Event Details and Registration

FAA regulations define a cross-country flight as landing at an airport at least 50 NM away, but most pilots didn’t learn to fly just to go 50 miles.

In this Saturday Safety Session, FAASTeam Representative and CFII Erica Gilbert will explore the real-world planning skills pilots need for longer trips. We’ll discuss evaluating weather across hundreds of miles, choosing among multiple airports in busy metropolitan areas, identifying services available at unfamiliar airports, and planning for personal comfort and endurance on long legs.

We will also look at how to assess the likelihood of returning home using tools like prognostic charts and discuss strategies for building flexibility into travel plans when weather may delay your return.

Finally, we’ll explore practical tools like FlightBridge for coordinating hotels, transportation, and other trip logistics.

Enter the WestLEX FBO and make an immediate right turn to see the conference room.

Under Part 61, a cross-country flight is defined as landing at an airport at least 50 nautical miles away from your point of departure. While that definition works for training and logging experience, most pilots didn’t learn to fly simply to travel 50 miles.

Real cross-country flying often involves trips hundreds of miles long, unfamiliar airports, changing weather systems, and the logistical challenges of traveling by airplane. Many pilots discover that these real-world considerations were only briefly addressed, or never discussed, during their initial training.

In this Saturday Safety Session, FAASTeam Representative Erica Gilbert will discuss the practical planning skills pilots need for successful long-distance flying.

Topics will include:

• Evaluating weather trends across large geographic areas
• Understanding how conditions may change during multi-hour flights
• Choosing the best airport among many options in busy metropolitan areas
• Identifying fuel availability, FBO services, and ground transportation at unfamiliar airports
• Managing fatigue and physical comfort for both pilots and passengers on long legs
• Assessing the likelihood of returning home based on forecast trends and prognostic charts
• Building flexibility into travel plans to avoid being stranded by weather

We will also explore tools such as FlightBridge that can help pilots coordinate hotels, rental cars, and other travel logistics when flying into unfamiliar destinations.

Whether you’re planning your first long trip or looking to make cross-country flying easier and safer, this seminar will provide practical strategies you can apply on your next flight.