VFR flight planning; what's involved?
Any flight plan required a large amount of prediction and forward planning and VFR is not different in that part of it necessitates the checking of weather conditions as far as possible and thus to predict what level of visibility there will be on a journey. Clear conditions in daylight hours will indicate that there is not need for any instrument flight rules to be adhered to and that the flight may be undertaken using VFR flight planning. As with all forms of flight planning there are however no guarantees and no absolutes; there may always be unexpected events or circumstances which could cause a pilot to have to fall back on on-board instruments to assist in navigation. The success of a flight relies heavily on planning and accurate research must be undertaken to ensure that any risks are kept to a minimum. The main difference between VFR flight planning and IFR planning is obviously that a pilot flying an aircraft with no apparatus assisting them, must use their own senses to guide the craft successfully; this entails much skill and judgement as far as understanding the distance of any obstacles which may appear unexpectedly, such as other craft or even unexpected cloud. Judging the altitude and course of an aircraft may be done by looking at the horizon and this is one of the main tools a pilot uses on a VFR flight. Prediction of weather just as important a factor for VFR flights as it is for IFR flights and a good plan can go a long way to keeping all on board a flight safe.