The OFP is the core planning document — Page 47, Lesson 75

I want to walk you through the flight preparation phase of an operation. This is where the planning and paperwork come together before anyone steps onto the aircraft. First, for every flight that's part of the operation, we have to produce an operational flight plan, which we call the OFP for short. The OFP is the core planning document. From that OFP, we then produce the ATC flight plan — that's the one filed with air traffic control. So the ATC flight plan is derived from the operational flight plan, not the other way around. Now, what's the OFP actually used for? It serves as the main briefing reference for both the flight crew and the cabin crew. So when the pilots and the cabin crew sit down for their pre-flight briefing, the OFP is the document they're working from. It's the single source of truth for that flight's plan. In practice, the OFP is usually produced by the planning department — the people in the operations or dispatch office who do the fuel calculations, route planning, and so on. But here's the critical point about ownership: the OFP must be signed by the commander, and at that moment, ownership of the plan transfers to the commander. So even though the planning department creates it, once the commander signs it, they take full responsibility for it. Before the commander can commence the flight, they have to satisfy themselves of two specific things. Let me go through them carefully. First, the aeroplane is airworthy. That means the aircraft is in a condition to fly safely — all required maintenance has been done, all systems are functioning properly, and it has a valid certificate of airworthiness. The commander has to personally confirm this, not just assume it. Second, the aeroplane will not be operated contrary to the provisions of the Configuration Deviation List, which is abbreviated as the CDL. The CDL is a document that lists certain external parts or panels on the aircraft that may be missing or inoperative, and under what conditions the aircraft can still be flown. For example, if a small panel or a fairing is missing, the CDL will tell you whether that's acceptable, what speed restrictions might apply, and what paperwork is needed. The commander must check that the aircraft's current configuration — any missing parts or panels — is within what the CDL allows. If operating the aircraft would violate those provisions, the flight cannot go ahead. So in summary: the OFP is the master plan, produced by planning but signed off by the commander. The ATC flight plan comes from it. And before the commander signs off, they must personally verify the aircraft is airworthy and that no CDL provisions are being violated.