counterdrug screening

[RiverAux]

I dont understand how you would even file a flight plan.  Your flight plan is with your mission manager.  Often you dont have a "destination" you are just going out and trolling hills and valleys. 

Nevertheless, that is what the regulation seems to require. 

[SJFedor]

I'm so getting on of the Secret Squirrel patches!

First: where can I get one of those Secret Squirrel patches?

I got mine here:http://www.lapolicegear.com/sesqpa.html

[bosshawk]

Thanks, Steve, I am going to order one.  I fly for the local Sheriff and that will go well on my LE flight jacket.

[Thom]

I dont understand how you would even file a flight plan.  Your flight plan is with your mission manager.  Often you dont have a "destination" you are just going out and trolling hills and valleys. 

Nevertheless, that is what the regulation seems to require.

I agree with RiverAux, the regulation seems clear on the face of it.  Whether it is a sensible regulation, is probably dependent on what CD mission you are running on any particular day.

But, given that the CD missions are run with no Mission Base staff, no AOBD, just a CMD/MM working as a sort of FRO from home, I can understand why they want an FAA Flight Plan filed.  It makes sense, except for those 'wandering' CD missions.

I hesitate to say this, for fear of the Lawyers, but I'd hate to bend the airplane (or worse...) on a CD mission without having that Required Flight Plan filed.  It might get ugly in terms of Insurance and Liability and recriminations, and etc.

Thom Hamilton

[Auxpilot]

I dont understand how you would even file a flight plan.  Your flight plan is with your mission manager.  Often you dont have a "destination" you are just going out and trolling hills and valleys. 
That would be like me filing a flight plan for an surveillence mission.  When I take off, I have no idea where Im going.  I just check in on the radio and stay in contact with ATC whenever possible.

Here is how I do it:

I chose waypoints from navaids (ex: XYZ 240 radial - 24 NM), airports, or anything else that the FAA will accept in a flight plan to make a box around the area that I am searching. In the remarks section I tell the briefer that I will be operating in that box. If you fail to return, that is where they (we) will look for you.

[PHall]

I dont understand how you would even file a flight plan.  Your flight plan is with your mission manager.  Often you dont have a "destination" you are just going out and trolling hills and valleys. 
That would be like me filing a flight plan for an surveillence mission.  When I take off, I have no idea where Im going.  I just check in on the radio and stay in contact with ATC whenever possible.

Here is how I do it:

I chose waypoints from navaids (ex: XYZ 240 radial - 24 NM), airports, or anything else that the FAA will accept in a flight plan to make a box around the area that I am searching. In the remarks section I tell the briefer that I will be operating in that box. If you fail to return, that is where they (we) will look for you.

Or you could do it the way we did it when I was flying low-level routes/airdrop in the Air Force.

File IFR to the Entry Point for the Route, cancel IFR at that point, pick up your new IFR clearance at the exit point when you're done.

[Flying Pig]

I dont understand how you would even file a flight plan.  Your flight plan is with your mission manager.  Often you dont have a "destination" you are just going out and trolling hills and valleys. 
That would be like me filing a flight plan for an surveillence mission.  When I take off, I have no idea where Im going.  I just check in on the radio and stay in contact with ATC whenever possible.

Here is how I do it:

I chose waypoints from navaids (ex: XYZ 240 radial - 24 NM), airports, or anything else that the FAA will accept in a flight plan to make a box around the area that I am searching. In the remarks section I tell the briefer that I will be operating in that box. If you fail to return, that is where they (we) will look for you.

Thanks, thats what I was looking for.  Not a bunch of posts telling me I was avoiding the regs.

[Auxpilot]

I dont understand how you would even file a flight plan.  Your flight plan is with your mission manager.  Often you dont have a "destination" you are just going out and trolling hills and valleys. 
That would be like me filing a flight plan for an surveillence mission.  When I take off, I have no idea where Im going.  I just check in on the radio and stay in contact with ATC whenever possible.

Here is how I do it:

I chose waypoints from navaids (ex: XYZ 240 radial - 24 NM), airports, or anything else that the FAA will accept in a flight plan to make a box around the area that I am searching. In the remarks section I tell the briefer that I will be operating in that box. If you fail to return, that is where they (we) will look for you.

Or you could do it the way we did it when I was flying low-level routes/airdrop in the Air Force.

File IFR to the Entry Point for the Route, cancel IFR at that point, pick up your new IFR clearance at the exit point when you're done.

That would not meet the regs and if you went down during the search phase you would never be able to file the second IFR.

Given that the FRO does not have to look for you because you are supposed to have a vfr on file, you would be out of luck if you went down.

[PHall]

I dont understand how you would even file a flight plan.  Your flight plan is with your mission manager.  Often you dont have a "destination" you are just going out and trolling hills and valleys. 
That would be like me filing a flight plan for an surveillence mission.  When I take off, I have no idea where Im going.  I just check in on the radio and stay in contact with ATC whenever possible.

Here is how I do it:

I chose waypoints from navaids (ex: XYZ 240 radial - 24 NM), airports, or anything else that the FAA will accept in a flight plan to make a box around the area that I am searching. In the remarks section I tell the briefer that I will be operating in that box. If you fail to return, that is where they (we) will look for you.

Or you could do it the way we did it when I was flying low-level routes/airdrop in the Air Force.

File IFR to the Entry Point for the Route, cancel IFR at that point, pick up your new IFR clearance at the exit point when you're done.

That would not meet the regs and if you went down during the search phase you would never be able to file the second IFR.

Given that the FRO does not have to look for you because you are supposed to have a vfr on file, you would be out of luck if you went down.

Well, when you don't return at your scheduled RTB time and the FAA varifies that you never picked up your clearance to return from the Area back to the airport they'll have a pretty good clue where to start looking.

[Auxpilot]

I dont understand how you would even file a flight plan.  Your flight plan is with your mission manager.  Often you dont have a "destination" you are just going out and trolling hills and valleys. 
That would be like me filing a flight plan for an surveillence mission.  When I take off, I have no idea where Im going.  I just check in on the radio and stay in contact with ATC whenever possible.

Here is how I do it:

I chose waypoints from navaids (ex: XYZ 240 radial - 24 NM), airports, or anything else that the FAA will accept in a flight plan to make a box around the area that I am searching. In the remarks section I tell the briefer that I will be operating in that box. If you fail to return, that is where they (we) will look for you.

Or you could do it the way we did it when I was flying low-level routes/airdrop in the Air Force.

File IFR to the Entry Point for the Route, cancel IFR at that point, pick up your new IFR clearance at the exit point when you're done.

That would not meet the regs and if you went down during the search phase you would never be able to file the second IFR.

Given that the FRO does not have to look for you because you are supposed to have a vfr on file, you would be out of luck if you went down.

Well, when you don't return at your scheduled RTB time and the FAA varifies that you never picked up your clearance to return from the Area back to the airport they'll have a pretty good clue where to start looking.

The reg does not say that you are to file a flight plan for part of the mission so your method would not work in this situation.

[MIKE]

What does this have to do with the [pee] test?