During an IFR flight, what information is crucial to include when planning the route of flight?

When planning a route of flight during Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations, the inclusion of VOR navigational aids is crucial since they play a significant role in guiding the aircraft along the planned route. VORs (VHF Omnidirectional Range) are a type of radio navigation system that provides azimuth information, allowing pilots to determine their position relative to a set of navigational aids. This is essential for maintaining the aircraft's course, ensuring safe navigation, and allowing for efficient flight paths in controlled airspace.

Having knowledge of the locations and operational statuses of VORs along the route helps pilots to establish reliable waypoints, plan for potential instrument approaches, and maintain situational awareness. This is especially important during IFR flights where visual references may be unavailable due to weather conditions or terrain. Thus, integrating VOR navigational aids into flight planning significantly enhances safety and operational effectiveness.

While visual landmarks might assist in situational awareness under VFR (Visual Flight Rules), they lose their reliability and usefulness once visibility is restricted, which is often the case during IFR flights. Similarly, while being aware of commercial flight routes has its benefits, they are not as pivotal for flight planning as ensuring the availability of navigational aids like VORs.