Chapter 5. Air Traffic Procedures
Section 1. Preflight
5-1-1. Preflight Preparation
a. Every pilot is urged to receive a preflight
briefing and to file a flight plan. This briefing should
consist of the latest or most current weather, airport,
and en route NAVAID information. Briefing service
may be obtained from an FSS either by telephone or
radio when airborne. Pilots within the contiguous
U.S. may access Flight Service through
www.1800wxbrief.com or by contacting them at
1-800-WX-Brief to obtain preflight weather data
and to file IFR and VFR flight plans.
NOTE-
Pilots filing flight plans via "fast file" who desire to have
their briefing recorded, should include a statement at the
end of the recording as to the source of their weather
briefing.

b. The information required by the FAA to process
flight plans is contained on FAA Form 7233-1, Flight
Plan, or FAA Form 7233-4, International Flight Plan.
The forms are available at all flight service stations.
Additional copies will be provided on request.
REFERENCE-
AIM, Paragraph 5-1-4 , Flight Plan- VFR Flights
AIM, Paragraph 5-1-8 , Flight Plan- IFR Flights
AIM, Paragraph 5-1-9, International Flight Plan- IFR Flights

c. Consult an FSS for preflight weather briefing.
d. FSSs are required to advise of pertinent
NOTAMs if a standard briefing is requested, but if
they are overlooked, do not hesitate to remind the
specialist that you have not received NOTAM
information.
NOTE-
NOTAMs, graphic notices, and other information
published in the Notices to Airmen Publication (NTAP) are
not provided during a briefing unless specifically
requested by the pilot since the FSS specialist has no way
of knowing whether the pilot has already checked the NTAP
prior to calling. Airway NOTAMs, procedural NOTAMs,
and NOTAMs that are general in nature and not tied to a
specific airport/facility (for example, flight advisories and
restrictions, open duration special security instructions,
and special flight rules areas) are briefed solely by pilot
request. Remember to ask for NOTAMs and graphic notices
published in the NTAP if you have not already reviewed this

Preflight

information, and to request all pertinent NOTAMs specific
to your flight.
REFERENCE-
AIM, Paragraph 5-1-3 , Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) System

e. Pilots are urged to use only the latest issue of
aeronautical charts in planning and conducting flight
operations. Aeronautical charts are revised and
reissued on a regular scheduled basis to ensure that
depicted datre current and reliable. In the
conterminous U.S., Sectional Charts are updated
every 6 months, IFR En Route Charts every 56 days,
and amendments to civil IFR Approach Charts are
accomplished on a 56-day cycle with a change notice
volume issued on the 28-day midcycle. Charts that
have been superseded by those of a more recent date
may contain obsolete or incomplete flight information.
REFERENCE-
AIM, Paragraph 9-1-4 , General Description of Each Chart Series

f. When requesting a preflight briefing, identify
yourself as a pilot and provide the following:
1. Type of flight planned; e.g., VFR or IFR.
2. Aircraft"s number or pilot"s name.
3. Aircraft type.
4. Departure Airport.
5. Route of flight.
6. Destination.
7. Flight altitude(s).
8. ETD and ETE.
g. Prior to conducting a briefing, briefers are
required to have the background information listed
above so that they may tailor the briefing to the needs
of the proposed flight. The objective is to
communicate a "picture" of meteorological and
aeronautical information necessary for the conduct of
a safe and efficient flight. Briefers use all available
weather and aeronautical information to summarize
datpplicable to the proposed flight. They do not
read weather reports and forecasts verbatim unless
specifically requested by the pilot. FSS briefers do
not provide FDC NOTAM information for special

5-1-1