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But don’t all pilots have to lodge their flight plans? Surely hiding a plane in a hangar is not that easy since you would know which airport it is located in.

wingspar 1y ago
No. Many flight types do not require flight plans.
csours 1y ago
https://www.ecfr.gov/search?search%5Bdate%5D=current&search%5Bhierarchy%5D%5Btitle%5D=14&search%5Bquery%5D=flight+plan&view=standard https://www.ecfr.gov/search?search%5Bdate%5D=current&search%... Or browse by Title 14, Chapter 1, Subchapters F & G (Aka Title 14, Parts 89 - 139) I'm not vouching for this link in particular, but you can also search for things like Part 91 operator, Part 135 operator, etc https://l33jets.com/resources/blog/the-difference-between-part-91-and-part-135-operations/ https://l33jets.com/resources/blog/the-difference-between-pa...
mrandish 1y ago
> But don’t all pilots have to lodge their flight plans? No, they don't. And many municipal airports aren't even manned and, outside of certain areas, aren't under direct air traffic control. I flew in a Cessna with a private pilot who landed at a municipal airport in Los Angeles Country without ever talking to anyone. He just announced his intention to land on the published radio frequency, received no objection (because no one else was around), visually confirmed the runway was clear with a flyby, then lined up on the approach path and landed. I got the sense this is the norm in civil aviation outside of major airports.
- throwaway173738 1y ago
  Yeah I’ve had the same experience several times with a private pilot I knew. There’s a procedure for it in the pilot’s handbook.
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
- rootsudo 1y ago
  Yea, this is the norm.
gbacon 1y ago
Although filing a VFR flight plan is an excellent idea so that someone is looking for you in case you don’t show up at your destination, it is optional. ATC receives IFR flight plans only; VFR flight plans go to Search and Rescue.

wingspar 1y ago

No. Many flight types do not require flight plans.

csours 1y ago

https://www.ecfr.gov/search?search%5Bdate%5D=current&search%5Bhierarchy%5D%5Btitle%5D=14&search%5Bquery%5D=flight+plan&view=standard https://www.ecfr.gov/search?search%5Bdate%5D=current&search%... Or browse by Title 14, Chapter 1, Subchapters F & G (Aka Title 14, Parts 89 - 139) I'm not vouching for this link in particular, but you can also search for things like Part 91 operator, Part 135 operator, etc https://l33jets.com/resources/blog/the-difference-between-part-91-and-part-135-operations/ https://l33jets.com/resources/blog/the-difference-between-pa...

mrandish 1y ago

> But don’t all pilots have to lodge their flight plans? No, they don't. And many municipal airports aren't even manned and, outside of certain areas, aren't under direct air traffic control. I flew in a Cessna with a private pilot who landed at a municipal airport in Los Angeles Country without ever talking to anyone. He just announced his intention to land on the published radio frequency, received no objection (because no one else was around), visually confirmed the runway was clear with a flyby, then lined up on the approach path and landed. I got the sense this is the norm in civil aviation outside of major airports.

throwaway173738 1y ago
Yeah I’ve had the same experience several times with a private pilot I knew. There’s a procedure for it in the pilot’s handbook.
deleted 1y ago
[deleted]
rootsudo 1y ago
Yea, this is the norm.

gbacon 1y ago

Although filing a VFR flight plan is an excellent idea so that someone is looking for you in case you don’t show up at your destination, it is optional. ATC receives IFR flight plans only; VFR flight plans go to Search and Rescue.