Flight planning software?

[Yossarian]

I've heard about Jepp's Flitestar and RMS's Flitesoft. Anyone have
experience with these or other flight planning packages?

[Sydney Hoeltzli]

Yossarian wrote:
> I've heard about Jepp's Flitestar and RMS's Flitesoft. Anyone have
> experience with these or other flight planning packages?

Truth? I use a low-altitude enroute planning chart,
Airnav, and DUATS at home; low-altitude enroute and
a Palm VIIx with Copilot and a manual E6B for winds
away from home. And it's all free, except for the Palm
VIIx (which is tremendously useful enroute w/ CBAV).
Oh, sectionals also at the planning stage where terrain
is involved.

I've played with a friend's Flightstar and used Aeroplanner,
and maybe I'm just not "up to speed". But I have several
goals when flight planning:
1) choose overall routing judiciously to avoid major
TRACON airspace, restricted areas, MOAs, and where appropriate,
excessively high terrain or overwater legs
2) locate fuel stops and alternates with a balance between
fuel and services (ie not just the cheapest fuel, but also
crew cars/nearby restaurants, motels, and attractions)
3) be able to plot the route efficiently, including
sufficient charting for possible needed weather diversions

Aeroplanner does a terrific, Grade A job on restricted
areas, but if it has a ready mechanism to let one "see and avoid"
Class Bs and terrain while planning a long route, I haven't
found it yet.

Airnav is still the best for fuel planning.

I think Flightstar or Aeroplanner sectional chunks neatly
sleeved and placed into a binder look wonderful, but in
practice I can use a DUATS "direct routing for GPS" output
to draw courselines across 6 sectionals in less time than
it takes to set up the triptick, check it, get it downloading
and printing, and organize it in some sort of holder.

And then I have the charts, and the skills, to replan on
the road and divert when I need to.

My $.02, YMMV and probably will.
Sydney

[Jeff]

I recently used www.flightprep.com to plan my trip from vegas to
kentucky and back.
Its ok, I like that it shows the TFR's on the map, it could be alot
better. I may be trying the jepp's flightstar soon tho. I dont think
flightprep is worth keeping a subscription to

Yossarian wrote:

> I've heard about Jepp's Flitestar and RMS's Flitesoft. Anyone have
> experience with these or other flight planning packages?

[Jeff]

just a question, but why do you try to avoid MOA's and major tracon
areas?

I always plan 2 routes, one through restricted areas and class B and one
around, I first attempt to go though by contacting center when I am
around 20 minutes out from the airspace, if not active and I have
permission I go through, if not, then I use the alternate to go around,
same with class B unless I am on the edge of it and it dont matter. But
MOA's, just bust right on through, ask center if anything is going on and
keep eyes open.

Sydney Hoeltzli wrote:

> Yossarian wrote:
> > I've heard about Jepp's Flitestar and RMS's Flitesoft. Anyone have
> > experience with these or other flight planning packages?
>
> Truth? I use a low-altitude enroute planning chart,
> Airnav, and DUATS at home; low-altitude enroute and
> a Palm VIIx with Copilot and a manual E6B for winds
> away from home. And it's all free, except for the Palm
> VIIx (which is tremendously useful enroute w/ CBAV).
> Oh, sectionals also at the planning stage where terrain
> is involved.
>
> I've played with a friend's Flightstar and used Aeroplanner,
> and maybe I'm just not "up to speed". But I have several
> goals when flight planning:
> 1) choose overall routing judiciously to avoid major
> TRACON airspace, restricted areas, MOAs, and where appropriate,
> excessively high terrain or overwater legs
> 2) locate fuel stops and alternates with a balance between
> fuel and services (ie not just the cheapest fuel, but also
> crew cars/nearby restaurants, motels, and attractions)
> 3) be able to plot the route efficiently, including
> sufficient charting for possible needed weather diversions
>
> Aeroplanner does a terrific, Grade A job on restricted
> areas, but if it has a ready mechanism to let one "see and avoid"
> Class Bs and terrain while planning a long route, I haven't
> found it yet.
>
> Airnav is still the best for fuel planning.
>
> I think Flightstar or Aeroplanner sectional chunks neatly
> sleeved and placed into a binder look wonderful, but in
> practice I can use a DUATS "direct routing for GPS" output
> to draw courselines across 6 sectionals in less time than
> it takes to set up the triptick, check it, get it downloading
> and printing, and organize it in some sort of holder.
>
> And then I have the charts, and the skills, to replan on
> the road and divert when I need to.
>
> My $.02, YMMV and probably will.
> Sydney

[Nosegear]

I can sincerely recommend you to take a look at www.pocketfms.com. This
shareware does it all for you: flight planning, W&B, meteo and moving map
with lots of extra's. Best part of all: it's free!

Runs on PC, laptop and PocketPC. You'll never find more program for this
little money, guaranteed!!

Nosegear.


