NextATC Unicom

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5. Filing a Flight Plan

Use IFR flight to open the IFR Flight Plan dialog, or VFR flight to open the VFR Flight Plan dialog directly. These preparation controls are available before filing without first tuning a clearance frequency. For the subsequent radio exchange, tune the appropriate station in this order:

  1. Delivery, if the airport has one.
  2. Ground, if no Delivery is available.
  3. Tower, if neither Delivery nor Ground is available.

Radio requests require the appropriate frequency and flight state. The VFR Flight Plan dialog also offers Fly without a flight plan; see Flight Plan for its local-flight limits and the separate Radio Check action.

The flight plan dialog contains:

  • Airline code or aircraft/callsign text.
  • Flight number or registration.
  • Departure ICAO.
  • Arrival ICAO.
  • Departure and arrival transition levels.
  • Cruise flight level.
  • Route waypoints.
  • Random route buttons.
  • SimBrief import button.
  • Departure-runway selector and arrival-runway preference.
  • In the VFR Flight Plan dialog only, the Fly without a flight plan checkbox in the File section.

The dialog has no IFR/VFR selection: the flight rules are set by the IFR flight or VFR flight button that opened it.

5.1 Callsign#

For airline flights, enter the ICAO airline code and flight number, for example:

Airline code: AAL
Flight number: 67

For general aviation, use an aircraft type/name and registration-style flight number, for example:

Airline code: Cessna
Flight number: N172AB

NextATC tries to convert recognised airline ICAO codes into spoken callsigns. If a code is not recognised, the entered text is still used.

5.2 Route Field#

Enter enroute waypoints separated by spaces. Do not include the departure or arrival airport in the route field; they have their own fields.

Example:

BCN LARPA LUMAS

You may file a simple direct flight with an empty route or a short route. The plugin will still build departure, arrival, and approach geometry where possible.

5.3 IFR and VFR#

IFR flights use IFR clearance, SID/STAR logic, altitude clearances, approach procedures, and standard instrument-style arrival handling.

VFR flights avoid IFR SID/STAR use and build a visual traffic-pattern arrival when needed. The arrival pattern includes pattern entry, downwind, base, and final geometry, and can be inspected in the Nav Display.

In Alpha builds the circuit flies on the side the airport publishes for the runway, right-hand at many airports, and left-hand where none is published. Built-in traffic does the same.

5.4 Random Flight Plan#

Generate Random Flight Plan creates a route using the current departure and arrival fields.

Generate Random Flight can choose a random destination. Region filters are configured in Options when random-flight generation is enabled.

5.5 SimBrief Import#

Set your SimBrief Pilot ID in Options, or enter it when prompted. Then press Fetch from SimBrief.

The import can populate:

  • Departure airport.
  • Departure runway.
  • Arrival airport.
  • Route.
  • Cruise altitude.
  • Airline code.
  • Flight number.
  • Transition altitudes when present in the SimBrief data.

Review the populated fields before pressing File Flight Plan.