffic control.
All flights operating under instrument flight rules (IFR) are required to have a flight plan on
file with air traffic control. While controllers will assist a flight with vectors and information
when able and where applicable, they are NOT there to hold your hand and walk you through
every phase of flight. Their primary responsibility is to organize the flow of traffic and
provide safe separation from other aircraft in their airspace.
IMPORTANT NOTE - Pilots are fully responsible for knowing how to fly the route
and procedures that they file.
The same holds true with Radar Contact. As pilots, operating in simulated controlled airspace
we must have an understanding of the procedures that we are planning and filing in order to
fly competently within “the system”.
Navigation Aids
The first step towards ensuring that we plan a good route is to have some understanding of the
equipment on the ground that we rely on for guidance. These are air navigation aids, or
NAVAIDS. The most often used facilities are VOR, VOR/DME, VORTAC, and to a lesser
extent NDB, for enroute navigation and ILS for approaches. With the advent of newer
technologies over the last two decades, GPS/RNAV navigation is becoming the standard on
the flight decks of modern airliners; however, VOR navigation is still widely used among
general aviation and even older airliners, such as the 737-200 series.
VOR –VHF Omni-directional Range
These NAVAIDs operate in a frequency range of 108.0 to 117.95 MHz and provide coverage
appropriate to the assigned service volume. They are subject to line-of-sight restrictions and
the reception will vary based on the altitude of the aircraft.
VOR Service Volume
VORs will have a designated range of reception called a service volume. The service volume
is noted on air navigation charts in the frequency box with one of the following:
T for Terminal
L for Low Altitude
H for High Altitude
The following information describes the three types of VORs you are likely to encounter
during a flight.
Radar Contact Flight Planning
Version 4 December 2, 2007
Copyright JDT LLC 2005 Page 66
Terminal VOR
Terminal VOR provides reception from 1,000 AGL up to and including 12,000 AGL at a
radial distance of 25 nautical miles.
Low Altitude VOR
Low Altitude VOR provides reception from 1,000 AGL up to and including 18,000 AGL at a
radial distance of 40 nautical miles.
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