"B25flyer" wrote in message
...


Got me to thinking. So question is, what is the opinion of the troops as
to
when the system will change and as part of the written/PTS for any rating
there
will no longer be the requirment to draw the line and figure out all the
other
stuff for the X-C portion of the test.

Where is this requirement to draw a line or use an E6-B in the practical
test standards? It appears to me that the applicant could use FliteStar or
Cirrus or any other computer based flight planner. The applicant is required
to compute headings, fuel flow, etc. Nothing in the standard requires the
use of a whiz wheel or plotter. The FAA does not appear to care if the
applicant uses the E6-B, his Cray supercomputer, or a Ouija board. Now, that
said, I don't think it is necessarily true that using computer based flight
planning is any easier or less time consuming than doing it manually. The
answers had better be right. Anyway, here is the standard:

D. TASK: CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT PLANNING (ASEL and ASES)

REFERENCES: 14 CFR part 91; AC 61-23/FAA-H-8083-25, AC 61-84;

Navigation Charts; A/FD; AIM.

Objective. To determine that the applicant:

1. Exhibits knowledge of the elements related to cross-country flight

planning by presenting and explaining a pre-planned VFR crosscountry

flight, as previously assigned by the examiner. On the day of

the practical test, the final flight plan shall be to the first fuel stop,

based on maximum allowable passengers, baggage, and/or cargo

loads using real-time weather.

2. Uses appropriate and current aeronautical charts.

3. Properly identifies airspace, obstructions, and terrain features.

4. Selects easily identifiable en route checkpoints.

5. Selects most favorable altitudes considering weather conditions and

equipment capabilities.

6. Computes headings, flight time, and fuel requirements.

7. Selects appropriate navigation system/facilities and communication

frequencies.

8. Applies pertinent information from NOTAMs, AF/D, and other flight

publications.

9. Completes a navigation log and simulates filing a VFR flight plan.