Regulation Text
(a) Information required. Unless otherwise authorized by ATC, each person filing a VFR flight plan shall include in it the following information:
(1) The aircraft identification number and, if necessary, its radio call sign.
(2) The type of the aircraft or, in the case of a formation flight, the type of each aircraft and the number of aircraft in the formation.
(3) The full name and address of the pilot in command or, in the case of a formation flight, the formation commander.
(4) The point and proposed time of departure.
(5) The proposed route, cruising altitude (or flight level), and true airspeed at that altitude.
(6) The point of first intended landing and the estimated elapsed time until over that point.
(7) The amount of fuel on board (in hours).
(8) The number of persons in the aircraft, except where that information is otherwise readily available to the FAA.
(9) Any other information the pilot in command or ATC believes is necessary for ATC purposes.
(b) Cancellation. When a flight plan has been activated, the pilot in command, upon canceling or completing the flight under the flight plan, shall notify an FAA Flight Service Station or ATC facility.
Research Notes
Section 91.153 governs the content of a VFR flight plan and the procedures for filing one. It does NOT require a flight plan for VFR flights — but it specifies what one looks like when used.
Paragraph (a) — Required information when filing VFR: The pilot must include aircraft identification number; aircraft type; full name and address of the PIC; estimated time of departure; route; first point of intended landing AND estimated time en route; number of persons on board; cruising altitude and airspeed; the fuel on board (in hours); destination alternates (if planned); and other special information.
The dotted-line meaning of 'VFR flight plan': A VFR flight plan is purely for search-and-rescue purposes. ATC does NOT track or service a VFR flight plan once filed — the plan sits in the system until the pilot closes it on arrival (or until search-and-rescue procedures activate).
Closing the flight plan — the critical step: The pilot MUST close the flight plan upon arrival at the destination. Failure to close triggers a search-and-rescue alert at the time the flight plan expires (typically 30 minutes after the estimated arrival). This is a frequent cause of unnecessary SAR responses.
Modern alternatives: Many GA pilots now use VFR flight following with ATC instead of (or in addition to) a filed VFR flight plan. Flight following gets radar service AND a SAR-like protection — if you go off radar without notification, ATC begins a search.
EFB tools for SAR: Garmin inReach, ForeFlight Plan, and similar tools provide independent SAR notification that doesn't depend on FAA flight plan procedures. The InReach satellite tracker is now common GA equipment.
Reference: AIM 5-1-4 on Flight Plans (VFR/IFR); FAA-H-8083-25 (PHAK) Chapter 16.
Amendment History
Amendment History Coming Soon
Every time this regulation changes, we'll record it here — the date, what was amended, and a plain-English summary of what shifted.