Regulations require pilots to become familiar with all aspects of a flight before every departure. The prospect of remembering all of the items required to check can be dizzying. It’s a lot for anyone to remember. Luckily an acronym exists to help break down the requirements and make sure you are both safe and legal to fly!

Just remember Northwest Kraft Cheese: NWKRAFT. Let’s go through each requirement:

N – Notices to Airman (NOTAMs)

The FAA defines a NOTAM as “a notice containing information essential to personnel concerned with flight operations but not known far enough in advance to be publicized by other means.” These reports are issued for each airport as well as for specific areas. They are basically “road work ahead” signs for pilots. They are critical to check before every departure so pilots can plan ahead when certain closures happen or system outages occur.

There are several types of NOTAMs, each which cover different areas. Pilot’s should check these within an hour prior to departure to ensure they have obtained the latest information for their flight. Pilot’s can check these types of advisories by calling a Flight Service Briefer (1-800-WX-BRIEF), using the flight plan features of ForeFlight, or by searching the FAA’s NOTAMs website

W – Weather

NTSB statistics indicate that weather was the primary factor for 79% of all aviation-related fatalities. This stands for reason as to why the FAA cares so much that pilots obtain a thurough weather briefing before each flight. It’s extremely important! From high-winds, thunderstorms, icing, and poor viability, weather presents a number of hazards to safe flight.

Completing a preflight weather briefing should always be at the top of a pilots priority. The FAAsafety team has even created a guide to help educate pilots on “How to obtain a good weather briefing”.

K – Known ATC Delays (IFR)

When operating on Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), the national airspace system works strictly based on time. When the system gets backed-up, it basically creates traffic jams in the sky. Unlike cars; however, when planes are “stuck in traffic” and run low on fuel they can’t just pull over. This can present fuel considerations that pilots should plan for. You can check ATC delays here.

R – Runway Lengths of Intended Use

More than a few aircraft have overran runways due to insufficient runway length to takeoff or land. That’s why for every airport a pilot plans for, knowledge of the runway lengths is required. This information can be found in the aeronautical chart supplement or on any instrument approach plate.

A – Alternates (IFR)

Sometimes the weather is poor. It’s just a reality in aviation. But for a pilot flying IFR it can be even more important. 14 CFR § 91.169 spells out the criteria for when an alternate is required when filing IFR. Pilots should plan accordingly, being sure to review instrument approach criteria as well as the weather and NOTAMs of the alternate airport. 

As a general best practice, when selecting an alternate, pilots should avoid choosing an airport that is being affected by the same weather system as their intended destination. This can help avoid trouble in the situation that both your intended and alternate have too poor of weather to make a safe approach and landing. 

F – Fuel Requirements

Federal Aviation Regulation 14 CFR § 91.151 prescribes the minimum required fuel for VFR flight; while 14 CFR § 91.167 covers fuel requirements for IFR flight. Pilots must accurately create a flight plan to help calculate these requirements. Using current winds aloft forecasts and aircraft performance data from the aircraft’s Pilot Operating Handbook is the only way to ensure this is calculated correctly, 

Day VFR Fuel Requirements: To your destination + 30 minutes of reserve

Night VFR Fuel Requirements: To your destination + 45 minutes of reserve

IFR Fuel Requirements: To your destination, Alternate, + 45 minute reserve

T – Takeoff & Landing Distances

Last, but certainly not least, is performance data. Knowing the runway lengths of intended use was only part of the story. Ensuring the aircraft actually has the capabilities is the other aspect of preflight action that pilots need to make sure to calculate.

These calculations are usually done as part of the takeoff data card. The Take-off and landing data (TOLD) card provides fields to calculate the aircraft’s weight and balance, take off and landing distance, as well as general climb performance.

Weather can have a significant impact on performance. This is especially true when considering density altitude. When aircraft operate in higher temperatures and pressure altitudes, they simply cannot climb or generate as much lift/thrust as at lower levels. This means pulling out the POH and consulting the necessary charts to ensure you can actually get off the ground, climb over that mountain, or land within a certain distance. Having this information written down is a great practice. It is also a great way to be sure you are prepared in case of an FAA ramp check.