Free Route Planner

[Guest Hawkeyeted]

I still think www.ofplan.net is the best. It takes a bit of practice, but you will have more control over the route.

[lostmoon 0]

coolio. i like ofplan. also, flightaware is great also.tj

[michal 44]

>I still think www.ofplan.net is the best. I kind of like the idea of using real flight plans instead of "generated" ones. The only thing you have to watch out for is using winds compatible with this flight plan (which was prepared for a given date). If you are flying with no winds then a "generator" would be fine but no generator that I know of (including payware) will properly account for winds when generating a flight plan for you. Winds have significant effects on how airlines do their long distance flying even on trips as short as 1000 miles.Michael J.http://www.precisionmanuals.com/images/forum/pmdg_744F.jpghttp://sales.hifisim.com/pub-download/asv6-banner-beta.jpg

[Guest Hawkeyeted]

>>I still think www.ofplan.net is the best. >>I kind of like the idea of using real flight plans>instead of "generated" ones. The only thing you have to watch>out for is using winds compatible with this flight plan (which>was prepared for a given date). If you are flying with no>winds then a "generator" would be fine but no generator that I>know of (including payware) will properly account for winds>when generating a flight plan for you. Winds have significant>effects on how airlines do their long distance flying even on>trips as short as 1000 miles.Mike,Real World pilots do use the routes that can be "generated" here. The only difference is that in the RW, a Dispatcher will provide the best route based on winds. Sounds like you want more of a dispatch than a planer. Luckily, OFPlan has a dispatch for the B747.There is a drop-down radio button on the dispatch form that will allow you to select Real World weather/winds (vice PS1 which this website was originally designed for) in which fuel calculations will be made. You are free to change your route to meet the wind requirements. I have used this website MANY times for flights from Icheon and Narita to LAX and has been VERY accurate by all accounts.Just my two-cents....

[michal 44]

>The only difference is that in the RW, a Dispatcher>will provide the best route based on winds. Correct and it is a very big deal. Dispatcher often have specialized Jeppesen software that produces wind-optimal routing. >You are free to change your route>to meet the wind requirements. Ted, that's the crux of the matter. It is impossible to do it correctly "manually". It is impossible to guess the wind optimal route - it can differ too much from the original route and number of permutations is huge and the correct answer if often impossible to see for a human 'computer'. Yes, you can make it a trial-error exercise and spend the whole afternoon on it but frankly I know better ways using my time. I have seen wind-optimal routes and they often differ substantially from GC routing. Anyway, I am not sure why would I want to go through all the hassle and guesswork when I can get real flight plans, dispatcher "validated" for free and be done. Again, just my 2 cents./PS. By the way if your ever pay a vist to any ATC Center that handles some transoceanic flights (difficult to get in after 9/11) please stop at their desk where wind optimal routings are generated (they use this to advise trans-oceanic pilots who ask for this service). You would see that often it means going hundreds of miles off the customary track. I have seen this at OAK center - quite a sight.Michael J.http://www.precisionmanuals.com/images/forum/pmdg_744F.jpghttp://sales.hifisim.com/pub-download/asv6-banner-beta.jpg

[Guest Hawkeyeted]

>Ted, that's the crux of the matter. It is impossible to do it>correctly "manually". It is impossible to guess the wind>optimal route - it can differ too much from the original route>and number of permutations is huge and the correct answer if>often impossible to see for a human 'computer'. Yes, you can>make it a trial-error exercise and spend the whole afternoon>on it but frankly I know better ways using my time. I have>seen wind-optimal routes and they often differ substantially>from GC routing. Anyway, I am not sure why would I want to go>through all the hassle and guesswork when I can get real>flight plans, dispatcher "validated" for free and be done....except I know of no place to get free, validated dispatched flights plans for simulation use.>/PS. By the way if your ever pay a vist to any ATC Center that>handles some transoceanic flights (difficult to get in after>9/11) please stop at their desk where wind optimal routings>are generated (they use this to advise trans-oceanic pilots>who ask for this service). You would see that often it means>going hundreds of miles off the customary track. I have seen>this at OAK center - quite a sight.I'm quite familiar with NATS/PACOTS routing...of which you can still work into your plan.I guess I'm perplexed by the amount of "labor" you seem to feel in your planning. The free Routefinder and FSBuid2 (payware) can both take into account the Real World, really active NATS or PACOTS routings.Short of actually working for an airline with all the tools the airline has access to, I don't think you're going to find anything else closer on the web...especially for free.

[michal 44]

>...except I know of no place to get free, validated dispatched>flights plans for simulation use.why does it have to be "for simulation"?www.flightaware.com >I guess I'm perplexed by the amount of "labor" you seem to>feel in your planning.We are not communicating Ted, but like I said I got exactly what fits my needs and don't see I can get anything better.Michael J.

