VFR Flight Planning tool

[IanHenry]

Hi,<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
here is a link to a free VFR flight planning tool, which some people might be interested in:<o:p></o:p>
http://www.tasoftware.co.uk/ (http://www.tasoftware.co.uk/)<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Apparently you have to register on the site in order to download it.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Ian.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>

[falcon409]

Oh I already like this and I haven't even flown with it yet, but it allows multiple airport setup. I purchased Flightsim Commander a long time ago and rarely if ever use it because it's idea of a flight plan is from point A to point B and that's it. I was used to FSNavigator, where I could drag a hundred airports into the flight plan if I wanted. I've not found anything since then that would allow that sort of planning. This one does, nice interface, graphics, easy to use. . .it's a keeper!!

[falcon409]

Flying a flightplan right now, and one thing it could use, unless it's here somewhere and I don't see it, is an aircraft symbol to show physical location as you fly. I see no way to activate that, despite it's being connected with FSX via simconnect.

[falcon409]

I don't know, maybe I'm too easily impressed and nobody else finds this necessary, lol. I did find the info I thought wasn't there. I set everything that was visible on the main toolbar, but there was also an "options" menu (isn't there always?) for simconnect information where you can set to show your aircraft, AI aircraft, etc, etc.

This is nice, and since it's being tagged as a beta, the final product should be excellent. It's a very intricate version of FSWidgets G-Map for FS9 (which I used all the time). Same Google earth interface and options for map type and so on but with the flight planning aspect added. It is very nice.

[robcap]

I downloaded it. Looks really great, but ofcourse Simconnect is giving me troubles. I had this with ASA as well. Got it to work though, finally. So fingers crossed for this nice proggy, I want to get it working.
I'll post in their support forums for help.

thanks for the HU.

R.

[falcon409]

. . . . thanks for the HU.
R.
Yea, same here, nice find ian!!:applause:

[falcon409]

Soooooo? What say you people? Seems there's little enthusiasm here for quite an exciting new utility for Flight Planning.

[Brett_Henderson]

I was never a fan of flight planners. Half the fun in simulating being a pilot, is doing the flight-planning, yourself.

And flight-planners with moving maps are even worse. Making a flight-plan, and then using your navigation equipment and skills to follow it, and keep track of where you are is the other half of simulating being a pilot. If you have a flight-planner, moving map to show you where you are, why even bother turning the nav radios on ?

[falcon409]

I was never a fan of flight planners. Half the fun in simulating being a pilot, is doing the flight-planning, yourself.

And flight-planners with moving maps are even worse. Making a flight-plan, and then using your navigation equipment and skills to follow it, and keep track of where you are is the other half of simulating being a pilot. If you have a flight-planner, moving map to show you where you are, why even bother turning the nav radios on ?
Yep, well this definitely has everything you loath Brett, so this is not something you'll want. Maybe everyone else is of the same opinion and I'm in the minority. Considering the number of views vs the responses, I'd say either everyone loved it so much they were speechless or they found it unnecessary and passed it by.

I like it and will keep it. I'm not a real pilot, would have enjoyed that immensely, but that time has passed me by. I enjoy flying and navigating but see nothing wrong with the moving map concept really and I understand your views and respect your opinion. Thanks for posting.

[harleyman]

I got it and look forware to the day when I can actually install it and see if I can figure it out...LOL

Till then..ITS Mine...

Thanks for the HU on this :ernae:

[TimA]

There are lots of places in the world for which I don't have, or have access to, proper aviation charts. Now as a VFR PPL RW, I'm used to flight planning between "proper places" -- Bath Racecourse, the Bends in the River Severn, Northleach Roundabout, Moreton-in-Marsh Disused and so on. And that's what I wanted to achieve in FS. But I couldn't find anything that would let me do it: Certainly not the built-in planner. And FSNav, FSCommander etc were firmly geared towards IFR, a subject in which I wasn't particularly interested.

So, having been made redundant, while "looking for work", I decided to write my own! That was actually two years ago, and it was never intended to be more than a personal project. But I was using screenshots from it to illustrate flights I was making on several forums, and people kept asking me where they could get it. So eventually, I decided to tart it up and make it presentable, and here it is. :icon_lol:

It is of course freeware. It will always be freeware (that's one of the licence conditions for the Google Maps interface).

You should bear in mind, it was never written to be "a product", in the sense that it wasn't planned out with a spec sheet or a list of "must haves". It started off doing what I wanted, and bits and pieces have been bolted on as the need arose. So you may find things missing that you consider essential, or things included that you scratch your head and wonder why on earth it can do that! Other things were done purely as a programming exercise (the GPS mini panel with its HSI etc gauges, for example. And the flight breadcrumb logger started out as a means to invigelate an online air race!)

Anyhow, it is what it is, and if you don't like it, talk to me nicely and I might change it ;)

While they do say a good flight starts with a good flight plan, that's only half the story, and you do have to fly it. I understand that some people don't like moving maps, but for others they enhance the experience - either in terms of learning the geography ("what's that town I just flew over"), or in covering over FS' shortcomings ("I should be approaching my waypoint but it's not shown in the sim..."). With Plan-G, the user aircraft marker is switchable so you don't have to see where you are if you don't want to. You can also record a breadcrumb trail of your flight, and play it back later, to check for accuracy etc (I know FS will show you a breadcrumb trail, but if you forget to look as you end the flight, it's gone forever).

There will eventually be a manual, and an FSUIPC interface for FS9 users, and a bunch of other things that are still being worked on, but it had got to the point where I thought it was "good enough" that most people would be able to find their way around what is in there without too much difficulty... :)

[falcon409]

Thanks for coming by and Posting Tim. You already know my opinion and this is something I'll use daily so I appreciate you opening it up to everyone. . .very generous.

Harleyman, it's simple to use and fits the MO of many of us which is "why bother reading the manual, I'm a guy, I can figure this out. . .no problem", lol.

It's really that easy.

[teson1]

Tim,
I have been looking for such a flight planning tool where waypoints can be generated at arbitrary points on satellite images forever! Have done this manually with Google Earth till now.
Will definitely try that out!
Thanks! (also to Ian to bring this to our attention)

[Boomer]

Thanks for the HU!

Looks like a pretty slick little proggy. All i gotta do now is figure out the ins & outs of it. :ernae: