The Basics of Flight #3 (Flight Planning)

The Basics of Flight #3 

 By:Nirek Deepak

    When you are on a plane, you may have got many questions, for example, How do pilots file a flight plan or what instruments they use to navigate. Today in the Basics of Flight, You will learn how to make a flight plan using the WANNTRAM format.

    First, We need to know what WANNTRAM stands for. The first letter we have is W which stands for WEATHER.  You will do this by checking the weather status that day and you will get an updated Airac weather report showing winds,rain and other weather effects. Make sure you mark the information like wind, rain or anything else so you know what the weather is going to be like during your fight.

    The next letter on the list is A which stands for AIRCRAFT. Make sure to know the differences between an aircraft. For example, an A319 can be different than an A320 so be aware of that. Also make sure to include what type of engines your aircraft has.Highlight the differences like engine start procedures to anti-ice and engine shutoff procedures. These can be very useful during your flight.

    The next letter we have on the list is the letter N which stands for NOTAMS. NOTAMS means Notice for airmen. This means that you need to know if there are any runway closures or any restricted airspaces in the area. You should be aware of the rules and regulations in airspaces. 

    The next letter is the letter N again. This time, it stands for noise abatement procedures. This basically means when you can start up the APU and engines to avoid a lot of noise since in most airport properties, Airport staff are supposed to keep the noise level down for areas nearby to not get disturbed by the noise of aircrafts.  

    The next letter on the list is T which stands for Taxi. Brief you and your other pilot about the taxi instructions to the designated takeoff runway. Also, point out taxi hotspots on the taxi charts and during whiteout procedures, mark the recommended taxi speed.

    The next letter on the list is R which stands for ROUTING. Make sure you include SID(Standard Instrument Procedures) In your plan to know when to climb to the necessary flight level and when to start the approach. Air Traffic Control will tell you this but it is always good to have a backup just in case.  

   

    The next letter on the list is A that stands for Automation/AFDS (Autopilot Flight Directory System).  This means that you will be briefing what lateral/vertical guidance by the flight directors you will be using mainly VNAV and LNAV. This is when you will be climbing to a certain altitude and when you will be contacting controllers and what routing you will be using. 

    Lastly, the letter M that stands for miscellaneous. Here you can put any thing that does not fit under any other topics. For example, fuel and other calculations, Amount of passengers onboard and aircraft handling guides.

  

    This may seem like it takes a long time to do but a making a flight plan can only be up to 10 mins if you are prepared and the briefing should only take up to 3 mins. 

    Thank you for joining me today in the Basics of Flight 3. Hope you learned about flight planning and briefings. If you didn't see The basics of flight 1 and 2, please check them out. Don't forget to comment below and share this with your friends and family. See you next time!