Lesson 16: Introduction to Cross-Country Flight

Dual—ground: 1.0, flight: 2.0, simulated instrument: 0.5

Objective: Introduction to cross-country flying procedures to include flight planning, pilotage, and dead reckoning; diversion to an alternate airport; and lost procedures

Discussion topics:

1. Use of flight publications
2. Route selection and flight planning
3. Airspace rules
4. Weather information
5. Fuel requirements
6. Performance limitations
7. Navigation log
8. Opening and closing flight plans
9. Weight and balance computation
10. Cockpit management
11. Aeronautical decisionmaking

Review:

1. VOR orientation and tracking
2. ADF orientation and homing
3. GPS orientation and tracking
4. Emergency procedures
5. Flight by reference to instruments

Introduce:

1. Setting cruise power and fuel mixture
2. Estimating in-flight visibility
3. Computing groundspeed, ETA, and fuel consumption
4. Obtaining in-flight weather information
5. Operations at unfamiliar airports
6. Position fix by navigation facilities
7. Use of Approach Control and Departure Control

Completion standards:

1. Demonstrate the skill to control the aircraft during a cross-country flight and make necessary corrections to ensure proper course
2. Arrive at ETA within 3 minutes (recalculating groundspeed based on changed winds, if necessary)

Suggested student homework assignments:

1. Read "Flying's Forgotten 5 Percent," an article on night flying from the September 2004 AOPA Flight Training available online.
2. Review ASF Safety Hot Spot: Flying Night VFR.