In my experience a good printed map is critical for establishing
situational awareness even in the GPS world. Over the years we have
all done pretty much the same thing when flying a new site. We bought
the sectionals, cut and pasted them together, manually put on the
various waypoints provided on Mr. Leibacher's amazing website, slapped
plastic over the whole thing and went flying. Oh wait, one for the
crew as well.

This was a laborious process especially for contest pilots. Along
comes the digital age with easy access to electronic versions of
aviation maps so I started experimenting with how to do this task
electronically first using fancy graphics software. Then I came across
software called GlidePlan which at first I was rather non pulsed
about. But I tried it as this software makes it easy to find the
electronic sectionals you need, import the waypoint file in SeeYou Cup
format right to the map, apply the styles you want for the various
points (say transparent red dots for turn points), adjust the point
label position and font size and print the whole works out on your
inkjet or take it to a someone with a big plotter. You can even scale
the map down which comes in handy on those MAT tasks in the west where
the sectional for the contest area is the size of a small tent.

Matt Herron, the developer, is considering offering customer sectional
chunks for specific contest areas which would be a plus. The interface
is still a little challenging but I used the software to prep for the
Region 9 contest and it worked well with the smaller WAC size map
earning some points on the MAT tasks. BTW I have no commercial
affiliation with GlidePlan its just useful software. John

At 16:24 13 July 2007, John Seaborn wrote:
>In my experience a good printed map is critical for
>establishing
>situational awareness even in the GPS world. Over the
>years we have
>all done pretty much the same thing when flying a new
>site. We bought
>the sectionals, cut and pasted them together, manually
>put on the
>various waypoints provided on Mr. Leibacher's amazing
>website, slapped
>plastic over the whole thing and went flying. Oh wait,
>one for the
>crew as well.
>
>This was a laborious process especially for contest
>pilots. Along
>comes the digital age with easy access to electronic
>versions of
>aviation maps so I started experimenting with how to
>do this task
>electronically first using fancy graphics software.
>Then I came across
>software called GlidePlan which at first I was rather
>non pulsed
>about. But I tried it as this software makes it easy
>to find the
>electronic sectionals you need, import the waypoint
>file in SeeYou Cup
>format right to the map, apply the styles you want
>for the various
>points (say transparent red dots for turn points),
>adjust the point
>label position and font size and print the whole works
>out on your
>inkjet or take it to a someone with a big plotter.
>You can even scale
>the map down which comes in handy on those MAT tasks
>in the west where
>the sectional for the contest area is the size of a
>small tent.
>
>Matt Herron, the developer, is considering offering
>customer sectional
>chunks for specific contest areas which would be a
>plus. The interface
>is still a little challenging but I used the software
>to prep for the
>Region 9 contest and it worked well with the smaller
>WAC size map
>earning some points on the MAT tasks. BTW I have no
>commercial
>affiliation with GlidePlan its just useful software.
>John
>

Very useful software indeed. Not only will it fill
in whatever waypoints (on an map LEGAL for cockpit
use mind you) you import, but it can also set concentric
circles around them, with altitudes printed for each
ring that can be adjusted for your personal safety
margins and whatever L/D you choose. Not only that,
it can skew the circles off center to accommodate varying
wind conditions as well. I also have no affiliation
with GlidPlan, but agree with John entirely (and EVERY
other pilot that uses this software!) that it is very
very useful.

Paul Hanson
"Do the usual, unusually well"--Len Niemi

GlidePlan was the sleeper hit technology at Region
9. I went with 20 printouts of the task area sectional(s)
on an 8.5'x11' sheet with the turnpoint database overlaid
and some final glide rings over Parowan. I gave a
few out to pilots whom I've known for awhile on the
practice day. Each day, more pilots came to me for
a copy - particularly on days after a MAT task. I
quickly ran out of my stash. By day three I saw copies
blown up to 11x14 and nicely laminated - apparently
someone had found a Staples in nearby Cedar City.

