Cross-Country Flight Planning: Step-by-Step

Your first cross-country is where flying finally takes you somewhere, but first you've gotta beat the nav log. For me, "somewhere" was a grass strip in Carthage, NC with a barbecue joint right off the runway; a flight I planned myself, headings and all. This episode walks through cross-country planning step by step: why your CFI makes you do it by hand, how good planning keeps you clear of trouble like restricted airspace, the fuel reserves that keep you safe, and the trick that finally made the heading math stop fighting me. If you've been putting off your first cross-country, this is your nudge. In This Episode: • The "hundred-dollar barbecue sandwich" and why a destination beats hour-building • Why you fill out a paper nav log when ForeFlight could do it in seconds • What the FAA requires: the solo 150-mile trip, three full-stop landings, the 50-mile leg • The true-to-magnetic-to-compass chain and the add-or-subtract trap • Routing around restricted airspace and reading the sectional • Preflight action in plain English: weather, fuel, alternates, runways • Fuel reserves, the legal floor, and what the accident data shows Key Takeaways: • "East is least, west is best" — subtract easterly variation, add westerly • Plan to land with more fuel than the rules require, or build in a stop • Walk your whole route, pick divert airports, call approach when unsure • Do it by hand, then let ForeFlight check your work • Choose big, obvious checkpoints every 10–15 miles Resources: Free VFR Flight Planning Sheet Your Flight Controls is produced in association with Pilot Institute. New episodes drop weekly. Got a question or a topic you want us to cover? Leave a comment!