Five Flight Planning Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make

The flight planning process used to take an hour or more. Business aviation pilots and aircraft dispatchers hunched over table-sized maps with a trusty E6B “whiz wheel” calculator, trying to cypher the best route to carry their passengers from Point A to Point B.

A lot has changed since then and now computers do most of the heavy lifting. Flight planning software considers thousands of variables and performs millions of calculations to help operators pick the most direct, comfortable and fuel-efficient route.

Three decades in the flight services business have taught us to listen to our customers and provide flight planning services and tools that are flexible, transparent and easy to use. Honeywell Forge Flight Planning is the first all-new flight planning engine in a decade. It lets you align your flight plan with your mission goals. If you’re on a tight schedule, you can pick the quickest route. If it’s thunderstorm season, you can steer around forecast storm fronts. And if you’re on a budget (and who isn’t!) you can choose a flight plan that saves fuel and reduces operating costs.

An accurate and efficient flight plan can reduce fuel consumption by hundreds of pounds and shave precious minutes off flying time. You can make your flight plan work for you by avoiding these common mistakes.

Loading Too Much Fuel

Operators need to load enough fuel to arrive at their destination, with enough reserve to handle contingencies and create a margin of safety. Loading too much fuel is an expensive proposition because fuel adds weight, which in turn affects fuel consumption. The best flight planning software uses real aircraft data from the flight management system to precisely calculate fuel burn and reserve fuel percentage so you can order the right fuel load.

Losing Your Connection

We’re definitely in the age of in-flight connectivity and chances are your VIP passengers place a high premium on having Wi-Fi service available throughout their flight. You can help them stay connected and productive from wheels-up to wheels-down with a flight plan that avoids no-reception zones.

Relying on Old Weather

Weather conditions are fickle. The forecasts you used to create your flight plan can become obsolete a few hours into your flight. You need access to up-to-date whether information and the ability to quickly alter your flight plan to ensure a safe and comfortable ride. Easy to do with today’s connectivity capabilities and the right flight planning engine.

Flying without Backup

Flight planning today is computerized and software based, which is a very good thing. But when you need a little extra support, it’s good to know that someone has your back. The best flight planning services include 24/7 real-human support to help you put together a flight plan that gets you where you’re going, on schedule, and without breaking the bank.

Overlooking Real Costs

Time is money, especially when it’s being calculated at CEO pay rates. The right flight plan ensures your passengers get where they’re going, on time, and stay productive throughout the flight. Flight planning services make sure that you’re flying the fastest, most efficient route and getting your passengers to their destination on time.

Turn to Honeywell for the best flight planning service available. The all-new Honeywell Forge Flight Planning service makes it easier than ever to view multiple options and create, optimize and file a great flight plan – in just minutes. Here are some features that set us apart from the other flight planning programs:

• Eliminates the need for multiple tools
• Uses actual flight management system algorithms
• Integrates with scheduling services
• 24/7 access to highly-trained flight data specialists and licensed dispatchers
• Easy access to flight planning via website, phone, mobile app or datalink live chat

Lean more about Honeywell Forge Flight Planning.