In Defense of the VFR Flight plan, and Being Prepared ~Guest Blogger Patrick Howell CFII
First off, a confession…I filed one VFR flight plan in the first ten years of my flying career. Frankly, I just did not see the point. I did most of my primary flight training, from private all the way through CFI, in and around southern states, mostly Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. As a student pilot, my flight school based was at San Antonio International (KSAT), before moving to Stinson Airfield (KSSF), so we were always talking to ATC. I was then and remain a habitual user of VFR flight following, and I found more utility in it than filing a flight plan, as well. Also, it was not an emphasis item with my flight school, so just like the law of primacy states, first learned is best learned….and my first learned habit was not to file a VFR flight plan. So, I flew like that for many years…

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