Print out enough copies of the following for each student to have one:

• Intro to Ground School: 4 Flight Planning
• Flying Day Chart

If you are teaching a class, print out a copy of the following for yourself:  Flight Planning

DISCUSSION:

You can either write the above list, or ask the class for ideas and write those down, then add the things they have missed.

After your list is on the board, write the following list in a separate area:

• Weather (WX)
• Fuel
• Weight & Balance (W/B)
• Performance (Perf)
• Situational Awareness (SA)
• Preflight Inspection (PI)

Return to your original list and, after each item, ask the students which “planning category” covers that surprise.  Write the abbreviation for that category after the surprise.

This exercise shows that most “surprises” can be accounted for in the flight planning process.