There's plenty of test questions about composite flight plans but I've tried to file one twice now and nooooo, you have to file a seperate vfr plan and open your ifr en route. The reason I wanted to do a composite is to be able to pick up a clearance by phone from the ground and be done. Trying to copy a clearance while hand flying a hold is no fun especially if they change it up. Is there another name for it? I know some flight service operators don't recognize a round robin either.

Nosedragger wrote:There's plenty of test questions about composite flight plans but I've tried to file one twice now and nooooo, you have to file a seperate vfr plan and open your ifr en route. The reason I wanted to do a composite is to be able to pick up a clearance by phone from the ground and be done. Trying to copy a clearance while hand flying a hold is no fun especially if they change it up. Is there another name for it? I know some flight service operators don't recognize a round robin either.

Someone asked this question recently on PoA and the consensus was "learn it well enough to pass the written, but you'll never use it in real life".

No one gave an actual answer.

Call your local FSDO? My guys love helping with questions like this.

The reality is that you'll get amended clearances pretty regularly anyway, so you may as well get practiced at writing while flying. I just fly the airplane and write without looking at my pad, trusting that it will be good enough to read. 80% of the time that's the case. I don't have any compunction about requesting ATC read it again in the 20% case.

rw2 wrote:

Nosedragger wrote:There's plenty of test questions about composite flight plans but I've tried to file one twice now and nooooo, you have to file a seperate vfr plan and open your ifr en route. The reason I wanted to do a composite is to be able to pick up a clearance by phone from the ground and be done. Trying to copy a clearance while hand flying a hold is no fun especially if they change it up. Is there another name for it? I know some flight service operators don't recognize a round robin either.

Someone asked this question recently on PoA and the consensus was "learn it well enough to pass the written, but you'll never use it in real life".

No one gave an actual answer.

Call your local FSDO? My guys love helping with questions like this.

The reality is that you'll get amended clearances pretty regularly anyway, so you may as well get practiced at writing while flying. I just fly the airplane and write without looking at my pad, trusting that it will be good enough to read. 80% of the time that's the case. I don't have any compunction about requesting ATC read it again in the 20% case.

Thanks. I am getting better at writing on the foreflight notepad with my #1 booger hook.

Nosedragger wrote:Thanks. I am getting better at writing on the foreflight notepad with my #1 booger hook.

Two suggestions:

1) I think the foreflight notepad is probably the single weakest part of the application. I use penultimate to write my notes in airplane. I created two templates (one for weather, one for clearances) that I fill in.

2) I think it's *much* easier to write using a stylus than a finger. I have one in my flight bag (backup) and one that get clipped to my flying cap so it's always available.

Composite flight plans are very common... Here in Canada that is.

Used regularly in Northern Areas.

Pilots file IFR to an airport where an IFR approach is located... Break out and continue to destination VFR.

Another example... IFR till clear of controlled airspace... The rest of the day VFR.... Then returning later back into controlled airspace IFR. One composite flight plan.


Cheers

Macdon221