Hi everybody,I am working on a new FS2002 Flight Planner development project. In order to try satisfying everyone's needs, I would appreciate if you guys could post the features that you would like it to have.Thank you in advance.Best RegardsGig

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1. Moving map display2. SID/STARS3. Useable on a second computer using WideFS and FSUIPC.4. Database for aircraft climb, cruise, descent speeds.to name a few.

If you want to be different from the rest, suggest incorporating weather into your flight planner. The program could suggest:- a flight altitude based on winds- a route based on weather, like to avoid bad weather- a fuel load based on airplane and weatherDave Vega

Hi Dave,Thank you for your input. Your points were the first ones in my list of requirements along with taking in account terrain elevation data.CheersGig

Thank you all very much for your suggestions. They really help me a lot in the process of defining the requirements.I am starting an ambitious project that aims to brings us all another addon based on the flightsim community needs but according to real world flight planning procedures as much as possible. Thus, real world pilots would be much appreciated.Another crucial question for me is:How important is the visual flight plan plotting? I mean, is it so important to be able to create the flight plan visualy like in FSNavigator or NAV (mouse clicking and dragging on the map). I ask this as the fligt planner will work as a stand alone application, not within FS like FSNavigator. But on the other side, having the ability to export the flight plan to FSNavigator or FS2K2 format it could be easily printed or visualized during the flight.Thanks again,Gig

>2. There must be no limit on the number of waypoints. FS2K had a >limit of 1,000 waypoints. I have stuffed 3,000 waypoints into an >FS2K2 plan (I kept pasting one of my longer plans to reach that >total) and FS2K2 still came back for more.From a programming standpoint there are practical reasons to have some kind of a limit.Really anything more then 250 wpts for one flight plan is probably too much IMO. I see no practical reason to have waypoints spaced so close together that you'd need 1,000 or even 3,000 of them in one flight plan.Regards.Ernie.

I use FS Navigator and am very happy with it. It is airplane specific, includes stars and sids, and you can program and add your own stars and sids as well. About the only thing I would like in addition would be some kind of weather module that would allow you to, while in the program, check on weather at your destination so you can program in the most likely landing runway when you set up the flight. I don't see a need to re-invent the wheel here - perhaps you could focus on the weather part and work with the developers of some of the excellent add-ons already out there. Colin

>How important is the visual flight plan plotting? I mean, is it so >important to be able to create the flight plan visualy like in >FSNavigator or NAV (mouse clicking and dragging on the map). I ask >this as the fligt planner will work as a stand alone application, >not within FS like FSNavigator. But on the other side, having the >ability to export the flight plan to FSNavigator or FS2K2 format it >could be easily printed or visualized during the flight.If your planner is only going to have the option of auto-routing according to RW procedures then its not so important. If the user is fairly confident they will get a good routing without the requirement of visual verification then the map may not be necessary.Some people like the visual option obviously especially if they don't have paper charts. Though IMO because of the limited display and resolution of most monitors you are limited in the quality of routes you can manually plot visually using programs like FSNav, Nav30 etc.If your planner is going to be payware then I think you have to provide for visual route plotting, just because just about every other payware planner has this feature. But if its freeware and the program can consistently provide a good quality realistic flight plan you can probably get along without it in the first release.Regards.Ernie.

Ernie,If waypoints are not closely spaced at critical points, the default FS2K2 autopilot will jerk the aircraft through changes of heading in quite a violent way such as to cause great discomfort to passengers. Provided that one is going to concentrate on realistic flight plans one could manage with a 250 waypoint limit even when using waypoints to smooth such heading changes.Where many more than 250 waypoints are needed is when planning low level VFR style flights through the Himalayas, Alpine peaks, Alaskan Creeks and Scandinavian Fjords. Try producing a flight plan as I have done, that follows the Grand Canyon but stays below the rim, and you will see my point (I used 691 waypoints for that flight). However unrealistic that plan is and it is probably illegal as well, it is great fun to fly especially if eye candy and the Wow factor are amongst your reasons for flying virtually.Denis. The Ancient Brit.

>Where many more than 250 waypoints are needed is when planning low level VFR style >flights through the Himalayas, Alpine peaks, Alaskan Creeks and Scandinavian Fjords. Try >producing a flight plan as I have done, that follows the Grand Canyon but stays below >the rim, and you will see my point (I used 691 waypoints for that flight). However >unrealistic that plan is and it is probably illegal as well, it is great fun to fly >especially if eye candy and the Wow factor are amongst your reasons for flying >virtually.Well what your doing is somewhat unusual. So the Flight planner designer can accept this and not include the feature which will probably be the case.If it were a more common usage I could see having the no wpt limit feature. But for one person I probably wouldn't do it.Regards.Ernie.

yeah, but with all those waypoints, aren't you too busy looking at the flightplan to enjoy all that eye candy :)email me one of those 650 point plans. I'd be interested to try it.cheers!

Gig,i think being able to visually plot/plan is a very nice feature. I for one sometimes select my departure and arrival locations, then visually look at the map and drag/drop waypoints at various spots along the way that I'd like to pass. That would almost be impossible without that option.Good Luck!

1. works outside of FS2. imports and exports FS .pln files3. Add waypoint by entering waypoint name in addition tomap view drag method.4. nice to have: graphic display of departure parkingspots with click to select in addition to list select.scott s..

In addition to the reading default .fsp plans I would like have the capibility to save/read PSS plans (Axx, B777, Dash, etc.) also Wilco and others. If it could run on another PC via WideFS would be great, and for fun if you could overlay VATSIM sector files or Whazzup data including weather.KevinPSS A320