Matt originally developed GlidePlan as an aid to new
cross-country pilots, but more recently it has found
favor among competition pilots who love anything that
can help situational awareness on tasks. I know Matt
would love feedback and input from anyone who finds
GlidePlan useful. We have discussed many potential
enhancements - including some really cool ideas. I
encourage anyone with an interest in competition or
cross-country soaring to download the trial from www.glideplan.com
(buying a copy is even better) and help make the next
version even more useful.

I also have no commercial interest in GlidePlan.

9B


At 16:24 13 July 2007, John Seaborn wrote:
>In my experience a good printed map is critical for
>establishing
>situational awareness even in the GPS world. Over the
>years we have
>all done pretty much the same thing when flying a new
>site. We bought
>the sectionals, cut and pasted them together, manually
>put on the
>various waypoints provided on Mr. Leibacher's amazing
>website, slapped
>plastic over the whole thing and went flying. Oh wait,
>one for the
>crew as well.
>
>This was a laborious process especially for contest
>pilots. Along
>comes the digital age with easy access to electronic
>versions of
>aviation maps so I started experimenting with how to
>do this task
>electronically first using fancy graphics software.
>Then I came across
>software called GlidePlan which at first I was rather
>non pulsed
>about. But I tried it as this software makes it easy
>to find the
>electronic sectionals you need, import the waypoint
>file in SeeYou Cup
>format right to the map, apply the styles you want
>for the various
>points (say transparent red dots for turn points),
>adjust the point
>label position and font size and print the whole works
>out on your
>inkjet or take it to a someone with a big plotter.
>You can even scale
>the map down which comes in handy on those MAT tasks
>in the west where
>the sectional for the contest area is the size of a
>small tent.
>
>Matt Herron, the developer, is considering offering
>customer sectional
>chunks for specific contest areas which would be a
>plus. The interface
>is still a little challenging but I used the software
>to prep for the
>Region 9 contest and it worked well with the smaller
>WAC size map
>earning some points on the MAT tasks. BTW I have no
>commercial
>affiliation with GlidePlan its just useful software.
>John
>
>

GlidePlan was the sleeper hit technology at Region
9. I went with 20 printouts of the task area sectional(s)
on an 8.5'x11' sheet with the turnpoint database overlaid
and some final glide rings over Parowan. I gave a
few out to pilots whom I've known for awhile on the
practice day. Each day, more pilots came to me for
a copy - particularly on days after a MAT task. I
quickly ran out of my stash. By day three I saw copies
blown up to 11x14 and nicely laminated - apparently
someone had found a Staples in nearby Cedar City.

Matt originally developed GlidePlan as an aid to new
cross-country pilots, but more recently it has found
favor among competition pilots who love anything that
can help situational awareness on tasks. I know Matt
would love feedback and input from anyone who finds
GlidePlan useful. We have discussed many potential
enhancements - including some really cool ideas. I
encourage anyone with an interest in competition or
cross-country soaring to download the trial from www.glideplan.com
(buying a copy is even better) and help make the next
version even more useful.

I also have no commercial interest in GlidePlan.

9B


At 16:24 13 July 2007, John Seaborn wrote:
>In my experience a good printed map is critical for
>establishing
>situational awareness even in the GPS world. Over the
>years we have
>all done pretty much the same thing when flying a new
>site. We bought
>the sectionals, cut and pasted them together, manually
>put on the
>various waypoints provided on Mr. Leibacher's amazing
>website, slapped
>plastic over the whole thing and went flying. Oh wait,
>one for the
>crew as well.
>
>This was a laborious process especially for contest
>pilots. Along
>comes the digital age with easy access to electronic
>versions of
>aviation maps so I started experimenting with how to
>do this task
>electronically first using fancy graphics software.
>Then I came across
>software called GlidePlan which at first I was rather
>non pulsed
>about. But I tried it as this software makes it easy
>to find the
>electronic sectionals you need, import the waypoint
>file in SeeYou Cup
>format right to the map, apply the styles you want
>for the various
>points (say transparent red dots for turn points),
>adjust the point
>label position and font size and print the whole works
>out on your
>inkjet or take it to a someone with a big plotter.
>You can even scale
>the map down which comes in handy on those MAT tasks
>in the west where
>the sectional for the contest area is the size of a
>small tent.
>
>Matt Herron, the developer, is considering offering
>customer sectional
>chunks for specific contest areas which would be a
>plus. The interface
>is still a little challenging but I used the software
>to prep for the
>Region 9 contest and it worked well with the smaller
>WAC size map
>earning some points on the MAT tasks. BTW I have no
>commercial
>affiliation with GlidePlan its just useful software.
>John
>
>

