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Technical stops and flight plan, and customs/immigration required?

How do you handle short technical stops on your flight plan? I’m thinking of a 10-15 min stop to refuel or pick up passengers.

Do you close and file a separate flight plan, or somehow accommodate for that stop in a single flight plan (and tell ATC “brb”)?

Last Edited by Zorg at 30 Mar 18:57
LFHN, LSGP, LFHM

As I was taught, a flight plan covers one and exactly one take-off and one and exactly one landing.

Then again, flight plan is not required for all flights: if staying clear of controlled airspace (including airways) and if not crossing FIR boundaries, no flight plan obligation – but it is always permitted. Some countries explicitly do not require a flight plan even when their FIR boundaries are crossed: this applies to flights between Germany and most of its neighbour countries.

So that perhaps one or more legs of your day’s planning may not require filing a flight plan at all.

Last Edited by at 30 Mar 19:01
EBZH Kiewit, Belgium

In Europe, officially, it doesn’t work with one single flightplan, at least not IFR.

If VFR, it obviously won’t work if there is an active ATS unit at your pit stop. If the pit stop doesn’t have an active ATS, then it can obviously done. Just make sure you don’t exceed the filed ETE by too much.

Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

Ok, then a slightly more advanced question:

How about the combo Germany→Switzerland→France, with a brief technical stop for passenger pick up and obligatory customs (who might or might not show up)? Could this be done on a single flight plan?

The reason I’m asking is that I want to keep the overall flight simple and fast, so managing a second flight plan requires some coordination, particularly with the new departure time.

In any case, it sounds like this is not the usual way (such as putting something in the remarks section of the plan to accommodate for the stop).

LFHN, LSGP, LFHM

No flight plan required for flight from Germany to Switzerland, so you only have to file for the CH-FR part. Though I can’t help wondering why the point is so important to you – filing a flight plan is but one hassle, and a minor one at that, among so many details of flight preparation.

Making a remark about an intended enroute stop is the very last thing to do, at any rate!

Last Edited by at 30 Mar 19:55
EBZH Kiewit, Belgium

File two flight plans…

YPJT, United Arab Emirates

What need, Anthony? The first leg really doesn’t need one.

EBZH Kiewit, Belgium

Assuming the OP wants to file….then file separately for each leg…

YPJT, United Arab Emirates

Zorg,

don’t let them fool you. A flightplan is mandatory for flights from Germany to Switzerland.

Also, you seem to be massively overestimating the hassle with flightplans. Nowadays, it’s usually nothing more a few taps on the smatphone to delay a flightplan. In fact, if you use Skydemon, preparing and filing a whole flightplan doesn’t require more than a few taps.

Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany
A flightplan is mandatory for flights from Germany to Switzerland.

I stand corrected. Must have confused with Austria, perhaps.

EBZH Kiewit, Belgium
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