Pilot safety hub

Flight planning

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Pilot Safety Hub Flight Planning

Non-controlled operations

Weather and forecasting

Flight planning

Controlled aerodromes and operations

Helicopter pilots – test your knowledge!

Do you know your final fuel reserve requirements? How about minimum height rules for helicopters? When do you need an alternate?

Challenge yourself to get 100% on our pilot quiz.

Helicopter pilot quiz

Videos

Visual meteorological conditions

Explaining the rules – VMC criteria – helicopters

Refresh your knowledge of VMC criteria for helicopters by watching our new animated explainer video.

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Four aviation experts sitting around a table

AvSafety investigation video - Fuel exhaustion

Join our expert panellists as they analyse a collision resulting from improper fuel management near Dairy Creek, WA.

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VFR alternates

Explaining the rules – VFR alternates

Refresh your knowledge of VFR alternates with this animated explainer.

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Two pilots in the cockpit of an aeroplane

Flight reviews explained

Make the most of your flight review with this webinar, including relevant accident case studies and your legal requirements.

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A drone flying early in the morning

Sharing the air with drones

An AvSafety webinar on how crewed and uncrewed aircraft can safely share Australia's airspace.

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Minimum height rules

Explaining the rules – minimum heights

Refresh your knowledge of the minimum flight rules for populous areas or public gatherings.

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Crash comic - Partial panel peril

Crash comic – Partial panel peril

Watch an animated comic of one pilot's nerve-racking reminder of the importance of a thorough pre-flight check.

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Plan to succeed

Plan to succeed

Make good use of your kitchen table. Preparation could be the difference between a safe journey and a dangerous debacle.

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Rolling green fields and trees with mountains in the background and electrical towers with cables winding along the foreground

Avoiding wire strike

Get tips from experts about how to plan for, see and react to wires in this interactive panel discussion.

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Audio

A white plane flying through a sky with wispy clouds above it

Planning for remote possibilities

A low-hours VFR pilot skirts his own safety margin in this audio close call.

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A white plane flying across a purple sky, with orange clouds behind it.

I didn't plan on that

In this audio close call, a pilot experiences fuel exhaustion and gets a timely lesson in flight planning.

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A grassy field with a mountain behind it and a sky full of fluffy white clouds above them

Twisting the blade

If something can go wrong, it will – so prepare for it. One pilot learns pessimism after a rare, but almost fatal, fault.

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A plane flying above the bush, the sky behind them smoky and yellow

It’s a health hazard

The smoke was so thick I lost sight of the ground and couldn’t see the horizon – I was in IMC!

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A small plane with water-like blue distortions over the top of it

Water, water everywhere

Knowing the difference between fuel and water could save your life. One pilot checks the colour, smell - even taste!

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A pilot and a student sitting at a table looking over maps

AvSafety podcast

Chair-flying, better decision making and common mistakes in flight planning – get home safely every time you fly.

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Events and resources

A passenger wearing a four-point seatbelt fastened across their lap marked with a green check, and a passenger with a four-point seatbelt fastened across their sternum with a red "X"

Safety advice – lifejackets and seatbelts

A special advisory from the ATSB about correct fitment of lifejackets with seatbelts for you and your passengers.

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A man securing a fire extinguisher to the floor of an aircraft

Cargo and baggage – a lack of restraint

Poorly secured items pose a risk to safety. Refresh your knowledge of the rules around carrying cargo and baggage.

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Fixed wing pilot quiz

Flight planning quiz

What are your final reserve fuel requirements? When do you have to submit a flight plan? Test your knowledge.

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Two pilots sitting in the cockpit of an aeroplane

Flight review success

Flight reviews come around fast, and they can be nerve-racking. The 7 secrets to success from an experienced flight instructor.

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A plan sitting on the ground as the sun sets behind it

Planning for the worst: performance and alternates

Refresh your knowledge of the intricacies of flight planning, alternates, and additional fuel requirements.

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Two airline employees inspecting an airplane

Decoding the maintenance release

Ensuring your maintenance release and overall airworthiness is not just a formality but a linchpin in the safety chain.

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Fuel gauge on empty.

Your fuel management strategy

Fuel management is not as simple as it seems. You need a strategy before taking off which includes close monitoring in flight.

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An aerial shot of a red plane doing aerobatics over a green landscape dotted with buildings, and the blue sky behind it

AvSafety seminars

Join our Aviation Safety Advisors for the popular face to face pilot seminars in your area. Ask questions and refresh your knowledge.

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A phone being used to help with flight planning

The art of flight organisation

Are you swamped by maps, charts, protractors, ERSA… the list goes on? Learn techniques to help you get on top of your flight organising.

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International resources

56 seconds to live

56 seconds to live

Experience VFR into IMC from the perspective of a helicopter pilot. Produced by the United States Helicopter Safety Team.

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Competence or just confidence?

Competence or just confidence?

How to decide if your skills are good enough - a New Zealand flight instructor on flight reviews.

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The seat of an airplane with a four-point safety harness installed

Passenger safety briefing

The often-overlooked items that should be part of every preflight passenger briefing from the AOPA Air Safety Institute.

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Resources from our store

Safety resources for purchase or free download.
A plane with the sun rising in front of it

Visual Flight Rules Guide and Plain English Guides

Download our Visual Flight Rules Guide and Plain English Guides that make a range of rules and regulations easier to understand.

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CASA's wire strike poster

Wire strike poster

This poster is full of helpful tips to help you with your pre-flight planning and operation in low flying situations.

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Time in your tanks

Time in your tanks

A reusable card to help calculate the amount of fuel left in your tanks.

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A thumbnail of the cover pages of the different pilot safety campaign resources fanned out across a dark blue background

Pilot safety campaign

Finding our safety messages useful? You can get copies of all the posters and flyers from the pilot safety campaign.

Picture of one of the AvSafety information cards

AvSafety information cards

This handy kit includes a range of products to keep you and others safe. Option to personalise your own safety resource kit.

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The CASA flight planning kit

Flight planning kit

Designed to help low-hours VFR pilots to implement good planning habits. The kit includes flight book, notepad, time in your tank and more.

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The CASA flight planning notepad

Flight planning notepad

With enough room for your own notes and calculations, this A5 notepad is an essential flight planning tool.

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CASA's personal minimums checklist card

Personal minimums checklist card

This reusable checklist outlines pre-flight and standing personal minimums. This card is ideal to carry in your flight kit.

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CASA's preflight checklist card

Pre-flight checklist card

Credit card sized to fit in your wallet, this pre-flight checklist also includes links and contact numbers.

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Online version available at: https://www.casa.gov.au//resources-and-education/pilot-safety-hub/flight-planning
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