[Guest Hawkeyeted]

>why does it have to be "for simulation"?Because there are no RW commercial dispatch tools that are offered online for free. If a RW tool existed online for free, why would ANY commercial airline pay the remarkable price they do for thier flight planning tools? There are fee driven online flight planners for GA aviation, but certainly not for commercial airlines.And, I'm certainly not knocking your choice for choosing Flightaware. It's just that Flightaware is not a planning nor dispatch tool. It's just a flight tracking website that so happens to show the filed flight plan for a given flight at that moment. Leaves one short for "planning" purposes.>I kind of like the idea of using real flight plans instead of "generated" ones.Perhaps what you mean is Real Time flight plans?

[michal 44]

>for a given flight at>that moment. Since I use historical weather data I may also use historical flight plan data that go along with that. I don't mind that. I personally have no need for "planning".Michael J.http://www.precisionmanuals.com/images/forum/pmdg_744F.jpghttp://sales.hifisim.com/pub-download/asv6-banner-beta.jpg

[Guest monnette]

I tried the http://rfinder.asalink.net/free and able to get a flightplan.but next step is how to export th eplan into the 747 FMC.oopps but wait...a friend of mine recommended to use www.fsroute.comto export/compile my flightplan to PMDG route format which is *rt2.But to my surprise after downloading the compiled route plan from www.fsroute.com it was in *rte format....So does anyone have experienced with fsroute or can teach me how to change the *rte to *rt2???I tried renaming *rte to *rt2 but it also doesnt work...thanks,monnetteCX089Cathay VA

[Guest Dr-Foo]

I tried this very thing, too, Monnette, and it also didn't work for me either. It exported a fp in .pln format (so I could upload it to ASV6), but even though it says it exports to PMDG, it seems to format it either incorrectly or for the 737NG(??...not sure which program uses .rte)Anyway, I heard about a converter so I think I'll try that. Download a .pln file from fsroute, then have the converter convert to rt2.What would be nice, also, is for there to be a repository of rt2 flight plans that PMDGers have made and are willing to share.Cheers,Dr. Foo

[Guest]

I have heard also about that converter and I think I have tried it with some success(can't rememeber too much at my age). I really like the looks of that ofplan and will try that. Thanks to the captain who mentioned that one.Right now I am using FlighAware. I live near CYYZ and listen to ATC live and watch FlightAware as it updates. I live even closer to CYHM but not much happens there except when Bon Jovi landed and skidded off the end of the runway. Apparently a fun ride cause the band got off the plane with drinks in their hands and then went by land to Toronto.In the meantime I am compiling a text file of Southwest Airline routes from FlightAware and plan on flying them with the PMDG 737ng which I have decorated with SouthWest colors. At the present time I have not tried any trans-ocean flights but with the use of ofplan it seems I may be able to do it successfully.RegardsRick

[Guest monnette]

Yup that's good idea too...Is there anybody here who knows where we can download or swapped PMDG route file?Thanks

[Guest Dr-Foo]

I definately don't know as of yet, but it sure sounds like it's needed....a .rte swap-meet of sorts :-hah I got the pln2rte converter and it worked like a charm. Not sure if it works backwards...rte converted to pln so I can also upload it in ASV6 or maybe RC4 someday when I finally get it.The other issue I've come across is the fact that PMDG doesn't have some of the SIDs/STARs I need. For example, setting up a flight from HKG to NRT, I noticed that no SIDs/STARs exist for RJAA. On the way back, I learned that there are no VHHH STAR's (although there are approach/transition fixes, etc., so I was able to set up for a runway, not necessarily to a runway via a STAR).I should probably do a search at avsim for complete SIDs/STARs...they'd be compatible with PMDG's right?Cheers,Dr. Foo

[Guest Hawkeyeted]

>The other issue I've come across is the fact that PMDG doesn't>have some of the SIDs/STARs I need. For example, setting up a>flight from HKG to NRT, I noticed that no SIDs/STARs exist for>RJAA. On the way back, I learned that there are no VHHH STAR's> (although there are approach/transition fixes, etc., so I was>able to set up for a runway, not necessarily to a runway via a>STAR).>>I should probably do a search at avsim for complete>SIDs/STARs...they'd be compatible with PMDG's right?>>Cheers,>>Dr. FooDr.goto to: www.navdata.at and navigate to the "SIDS/STARS>All-In-One>PMDG" file. Unzip all the *.txt files into your FS/PMDG/SIDS-STARS folder. That should get you up to speed with all the current SIDS/STARS that were written at the time.