ATPL Flight Planning key terms

The document prepared for a specific flight listing route, altitudes, fuel figures, masses, times and alternates, signed by the commander and kept for the operator's records after completion.

The information filed with air traffic services about an intended flight or part of it, covering identification, route, level, speed and timing, used for separation and search and rescue alerting.

A flight plan covering a series of frequently repeated, identical flights, held by air traffic services so that individual plans need not be filed for each occurrence.

A document showing how mass is distributed between compartments and tanks, from which the centre of gravity position and its limits are checked before departure.

The total mass of the aircraft ready for a particular operation, including crew, crew baggage, catering, potable water and operational items, but excluding take-off fuel and traffic load.

Dry operating mass plus take-off fuel, representing the aircraft mass at the start of the take-off run without payload considerations in some definitions.

The mass of the aircraft including traffic load but with no usable fuel aboard; it must not exceed the structural maximum zero fuel mass.

The sum of passenger mass, baggage and cargo carried on a flight, obtained by subtracting dry operating mass from zero fuel mass.

The total mass at the start of the take-off run, equal to zero fuel mass plus take-off fuel, and limited by structural, performance and obstacle considerations.

The highest take-off mass permitted at a given aerodrome for the prevailing conditions, being the lowest of the structural, field length, climb, obstacle and tyre speed limits.

The mass of the aircraft at touchdown, computed as take-off mass minus trip fuel, and required to respect the maximum landing mass and the landing distance available.

Fuel consumed from brake release at the departure aerodrome to touchdown at the destination aerodrome, following the planned route and levels.

Fuel expected to be burned before take-off, including engine start, taxiing out and APU use, and after landing during taxi-in where the operator so specifies.

Fuel added to cover unforeseen factors such as deviations from forecast winds, routing or levels; commonly a percentage of trip fuel or a time-based amount to an en-route alternate.

Fuel carried in addition to trip and contingency fuel to cover a diversion to an alternate and holding, typically comprising alternate fuel and final reserve.

Fuel needed to fly from the destination, or a point where a diversion is planned, to the designated alternate aerodrome, including approach and landing.

A fixed quantity of fuel, often expressed as 30 minutes of holding at 1500 feet above the alternate, that must remain at landing and is not planned for use.

Fuel required when the minimum reserves are insufficient for a specific scenario, such as a diversion with one engine inoperative or loss of pressurisation, or when directed by the commander.

The total fuel loaded before departure, equal to taxi fuel plus trip fuel plus all reserves and additional fuel, and used for mass and balance and performance calculations.

The operator's approved method for calculating, monitoring and managing fuel, defining the reserves and procedures that guarantee a safe landing with final reserve intact.

The continuous comparison of fuel remaining against planned figures, with defined decision points and actions if consumption is higher than planned.

An aerodrome to which a flight may proceed if landing at the destination becomes impossible or inadvisable, and for which alternate fuel must be carried.

An aerodrome where no suitable alternate exists within a set flight time, so extra fuel is carried to allow holding or diversion under defined conditions.

The point along a route where the time to continue to the destination equals the time to turn back to the departure or another aerodrome, often used for diversion planning.

The point beyond which an aircraft no longer has enough fuel to return to the departure aerodrome, so continuation is the only safe option.

The point on a route where the fuel needed to reach the destination equals that needed to reach an alternative aerodrome, accounting for wind and consumption.

The fuel burned per unit of thrust or power per unit of time, used with engine data to estimate fuel flow for a given power setting and level.

The rate at which an engine consumes fuel, usually given in kilograms or pounds per hour, and the basis for computing fuel used over a sector.

The distance an aircraft would travel through the air mass in a given time, ignoring wind, used as the basis for applying wind corrections.

The speed of the aircraft relative to the ground, obtained by combining true airspeed with the wind component along the track.

The part of the wind acting along the flight path, positive as a tailwind and negative as a headwind, used to convert air distance to ground distance.

The point through which the total mass of the aircraft acts, expressed as a percentage of mean aerodynamic chord and required to lie within certified forward and aft limits.

The runway length at which the accelerate-stop distance equals the take-off distance to 35 feet with one engine failed, giving the lowest take-off mass for field length.

The limits of visibility, cloud base or runway visual range under which an aircraft may take off, approach or land at a particular aerodrome.

The lowest altitude that provides safe terrain clearance along a route segment, published on charts and used to check the planned cruising level.

The altitude or flight level selected for the cruise, chosen from the semicircular rule, performance, fuel efficiency and turbulence considerations.

A planned change of cruising level during the flight as mass decreases, allowing a higher, more economical level to be reached progressively.

The revenue-earning mass carried, comprising passengers, baggage, mail and cargo, limited by structural masses, volume and the centre of gravity envelope.