​Departure & Checkpoints

Checkpoints are landmarks that are easily visible from the air. When planning a flight, the pilot or dispatcher determines checkpoints along the route that help the pilot to stay on the correct route and estimate how much fuel has been used, called fuel consumption.  

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Now plan a flight path for a flight from Phoenix, AZ to El Paso, TX. Use a map to determine the distance between the departure and arrival airports, as well as plan a checkpoint for the flight.

• Departure Airport: Phoenix, AZ, Sky Harbor International Airport

• Checkpoint: San Carlos Reservoir

​Range, Cruise Speed, & Fuel

The next step to planning a flight is to find the range, cruising speed, and fuel capacity for your flight. You will use these specifications to calculate your travel time and whether or not you have enough fuel to make the trip. For the flight from Phoenix to El Paso, you will use a Cessna 182 Skylane.

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​Alternative Destinations

If all goes well with a flight, the plane will successfully make it from the departure airport to the destination airport without any problems.

However, what would happen if it was either impossible or unsafe to land at the intended destination?  Dispatchers and pilots have to be prepared for any situation. For this reason, they include alternate destination airports on flight plans. If anything prevents the aircraft from landing at the destination airport, there is a back-up plan for landing at a different airport that is close.​