GlidePlan was the sleeper hit technology at Region
9. I went with 20 printouts of the task area sectional(s)
on an 8.5'x11' sheet with the turnpoint database overlaid
and some final glide rings over Parowan. I gave a
few out to pilots whom I've known for awhile on the
practice day. Each day, more pilots came to me for
a copy - particularly on days after a MAT task. I
quickly ran out of my stash. By day three I saw copies
blown up to 11x14 and nicely laminated - apparently
someone had found a Staples in nearby Cedar City.

Matt originally developed GlidePlan as an aid to new
cross-country pilots, but more recently it has found
favor among competition pilots who love anything that
can help situational awareness on tasks. I know Matt
would love feedback and input from anyone who finds
GlidePlan useful. We have discussed many potential
enhancements - including some really cool ideas. I
encourage anyone with an interest in competition or
cross-country soaring to download the trial from www.glideplan.com
(buying a copy is even better) and help make the next
version even more useful.

I also have no commercial interest in GlidePlan.

9B


At 16:24 13 July 2007, John Seaborn wrote:
>In my experience a good printed map is critical for
>establishing
>situational awareness even in the GPS world. Over the
>years we have
>all done pretty much the same thing when flying a new
>site. We bought
>the sectionals, cut and pasted them together, manually
>put on the
>various waypoints provided on Mr. Leibacher's amazing
>website, slapped
>plastic over the whole thing and went flying. Oh wait,
>one for the
>crew as well.
>
>This was a laborious process especially for contest
>pilots. Along
>comes the digital age with easy access to electronic
>versions of
>aviation maps so I started experimenting with how to
>do this task
>electronically first using fancy graphics software.
>Then I came across
>software called GlidePlan which at first I was rather
>non pulsed
>about. But I tried it as this software makes it easy
>to find the
>electronic sectionals you need, import the waypoint
>file in SeeYou Cup
>format right to the map, apply the styles you want
>for the various
>points (say transparent red dots for turn points),
>adjust the point
>label position and font size and print the whole works
>out on your
>inkjet or take it to a someone with a big plotter.
>You can even scale
>the map down which comes in handy on those MAT tasks
>in the west where
>the sectional for the contest area is the size of a
>small tent.
>
>Matt Herron, the developer, is considering offering
>customer sectional
>chunks for specific contest areas which would be a
>plus. The interface
>is still a little challenging but I used the software
>to prep for the
>Region 9 contest and it worked well with the smaller
>WAC size map
>earning some points on the MAT tasks. BTW I have no
>commercial
>affiliation with GlidePlan its just useful software.
>John
>
>

I also agree the software is great. I saw the potential last fall
when Matt first announced it, and ove the course of last winter
provided feedback to suit my needs. It's now working out very well
for me.

I print the charts in reduced scale, and create a 'map book' of 8.5x11
pages that I put into vinyl sheet protectors. About a dozen pages
cover pretty much the whole flying area I'm interested in, with a 20%
overlap from page to page so I always have a sheet pretty much
centered where I am.

Excellent product, and highly recommended for the seasoned XC pilot as
well as for flying locally when coupled with altitude rings around the
home airport.

-Tom