12/2/21 

AIM 

Chapter 5.  Air Traffic Procedures 

Section 1.  Preflight 

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1.  Preflight Preparation 

a. 

Prior to every flight, pilots should gather all 

information vital to the nature of the flight, assess 
whether the flight would be safe, and then file a flight 
plan. Pilots can receive a regulatory compliant 
briefing without contacting Flight Service. Pilots are 
encouraged to use automated resources and review 
Advisory Circular AC 91

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92, Pilot’s Guide to a 

Preflight Briefing, for more information. Pilots who 
prefer to contact Flight Service are encouraged to 
conduct a self

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brief prior to calling. Conducting a 

self

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brief before contacting Flight Service provides 

familiarity of meteorological and aeronautical 
conditions applicable to the route of flight and 
promotes a better understanding of weather informa-
tion. 

Pilots may access Flight Service 

through 

www.1800wxbrief.com or  by  calling 

1

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800

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WX

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BRIEF. Flight planning applications are 

also available for conducting a self

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briefing and 

filing flight plans. 

NOTE

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Alaska only: Pilots filing flight plans via “fast file” who 
desire to have their briefing recorded, should include a 
statement at the end of the recording as to the source of 
their weather briefing. 

b. 

The information required by the FAA to process 

flight plans is obtained from FAA Form 7233

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4, 

International Flight Plan. Only DOD users, and 
civilians who file stereo route flight plans, may use 
FAA Form 7233

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1, Flight Plan. 

NOTE

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FAA and DOD Flight Plan Forms are equivalent. Where 
the FAA specifies Form 7233

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1, Flight Plan and FAA Form 

7233

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4, International Flight Plan, the DOD may 

substitute their Form DD 175, Military Flight Plan and 
Form DD

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1801, DOD International Flight Plan as 

necessary. NAS automation systems process and convert 
data in the same manner, although for computer 
acceptance, input fields may be adjusted to follow FAA 
format. 

c. 

FSSs are required to advise of pertinent 

NOTAMs if a 

standard

 briefing is requested, but if 

they are overlooked, do not hesitate to remind the 
specialist that you have not received NOTAM 

information. Additionally, FSS briefers do not 
provide FDC NOTAM information for special 
instrument approach procedures unless specifically 
asked. Pilots authorized by the FAA to use special 
instrument approach procedures must specifically 
request FDC NOTAM information for these 
procedures. Pilots who receive the information 
electronically will receive NOTAMs for special IAPs 
automatically. 

NOTE

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Domestic Notices and International Notices are not 
provided during a briefing unless specifically requested by 
the pilot since the FSS specialist has no way of knowing 
whether the pilot has already checked the Federal NOTAM 
System (FNS) NOTAM Search website external links prior 
to calling. Airway NOTAMs, procedural NOTAMs, and 
NOTAMs that are general in nature and not tied to a 
specific airport/facility (for example, flight advisories and 
restrictions, open duration special security instructions, 
and special flight rules areas) are briefed solely by pilot 
request. Remember to ask for these notices if you have not 
already reviewed this information, and to request all 
pertinent NOTAMs specific to your flight. 

REFERENCE

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AIM, Para 5

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1

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3, Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) System. 

d. 

Pilots are urged to use only the latest issue of 

aeronautical charts in planning and conducting flight 
operations. Aeronautical charts are revised and 
reissued on a regular scheduled basis to ensure that 
depicted data are current and reliable. In the 
conterminous U.S., Sectional Charts are updated 
every 6 months, IFR En Route Charts every 56 days, 
and amendments to civil IFR Approach Charts are 
accomplished on a 56

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day cycle with a change notice 

volume issued on the 28

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day midcycle. Charts that 

have been superseded by those of a more recent date 
may contain obsolete or incomplete flight informa-
tion. 

REFERENCE

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AIM, Paragraph 9

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1

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4, General Description of Each Chart Series 

e. 

When requesting a preflight briefing, identify 

yourself as a pilot and provide the following: 

1. 

Type of flight planned; e.g., VFR or IFR. 

2. 

Aircraft’s number or pilot’s name. 

3. 

Aircraft type. 

Preflight 

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