Long flight plan

David Rind wrote in message ...
I'm planning to fly from Boston to Key West next month
with a stop near Bethesda on the way down and in Charlotte on
the way back....

1) What do people like to use for flight planning for something
like this? Laying multiple sectionals on the floor next to each
other seems a bit painful. Is Aeroplanner a good choice? If so,
is the basic Aeroplanner the right level for this kind of thing?

You might look into the low-altitude VFR/IFR planning chart. It's not
available at all FBOs, but here's a link:
http://www.pilotcharts.com/ifrvfrplan.html Sporty's also carries it I
think. I've not planned a trip this long, but this chart seems like
the way to go.

3) If I fly into the Washington ADIZ IFR, can I cancel in the air
when I have the airport, or do I need to cancel on the ground? How
does switching over to the CTAF work if I'm supposed to be maintaining
communications with ATC while in the ADIZ?

I fly out of Leesburg, VA, an aiport well inside the ADIZ. You need
to file your ADIZ flight plan, and make sure the FSS you do it with
sends it to ZDC. See AOPA's ADIZ info, it's useful. When entering
the ADIZ, it's basically call Potomac Approach up 5-10 miles outside
and tell them "Nxxx inbound for landing at YYY, ADIZ plan on file."
They'll respond with a code, and your good to go.

If you're on an IFR plan (I'm told) or have flight following, the
above steps are very easy and almost automatic. After all, you're
already talking to them and have a code right? That's the NOTAM
requirements. Ask 'em anyhow though... It won't hurt and procedures
and controller's preferences change.

At some point they'll ask you to tell them when your airport's in
sight. When you say that it is, you'll get "change frequencies,
maintain code till you're on the ground". Occasionally, they'll ask
you to cancel on the ground, usually through the clearance frequency.
If they forget and wait too long, just ask if you can change
frequencies. Don't change w/o an ok though.

You don't cancel however. You especially don't cancel in the air.
Your ADIZ plan follows you to the ground, you maintain your code till
you're on the ground. Cancel from there if you'd been asked to.
Cancelling implies a code of 1200 which is something you really don't
want to do! Unless you like being featured in news stories about
pilots violating the ADIZ that is. grin

This above is based on my experience as a low-time pilot out of
Leesbug.

Sounds like a fun flight!

-Malcolm Teas