Cross-country flying ( XC flying) is a type of distance flying which is performed in a powered aircraft on legs over a given distance and in operations between two points using navigational techniques; and an unpowered aircraft (

paraglider Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a harness or lies supine in a cocoon-like ' ...

hang glider Hang gliding is an air sport or recreational activity in which a pilot flies a light, non-motorised foot-launched heavier-than-air aircraft called a hang glider. Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminium alloy or composite frame cover ...

sailplane A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the leisure activity and sport of gliding (also called soaring). This unpowered aircraft can use naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to gain altitude. Sailpla ...

) by using upcurrents to gain altitude for extended flying time. Cross country is distinct from purely aerial work in a small defined area requiring little navigation. Hang glider aero tow

Official definitions by country

Canada

Transport Canada does not provide a definition of "cross-country" flight in the

Canadian Aviation Regulations The Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs) are the rules that govern civil aviation in Canada. Establishment The CARs became law on October 10, 1996, replacing the former Air Regulations and Air Navigation Orders. The authority for the establishme ...

(CARs), however, a general consensus among pilots is that, in order to log "cross-country time" in a Pilot's Logbook, the pilot must have demonstrated some kind of navigational ability during the logged period of time. This is substantiated by references to: *the requirement to file a flight plan beyond 25 nautical miles of the departure

aerodrome An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publ ...

for "cross-country flights," *the requirement to carry an

Emergency Locator Transmitter An Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) is a type of emergency locator beacon for commercial and recreational boats, a portable, battery-powered radio transmitter used in emergencies to locate boaters in distress and in need of ...

for "cross-country flights," and *the stipulations in the Commercial Licence Requirements for travel between two different airports. In many cases, however, there are conflicts of opinion as to the definition; if, for example, a pilot flew from Langley Airport ( CYNJ) to Abbotsford Airport ( CYXX), the distance would be only 12 NM. In this instance, calling the flight "cross-country" seems not to fit within the requirement to use "navigational ability" since the two airports are within sight of one another even from very low altitudes.

Europe

European Union (EU) countries

The Official Journal of the European Union for

European Aviation Safety Agency The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is an agency of the European Union (EU) with responsibility for civil aviation safety. It carries out certification, regulation and standardisation and also performs investigation and monito ...

(EASA) members provides a definition of cross-country flight as "a flight between a point of departure and a point of arrival following a pre-planned route, using standard

navigation Navigation is a field of study that focuses on the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another.Bowditch, 2003:799. The field of navigation includes four general categories: land navigation, ...

procedures."

United States

Per title 14 of the code of federal regulations (14 CFR), a.k.a. the

Federal Aviation Regulations The Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) are rules prescribed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) governing all aviation activities in the United States. The FARs comprise Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). A wide variety ...

(FARs), part 61, section 1.b.3 (3) Cross-country time means--

References

{{Reflist

External links

Cross Country Flying 101
General aviation Aircraft operations