Luke,
If I use this procedure, do I still have to open my flight plan with the FSS or is automatically opened in the same manner as an IFR flight plan?
Danny Miller
N 38° 43' 25.7"
W 77° 30' 38.6"
I miss spoke on my previous post about how to file the VFR flight plan to get it in the system 100% of the time. If you use DUATS/DUAT, you will need to select IFR domestic or ICAO flight plan. Then enter the altitude as VFR/075 or what ever your cruise altitude will be. VFR/115 VFR/165 etc. By selecting the IFR flight plan, that will send it to the center computer which will put it in the IFR system. If you select VFR flight plan, it sends it to FSS's computer, which will not enter it in the centers computer. When ever you file the flight plan, the message DUATS sends back will tell you where it went when it filled it. The center computers names all start with a Z, i.e. ZJX is jacksonville center, ZTL is atlanta center, ZFW is fort worth center, etc. If you see the message, filled with MCN or GNV, that means the flight plan was filled as a VFR only and went into the FSS computer, which does not send the flight plan into the ATC system. I tried this with fltplan.com and it will not let you select a VFR altitude for an IFR flight plan, so I do not know if it can be done through that site, but I don't use fltplan.com so I can not be sure.
I have tested this at work and it works great every time. It also puts a flight plan sitting in our departure list, so when you call ATC up for flight following, we already have all of your information.
Luke Alcorn
NATCA ZJX Safety Rep