"Yossarian" > wrote in news:bnGUa.6955$Ad4.3043291
@news3.news.adelphia.net:

> I've heard about Jepp's Flitestar and RMS's Flitesoft. Anyone have
> experience with these or other flight planning packages?
>
>

[Sydney Hoeltzli]

Jeff wrote:
> just a question, but why do you try to avoid MOA's and major tracon
> areas?

The latter is good strategy if we have to go IFR and can't
go OTP. The former is good defensive flying if they're hot.
Despite the conclusions of the F16/C172 collision in Florida,
in my opinion Boeing and Lockheed products painted military
colors are way too fast for me to see-and-avoid so we stay
out if it's avoidable. Which it usually is, long-range

Making this part of strategic planning on a long trip often
makes minimal difference, while not taking them into account
results in larger detours.

Example. I recently helped a friend plan a trip from
St. Louis to St. Simeon, GA since we have a month aeroplanner
subscription and wanted to give it more workout.

He selected a fuel stop on a direct route, Shelbyville TN.
The direct route happens to pass directly through
Atlanta Class B. The low-altitude airway routing
detours to the E. We consulted an inside source :), and
determined the routing we'd selected was the best available.

I would have selected a fuel stop which was off the direct
route to the E or W a degree or so, in order to avoid
having to make a sharper detour. Just for grins, I did
so. My indirect route came up significantly shorter after
the TRACON detour was factored in.

By the way, in a manner which should warm Don Brown's heart
to a toasty glow, my friend ignores the approach-certified
GPS in his panel and files low-altitude airways with SIDS
and STARS as appropriate, with judicious use of "direct"
between navaids. This makes very little difference to the
length of the flight in most places. A couple of miles over
a 900 mile trip.

> I always plan 2 routes, one through restricted areas and class B and one
> around, I first attempt to go though by contacting center when I am
> around 20 minutes out from the airspace, if not active and I have
> permission I go through, if not, then I use the alternate to go around,
> same with class B unless I am on the edge of it and it dont matter. But
> MOA's, just bust right on through, ask center if anything is going on and
> keep eyes open.

As you like!

It sounds as though you are flying VFR, which is our preference also.
However, if you are flying IFR, failure to plan strategically can
cost you a big detour. Depending upon the facility and your direction
of flight, you are very unlikely to be routed within 40 nm of a
Class B airport below 10-12k or so, IFR. This is because from the
TRACON viewpoint, you are a slow-moving roadblock 5 miles wide and
2000 ft high (yeah, I know, not quite that bad) when you're IFR.
IOW, you're sort of a PITA from the ATC viewpoint and TRACONs vary
in their ability and willingness to deal with this (ability here
doesn't just mean skill, but also how busy they are vs. manpower)
When you're VFR or IFR clearance VFR-on-top, you shrink to the size
of your actual plane.

My point is, if you are flying a long cross country (say, 600 miles or
more), you may wind up flying a longer trip if you fail to plan
strategically. You can actually fly a shorter trip by initially
planning one which is 1% longer.

Cheers,
Sydney

[Sydney Hoeltzli]

Nosegear wrote:
> I can sincerely recommend you to take a look at www.pocketfms.com. This
> shareware does it all for you: flight planning, W&B, meteo and moving map
> with lots of extra's. Best part of all: it's free!

> Runs on PC, laptop and PocketPC. You'll never find more program for this
> little money, guaranteed!!

If it's free, in what regard is it "shareware"?

Cheers,
Sydney

[JerryK]

On Sun, 27 Jul 2003 02:00:39 +0000, Yossarian wrote:

> I've heard about Jepp's Flitestar and RMS's Flitesoft. Anyone have
> experience with these or other flight planning packages?

I am a happy Jeep FlightStar/FlightMap customer. It works well and having
online updates of the database and program is very convenient. The DB
also has all of the facilities at or nearby the airport.

jerry

[Peter R.]

Sydney Hoeltzli ) wrote:

> Aeroplanner does a terrific, Grade A job on restricted
> areas, but if it has a ready mechanism to let one "see and avoid"
> Class Bs and terrain while planning a long route, I haven't
> found it yet.

Sydney, Aeroplanner has released a beta version of their significantly
improved flight planning tool to subscribers. While poking around the
beta I discovered that under the beta planner's "Options" tab there are
check boxes that will capture your routing preferences.

In there, you will find the ability to specify what type of airspace the
auto-router will avoid, such as MOAs and class B (and many other types), as
well as over water routes (of a distance greater than a minimum you
specify).

--
Peter

[Sydney Hoeltzli]

Peter R. wrote:

> Sydney, Aeroplanner has released a beta version of their significantly
> improved flight planning tool to subscribers. While poking around the
> beta I discovered that under the beta planner's "Options" tab there are
> check boxes that will capture your routing preferences.

> In there, you will find the ability to specify what type of airspace the
> auto-router will avoid, such as MOAs and class B (and many other types), as
> well as over water routes (of a distance greater than a minimum you
> specify).

Thanks, Peter, I'll check it out.

'Course, for a busy Class B, it's not just the airport but rather
a 40 nm ring you need to avoid...fortunately, they're not all like
that *whew*

Cheers,
Sydney