File a VFR Flight Plan Beyond 25 NM
Club pilots must file a VFR flight plan when flying more than 25 NM from the departure aerodrome, keep it updated, and terminate it promptly after landing.
1 min readKapiti Aero Club safety team
VFR flight plans and SARTIMEs are an essential part of safe club flying, especially as members head further from home base.
The legal requirement applies when you're seeking an alerting service or operating more than 50 NM offshore – but our club expects pilots to file a VFR flight plan whenever flying more than 25 NM from the departure aerodrome.
Filing a plan gives Airways and RCCNZ the information they need to respond quickly if something goes wrong, and setting a sensible SARTIME means someone is watching for your safe arrival.
Club pilots are responsible for:
- filing realistic routes and timings
- updating Airways if plans change
- most importantly, terminating the flight plan or SARTIME promptly after landing to avoid unnecessary search and rescue action.