Real-life flight planning

Being newly licenced (yesterday), I've started thinking about the type
of VFR flight-planning I'll do in the real, post-student world, and what
tools I'll use.

As a student, of course, I did everything by hand, and meticulously, and
eschewed GPS navigation as well. Some of my observations from my brief
XC experience thus far:

1) Winds aloft forecasts are never right- usually not close.

2) There's no need to produce a nav log, etc. with checkpoints when the
route is familiar.

So, for a route that is now familiar to me- say, Timmmerman (MWC) to
Appleton (ATW) (about 75nm), of course I get a briefing, and check the
winds aloft, but I'm not going to produce a nav log. I'm going to fly
by pilotage with my GPS to back me up and with a VOR receiver to back
that up. And, of course, if I encounter particularly unexpected
weather, I'm going to turn back.

For new routes, I am going to produce a nav log, knowing full well that
my heading will not likely match the precomputed values due to differing
winds aloft. No matter. But, of course, for such flights, I'm not
going to be doing things the old-fashioned way anymore. I want some
good software to make it easy.

So, I think I have two questions: 1) Does this make sense? and 2) What's
the best flight-planning software out there? I've used AOPA's tool and
I like it, but I don't really know what's out there (and yeah I can do a
google search but then you don't know if you're hearing about the latest
& greatest). I do have a Palm 5 device so PC software that has a Palm
component too would be a plus.

~Paul

P.S. Hope this isn't too much of a "newbie" post for this forum.
Thought it was more appropriate here than over at .student.

On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 15:43:42 GMT, Paul Folbrecht
wrote:


So, I think I have two questions: 1) Does this make sense? and 2) What's
the best flight-planning software out there? I've used AOPA's tool and
I like it, but I don't really know what's out there (and yeah I can do a
google search but then you don't know if you're hearing about the latest
& greatest). I do have a Palm 5 device so PC software that has a Palm
component too would be a plus.

I suggest you get familiar with DUATS (www.duats.com). For the Palm I
recommend AOPA eAFD for airport data, and Copilot. Copilot will not
provide automatic routing, but it is a good method of putting together
route information when you don't have access to the internet.

AOPA's tool is a crippled form of FliteStar, which is arguably the most
complete package available even though it does not download anything to your
handheld. It will download routes to your GPS.

Flitesoft also works well, although the routing routines are not as
sophisticated as those in FliteStar.

PocketFMS is shareware. www.pocketfms.com. It is still a little rough around
the edges, but it does work with both your PC and your handheld. The latest
version appears to have added some more color graphics. There is no Palm
version available at the moment.

ControlVision's software works on your handheld only, but is not Palm
compatible.

My personal opinion is that having to fly without your handheld is like
having to hike without your bathtub.

Heh. Point taken. Do it on the PC at home and there's no real need for
the Palm.

My hiking did become way more enjoyable when I stopped lugging the damn
bathtub everywhere. I even leave the accordian behind most trips now.

My personal opinion is that having to fly without your handheld is like
having to hike without your bathtub.

In a previous article, Paul Folbrecht said:
Heh. Point taken. Do it on the PC at home and there's no real need for
the Palm.

Ok, just one small plug for CoPilot (see
http://xcski.com/~ptomblin/CoPilot/), even though the other posters have
been doing it for me.

A few months ago I was coming back from Muskegeon. That's a long trip for
me, and since I'm flying club planes I haven't "calibrated" the fuel flow
exactly. So I like get on the ground after 3.5 hours, even though
theoretically I could probably get 4.5 hours out of the tanks. I'd done
the flight plan earlier, and put all the appropriate waypoints into
CoPilot. With no wind, I would be nudging my comfort zone, so I made sure
I had the Buffalo approach plates on my knee board on top of the Rochester
ones, and figured I might have to make a refueling stop in Buffalo.

That morning, I called up flight service from my motel room, and got the
weather and winds aloft. Plugging the winds aloft into CoPilot, and I
could see that it would still be 3.6 hours to Rochester, so I filed to
Buffalo. All the time aloft, I was watching the ETAs in CoPilot and
comparing them to reality, and found I was getting better winds than
forecast. I recalculated the winds, found I could make it to Rochester,
so I asked ATC for a diversion to Rochester, and went home.

--
Paul Tomblin http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
Usenet is a co-operative venture, backed by nasty people -
follow the standards.
-- Chris Rovers

I used to do wonderful flight-plans when I was a student, with
waypoints every few miles, and winds aloft, and ground speeds,
and fuel consumption, and times to the nearest minute, and so on.
It's a useful skill, because it crops up on the FAA written tests.

Since getting my PPL, I haven't done it once (well, except for my
Instrument written). I use DUATS all the time.

-- winds aloft forecasts are, as you note, pretty much useless
-- my plane can fly for 6.3 hours with full tanks. The longest
I've done is about 4.5, and I was VERY glad to land
-- if I'm in VMC, I do check my route by pilotage regardless of
my principal navigation means (which is GPS), but I just figure
it out as I go with the sectional on my lap - actually that's one
of the most enjoyable bits of xc flying, for me

John

"Paul Folbrecht" wrote in message
ink.net...
Being newly licenced (yesterday), I've started thinking about the type
of VFR flight-planning I'll do in the real, post-student world, and what
tools I'll use.

As a student, of course, I did everything by hand, and meticulously, and
eschewed GPS navigation as well. Some of my observations from my brief
XC experience thus far:

1) Winds aloft forecasts are never right- usually not close.

2) There's no need to produce a nav log, etc. with checkpoints when the
route is familiar.

