Filing and closing a flight plan

This element is about the mechanics of using a VFR flight plan. Three pilot actions — file, activate, close — none of which are done automatically by ATC or the tower. The fields that go in the plan are in K4.

Three pilot actions: file (1–6 hours before), activate (after takeoff), close (after landing). All three are the pilot's responsibility — ATC and the tower don't activate, don't close. The 30-minute-overdue SAR clock starts at filed ETA, not actual landing.

How to file

The information required for a VFR flight plan is set in §91.153. Modern filing happens electronically; the phone option is still available as backup.

Filing methods

• 1800wxbrief.com — Leidos web portal. Free. Generates a logged briefing record alongside the file.
• EFB apps — ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot, FltPlan Go. Most common today; integrated with route planning.
• Phone — 1-800-WX-BRIEF. Useful for complex flights or no-internet situations.
• FSS radio — largely retired. Most pilots file electronically before takeoff.

Timing

• Typical window — 1 to 6 hours before departure
• Maximum — up to 23 hours in advance
• Auto-cancellation — if not activated within 2 hours past proposed departure time, the system auto-cancels
• If departure slips — amend or cancel and refile

A filed plan that isn't activated is just paper. The SAR clock doesn't start until activation.

Activating the plan

Activation starts the SAR ETA clock — the moment ATC-overdue-watch on you begins running.

Via EFB (modern, most common)

ForeFlight or Garmin Pilot — single tap. Submits to Leidos and starts the SAR clock at the time you specify. Useful when cell coverage is available at departure.

Via FSS radio (after takeoff)

1. Tune 122.2 (universal FSS) or airport-specific RCO from the Chart Supplement
2. Initial call: "Phoenix Radio, Cessna 12345, on 122.2"
3. After acknowledgment: "Cessna 12345, request activation of my VFR flight plan, departed Falcon Field at 1502 Zulu, destination Prescott"
4. FSS confirms; ETA clock starts

ATC does NOT activate

Even if you're talking to ATC for flight following, ATC will not activate your VFR flight plan. Activation comes from you to FSS — directly via radio or via EFB. This is a common DPE trap: pilots assume flight-following contact handles everything, but it doesn't activate the SAR plan.

Closing and the SAR consequence

Closing is the most-forgotten step.

Close methods

Method	When	Notes
Phone 1-800-WX-BRIEF	After landing	Easiest
EFB	After landing	Single tap
Radio FSS before landing	In flight	"Request closure of my VFR flight plan"
Tower relay	At towered field	NOT universal — don't assume

ATC and tower do NOT close VFR flight plans. Some Class D towers will relay if asked, but the responsibility remains the pilot's. The DPE trap: "If you land at a Class D field with an active VFR flight plan, will the tower close it for you?" — answer is no, you must close it yourself.

Amending in flight

If ETA, route, or destination changes, amend before the filed ETA + 30-min trigger fires:

"Phoenix Radio, Cessna 12345, amend ETA to 1730 Zulu"

Amend via FSS radio (122.2 or RCO) or via EFB.

If you don't close

At ETA + 30 minutes, FSS begins a SAR sequence:

1. Phone calls to numbers from Item 19
2. Check with destination airport / FBO / tower
3. Notify FAA and law enforcement
4. Notify Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) if needed
5. Deploy SAR resources based on route, terrain, circumstances

Cost can be tens of thousands of dollars. The FAA may pursue cost recovery for negligent failures. Fix is mechanical: close every flight plan, every time.

VFR flight plan vs flight following

Different services, often confused.

	VFR Flight Plan	Flight Following
Filed with	FSS (Leidos)	Requested from ATC in flight
Purpose	SAR backup	Traffic advisories, radar track
Activated	By pilot (radio / EFB)	When ATC accepts request
Squawk	None automatic	Discrete code
Risk if not closed	SAR at ETA + 30 min	Terminates with frequency change

Best practice on a cross-country: file a VFR plan for SAR backup AND request flight following for tactical service. They don't overlap; the two failure modes are different.

VFR flight plans aren't regulatory required for domestic flights (Defense-VFR plans ARE required for ADIZ/international entries, covered in K6). It's a personal-minimum practice.

Worked example:

• KFFZ → KPRC typical XC lifecycle. Preflight (T-90 min): file via ForeFlight, proposed departure 1500Z, ETE 0045, alternate KPHX. Departure (T+0): activate via ForeFlight as wheels lift, or call Phoenix Radio on 122.2 once stable in climb ("activate VFR flight plan, departed Falcon at 1502Z, destination Prescott"). En route: request flight following from Phoenix Approach handing to Albuquerque Center; flight following is independent of the FSS flight plan. Arrival window: actual ETA 1547Z, two minutes past filed. After taxi to the FBO (T+1545Z): close via ForeFlight in the airplane, or by phone 1-800-WX-BRIEF once shut down. Total active-plan time: 45 minutes filed, ~45 minutes flown, closed within 5 minutes of shutdown. SAR clock never gets near the trigger. Without closure: at 1615Z (filed ETA 1545Z + 30 min), FSS would begin phone attempts, then escalate.