Guidance for Completing ICAO-Based Flight Plans

The text below, as well as the additional linked documents, provides detailed guidance on how to fill out FAA Flight Plan Form 7233-4. Users of the Garmin Pilot™ app may wish to go to view the video.

The FAA requires the use of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) format flight plan. In addition, many electronic methods of filing a flight plan require entry of ICAO codes to save an aircraft to the application. Below are some helpful tips from Garmin on properly filling out your flight plan by ICAO standards. 

ICAO Format Flight Plans: Equipment Codes, Capabilities, and Other Information

The flight plan form used to meet ICAO format requirements is FAA Form 7233-4.

Instructions for filling out this form can be found in the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) Section 1, Paragraph 5-1-9. Most of the fields on the form are easy to complete, while some require a bit more attention. 

Instructions for completing FAA Form 7233-4 can be found under a separate article titled Instructions for Completing ICAO Format FAA Flight Plan Form 7233-4.

One of the greatest areas of confusion for pilots when using ICAO format flight plans is selecting the proper Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS) equipment codes to list in field 10a and 10b (Equipment). Selecting these codes is critical, as it provides ATC with important information needed for proper separation and routing services within the NAS. A list of codes used in this field is shown in an article titled ICAO Communications and Navigation Equipment (Field 10a) Codes.

Another area of confusion is what type of information to include in Field 18 (Other Information), which provides the FAA with expanded information about the flight, including Performance Based Navigation (PBN) capabilities and other significant data related to navigation capabilities. Some selections made in Field 10 require you to make entries in Field 18. Flight plans without the required information will be rejected by the FAA. See the article titled ICAO PBN/RNAV-RNP Codes to help you to make the appropriate entries in this field.

Be sure to refer to your approved Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) or approved supplement to determine the capabilities of your installed equipment.

No doubt, you will quickly determine that filling out the actual FAA Form 7233-4 can be quite tedious, whether performed using a hard copy or electronic version. There are simply too many special rules and conventions to follow. A great solution for filing your flight plans, without constantly looking up codes or recalling all of those rules, is the Garmin Pilot electronic flight bag application. Enter the codes for your airplane one time, and save the airplane for future use. Plan your flight and Garmin Pilot sends all the required data to Flight Service in the ICAO-format. See how easy it is to set up your airplane in Garmin Pilot by watching this video.

NOTE: The information on this page is to be used for reference only. Since the capabilities of your avionics will vary depending upon the installation, it is solely up to the aircraft operator to determine what certifications pertain to them. These certifications are outlined in your Airplane Flight Manual Supplement (AFMS). Additionally, Letters of Authorization (LOA) may be required for compliance for certain operations. The information provided is only intended to provide general guidance to a user to determine the qualifications of their Garmin avionics. To the extent allowable by law, Garmin is not liable for any damages resulting from the aircraft operator’s failure to properly file a flight plan in the new ICAO flight plan format.