Good Flight Planning Websites

[Guest]

My favorites for flight planning:http://www.fly.faa.govThis is the FAA ATC Command Center website. Click on "Products" then "Route Managment Tool" to get to a searchable database of online flight plans.http://www.clearanceunlimited.comSpecially made for simmers, this website is run by an active controller in the RW Miami ARTCC who flies online as well. He has compiled a collection of hard to find routes and charts, domestic U.S. and international. Definately worth a look.http://www.aeroplanner.comThis is a free real world flight planning site. This is cool because they have a full collection of sectional charts that you can view online, and then overlay your flight plan route on top of them. Better for VFR stuff. I've heard a similar website is http://www.fltplan.com but I have never used that one.http://www.duats.comDUATS is what I use for flight planning when flying in the real world. You have to have either a medical certificate or pilot's license to join. This has a neat tool for automatically generating flight plans and routes from any two airports, regardless of whether an FAA preferred route exists. I know a lot of you simmers out there are RW pilots or student pilots, so if you haven't signed up for this (it's free), then do it now!http://www.airnav.comAirnav is the most awesome and complete database with detailed information for EVERY US AIRPORT. They have runways, ILS frequencies, NOTAMs, and even how much the current price for fuel :-) for the frugal simmer. If you fly outside the U.S. then check out the airports database on www.landings.com. It is pretty complete, but not quite as thorough as airnav.http://www.vatusa.orgEveryone knows Vatsim right? Check out some of their ARTCCs' websites. Most have a detailed route section, and some, such as the NY ARTCC (www.nyartcc.org) or the LA ARTCC (www.laartcc.org) have really cool automated flight plan generators for their major airports, with domestic U.S. and international routes.I'm always looking for new websites, for sim and real world planning. Please add to the list! Thanks and great idea Tom!Max

[brucek 38]

Hi Max,I also use DUATS for flight planning in the real world, also very good for weather briefings (although I always call and get a real voice to brief me as well, you can't beat that!).Bruce.

[Guest]

Hi,I have another one which might be useful "ROUTEFINDER flight planning system" http://www.asalink.net/davideg/rfquery.htmlHave a nice weekend :DMladenwww.dfso.nl

[Guest]

Great links Max. Here is my contribution which I first posted in a separate thread only because I had overlooked yours.*****Hi Tom...great idea!My contribution to this thread will be:www.fltplan.comA free website dedicated to many things, flight planning one of them. There are many useful and free services there.Anyone else have any favorite resource? ( Other that AVSIM of course...that should be everyone

[Guest]

It seems that we all use more then one flight planing tool. I hope that this is not necessery in the near future. Have a look at this site:http://www.danur.com/FOCmain.htmRegards

[brucek 38]

This is a good thread. Some very good information. While not strictly flight planning: I like to use DUATS for FS in the following way: Plan a flight to a location that you don't live in (so you can't see the wx), then have DUATS give you a forecast briefing and note the wx expected there at your arrival time. After that time has past, but within 24 hours, download a few METAR files that correspond to your arrival time and a few hours prior. Use FSMETEO for a 2 hour flight, say. Use the METAR corresponding to arrival time minus 2, and use the "go to" button on FSMETEO to "see" the wx at your arrival- this is just like getting a wx advisory from FSS. Jump to the next METAR one hour later, and again note the wx, and especially any trends. Wait until you're close to switch again to the arrival METAR.The downside of this, of course, is that a METAR is a surface observation at one moment in time, and is not always typical of the overall wx.Bruce.

[Guest]

For flightplans into or out of the Boston/vatsim artcc:www.bostonartcc.netpilots sidecheersGD