So, for a route that is now familiar to me- say, Timmmerman (MWC) to
Appleton (ATW) (about 75nm), of course I get a briefing, and check the
winds aloft, but I'm not going to produce a nav log. I'm going to fly
by pilotage with my GPS to back me up and with a VOR receiver to back
that up. And, of course, if I encounter particularly unexpected
weather, I'm going to turn back.

For new routes, I am going to produce a nav log, knowing full well that
my heading will not likely match the precomputed values due to differing
winds aloft. No matter. But, of course, for such flights, I'm not
going to be doing things the old-fashioned way anymore. I want some
good software to make it easy.

So, I think I have two questions: 1) Does this make sense? and 2) What's
the best flight-planning software out there? I've used AOPA's tool and
I like it, but I don't really know what's out there (and yeah I can do a
google search but then you don't know if you're hearing about the latest
& greatest). I do have a Palm 5 device so PC software that has a Palm
component too would be a plus.

~Paul

P.S. Hope this isn't too much of a "newbie" post for this forum.
Thought it was more appropriate here than over at .student.

Several points I see here...

A couple of months ago one of the GA magazines did an article about what the
FAA regs required as far as the location of a pilot's certificate. From what
I remember, the regs previously required the certificate be on the pilots
person (billfold, etc). Again, from what I remember, it is now permissible
to have the certificate in the aircraft (flight bag, etc).

The next point is: it's 2003 and there is a terrorist under every rock.
Which means you are dealing with some non-FAA regulations on airport
property. I would not be surprised if a cop pulled over someone driving
around a non-terminal area and asking for some verifiable reason for the
person being there. Which creates a problem: as is noted elsewhere, an A & P
must be posted in the area where the holder performs most of his/her work.
And it would not be unreasonable for a pilot to leave his flight bag,
containing his certificate, in the airplane when he leaves the airport to
conduct business, go shopping, whatever (Hey, Deputy Dawg, this guy is
trying to convince me you can make business trips in those little Piper Cub
airplanes!).

I tend to take the line of least resistance: I've found that I can
frequently spend 15 seconds complying with an idiotic regulation/request, or
I can spend 30 minutes arguing about it. If it's not a huge civil liberties
issue, I'll comply with the idiotic request and be on my way.

Consequently, it would seem to be a reasonable idea to make a copy of my
certificate and stick it in my billfold/purse. I doubt if it would satisfy
the FAA, but for your average Bozo cop out there cruising the airport hoping
to stop a car with Osama in it, it would probably be satisfactory.

Just an opinion...




"Paul Folbrecht" wrote in message
ink.net...
Being newly licenced (yesterday), I've started thinking about the type
of VFR flight-planning I'll do in the real, post-student world, and what
tools I'll use.

As a student, of course, I did everything by hand, and meticulously, and
eschewed GPS navigation as well. Some of my observations from my brief
XC experience thus far:

1) Winds aloft forecasts are never right- usually not close.

2) There's no need to produce a nav log, etc. with checkpoints when the
route is familiar.

So, for a route that is now familiar to me- say, Timmmerman (MWC) to
Appleton (ATW) (about 75nm), of course I get a briefing, and check the
winds aloft, but I'm not going to produce a nav log. I'm going to fly
by pilotage with my GPS to back me up and with a VOR receiver to back
that up. And, of course, if I encounter particularly unexpected
weather, I'm going to turn back.

For new routes, I am going to produce a nav log, knowing full well that
my heading will not likely match the precomputed values due to differing
winds aloft. No matter. But, of course, for such flights, I'm not
going to be doing things the old-fashioned way anymore. I want some
good software to make it easy.

So, I think I have two questions: 1) Does this make sense? and 2) What's
the best flight-planning software out there? I've used AOPA's tool and
I like it, but I don't really know what's out there (and yeah I can do a
google search but then you don't know if you're hearing about the latest
& greatest). I do have a Palm 5 device so PC software that has a Palm
component too would be a plus.

~Paul

P.S. Hope this isn't too much of a "newbie" post for this forum.
Thought it was more appropriate here than over at .student.

"Bill Denton" wrote in message
The next point is: it's 2003 and there is a terrorist under every rock.

So what about 2004?

To the original poster: DUATS gives me every thing I could need.

Aeroplanner.com give me everything I need and then some with the added
benefit of storing frequent routes. When I'm ready to fly a particular
route, I simply load up Aeroplanner and update the route for new weather the
print the thing.

--
Jim Fisher

"Bill Denton" wrote in message
...
|
| The next point is: it's 2003 and

I wish people would not say this. While your own post was pretty good, there
is an incredible amount of silliness that is being justified just because
"it is 2003" (or 4, or whatever). Whenever someone starts out this way I am
99% certain that some wretched, silly statement is about to follow. Yours
was an exception, but a rare one.

"Paul Folbrecht wrote:
Being newly licenced (yesterday), I've started thinking about the type
of VFR flight-planning I'll do in the real, post-student world, and what
tools I'll use.
[zip]
So, I think I have two questions: 1) Does this make sense? and 2) What's
the best flight-planning software out there? I've used AOPA's tool and
I like it, but I don't really know what's out there (and yeah I can do a
google search but then you don't know if you're hearing about the latest
& greatest). I do have a Palm 5 device so PC software that has a Palm
component too would be a plus.

Paul,

WingX from http://www.hiltonsoftware.com runs on a Pocket PC and let's you
quickly do route planning with wind calculations, it'll do W&B and a whole
lot more including having Parts 1, 61, 91, 119, and 141 of the FARs right on
your PDA. It's pretty cool if I say so myself (ahem...) Disclaimer:
Should be obvious.

Try it, you'll like it - it's free to download and try.

Hilton