See which flight planning paperwork pilots use, including nav logs, weather, NOTAMs, fuel, weight and balance, performance and filed flight plans.
For Aviation & Real-World Flying, flight-planning paperwork usually includes a route or navigation log, current charts, a weather briefing, NOTAMs, fuel calculations, mass-and-balance data, and take-off and landing performance. IFR or commercial operations may also require a filed ATS flight plan, operational flight plan, load sheet and dispatch documents.
“Paperwork” is a convenient name for the planning pack; much of it is now displayed or stored electronically. The exact documents depend on the country, flight rules, aircraft and operator.
Which documents are in a flight-planning pack?
A complete flight-planning pack records the proposed flight, the conditions affecting it and the calculations showing that the aircraft can fly it safely.
| Document or information | What it is used for |
|---|---|
| Charts and procedures | Show airspace, terrain, routes, radio aids, airports, runway layouts and, where applicable, departures, arrivals and instrument approaches. |
| Route or navigation log | Records tracks, headings, distances, altitudes, checkpoints, frequencies, estimated times and fuel figures for each leg. |
| Weather briefing | Combines observations, forecasts, winds and hazardous-weather information for the departure, route, destination and alternates. Our guide to decoding METAR observations explains one of the main products in that briefing. |
| NOTAM briefing | Identifies temporary runway closures, unserviceable aids, airspace restrictions and other operational changes. This is separate from airport broadcast information, as explained in our comparison of how NOTAMs and ATIS serve different purposes. |
| Fuel plan | Calculates taxi, trip, alternate, reserve, contingency and additional fuel where those categories apply under the relevant rules. |
| Mass-and-balance sheet or load sheet | Checks occupants, baggage, cargo, fuel, total mass and centre of gravity against the aircraft’s approved limits. |
| Performance calculations | Check take-off, climb and landing performance using runway length, wind, temperature, pressure altitude, surface condition, slope, obstacles and aircraft configuration. |
| ATS flight plan | Provides air traffic services with standardised route, timing, aircraft, equipment, endurance and persons-on-board information when filing is required or chosen. |
| Operational flight plan and dispatch release | Used mainly in commercial operations to consolidate route, weather, alternates, fuel, aircraft data and operational approvals. Names and signing requirements vary between operators and regulatory systems. |
| Aircraft status documents | The technical or journey log, maintenance release and any deferred-defect, MEL or CDL information establish what equipment is serviceable and which restrictions apply. |
Weather reports and NOTAMs are inputs rather than forms completed by the pilot, but they normally remain part of the briefing record. An ATIS may mention significant local conditions; it does not replace a full weather and NOTAM check.
What paperwork does a private VFR pilot need?
A private VFR pilot normally needs a simpler planning pack than an airline crew, but the aircraft, route, weather, fuel and performance still have to be checked.
- Confirm the aircraft status. Review the technical or journey log, fuel state, equipment status and relevant deferred defects.
- Plot the route. Use current charts and record headings, distances, altitudes, frequencies and estimated times on a navigation log when the flight requires one.
- Collect the briefing. Check weather, NOTAMs, airspace restrictions and suitable diversion aerodromes.
- Calculate fuel. Use the aircraft’s approved flight manual or POH data, then apply the legally required fuel policy and realistic operating conditions.
- Check loading and performance. Complete mass-and-balance calculations and verify take-off, climb and landing performance for the expected runways.
- File when required or useful. Submit an ATS flight plan if the applicable rules demand one, or when voluntary filing provides a useful alerting and search-and-rescue service.
A short local flight may not justify a detailed leg-by-leg navigation log, but that does not remove the need to check aircraft status, weather, fuel, loading and runway performance. IFR planning adds procedure charts, approach minima, alternate requirements and more detailed equipment and routing information.
Is a navigation log the same as a filed flight plan?
No: a navigation log is the pilot’s working record, while a filed ATS flight plan is a standard message sent to air traffic services.
- Navigation log: contains detailed headings, checkpoints, leg times, frequencies and in-flight fuel tracking.
- ATS flight plan: communicates the aircraft, equipment, route, level, timing, endurance and emergency information required by the filing system.
- Operational flight plan: is a broader operator document combining the route with weather, fuel, alternates, mass and operational decisions.
Filing a flight plan does not by itself provide an ATC clearance. The route on the navigation log, filed plan, clearance and onboard navigation system must be compared and reconciled before departure.
Which documents must be carried on board?
The documents used for planning are not the same as the documents legally required aboard the aircraft.
Depending on the jurisdiction and operation, carriage requirements may include the aircraft registration, airworthiness documentation, approved operating limitations or flight manual, mass-and-balance data, journey or technical log, radio documentation and insurance evidence. Pilots may also need their licence, medical certificate and identification. International and commercial flights can require additional manifests, customs, dangerous-goods or operator documents.
There is no universal paperwork checklist for every flight. Pilots must use the rules of the states involved, the aircraft’s approved documents and the operator’s procedures to establish what must be prepared, filed, carried and retained.
Can flight-planning paperwork be digital?
Yes, flight-planning paperwork can usually be electronic when the authority and operator permit it and the information remains current, legible and accessible throughout the flight.
A sound digital arrangement accounts for device power, overheating, damaged screens, lost connectivity and required backups. Charts and databases must be within their effective dates, and any route, runway, weather or loading change must be reflected across the whole plan rather than corrected in only one application. Our overview of features to compare in pilot flight-planning apps covers the briefing and chart functions that matter.
For airline simulation, an electronic OFP is also useful practice. Our simulator-focused SimBrief planning walkthrough shows how route, weather, fuel and loading appear in one package. Simulator-generated documents must not be treated as approved data for a real flight.
What are the common flight-planning paperwork mistakes?
The most common failure is a convincing-looking pack built from stale, inconsistent or aircraft-inappropriate data.
- Using an expired chart, old weather briefing or NOTAM set from an earlier departure time.
- Copying fuel burn or performance figures from another aircraft model instead of the applicable POH or approved flight manual.
- Mixing pounds and kilograms, or using the wrong empty mass and centre-of-gravity data.
- Changing the runway, route, altitude or payload without recalculating fuel, performance and mass and balance.
- Allowing the navigation log, filed route, ATC clearance and FMS route to disagree.
- Treating an accepted flight-plan filing as permission to enter controlled airspace or depart under IFR.
- Recording only the planned fuel, with no means to compare actual fuel remaining against the plan during flight.