Flight planning for a weekend getaway

You have earned your pilot’s certificate. You are ready to spread your wings for your first weekend getaway. This is part of the reason you learned to fly.

Weekend getaways are part of the fun of having a pilot certificate.

After you have decided on your destination, what should you concern yourself with other than the usual preflight planning?

First, what services does the FBO provide? There typically are fees to park overnight, but perhaps those fees are waived with a minimum fuel purchase. Investigate whether the entire fee is waived or just a portion.

For ground transportation, are rental cars available and will you be able to pick up and return the rental to the airport? If not, will the rental car company be able to pick you up and return you to the airport on your planned departure day? Or maybe an Uber or Lyft is all that is necessary.

How about fuel availability—is it full-service or self-service? Is the pump operational? NOTAMS may or may not have been published if the equipment is not operational. Have you ever used a self-serve pump? Depending on where you learned to fly, you may not have had to fuel the airplane. It is not difficult, but you may want to make sure that someone is at the airport who can assist if needed.

There is nothing like trying to depart on a Sunday morning and needing assistance when no one is around. The departure date or day of the week can make a difference. Check the FBO operating hours and emergency (after hours) phone number. I always plan for enough fuel to fly to another airport for fuel if something happens and I am not able to fuel up at the destination airport.

If it is an unattended airport you intend to visit, are tie-downs available? And not just the physical place to tie down, but the ropes or chains to secure the aircraft? If not, you may have to bring a tie-down kit along. Are hangars available if the weather becomes an issue, such as frost on a cool morning or if thunderstorms develop? Who would you call to have the aircraft moved if necessary?

Are hangars available if the weather becomes an issue?

You will typically be required to provide a credit card after arriving at the airport. If there is more than one FBO, do all accept general aviation aircraft? Is a reservation required for your arrival?

A phone call or email to the FBO can answer these questions before the flight, helping to eliminate any stress after you arrive. Make sure to have phone numbers for the FBO. Some FBOs want you to call ahead so they can move the aircraft closer to the terminal so that you don’t have to carry your luggage across the ramp to the plane.

Also, consider all of the available airports in the area you are flying into. The landing fees may be a little more expensive at a larger airport, but you may have better availability of a rental car and rates for the car may be cheaper.

Lastly, have a plan of what you will do if the weather will not let you depart as you planned. Even the best weather planning can change your planned departure.

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Eric Carnahan

Eric has always been interested in flying, and his father paid to have him and his brother go up in a Cessna when they were kids. After retiring from the Navy, he decided that it was time to learn to fly real aircraft. His only regret is that he did not learn sooner. The real pleasure of flying for Eric is flying kids for EAA’s Young Eagles program. Nothing gives him more satisfaction than taking a young person up for their first GA flight, usually in his Piper 235. Now he feels lucky to work on Sporty’s customer service team and teach at Sporty’s Academy.

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• Flight planning for a weekend getaway - October 4, 2024