I would have bought it except they told me I couldn't enter my own flightplans in RC, instead I have to use an external program. I want to be able to grab flightplans off of flightaware.com and stick them in RC, because flightaware is infact "as real as it gets."Jeff

Jeff,If flightaware doesn't create FS compatible flight plans that's not really the fault of Radar Contact. Perhaps you should ask flightaware to consider making their plans compatible with FS9/FSX.I use vRoute which although not a r/w planner does have thousands of plans and is free. If you're a Navigraph subscriber you can enter the AIRAC cycle ensuring only flight plans that are currently valid are available.Here's the link www.vroute.net/Cheers,

Or this:http://www.fsroute.com/Jimhttp://www.hifisim.com/banners/hifi-community-sigbanner.jpghttp://www.hifisim.com/

flightaware.com is not a simulator planner. It presents the plans filed by r/w aircraft under controlled flight and can show stats about the flight.flightaware does show the route. I copy and paste it into FSBuild's route window and build the plan. Occasionally you have to modify slightly the ID of a SID or STAR to match FSB's database. After a plan is built you can choose to export it to FS9 and several FMC formats at the same time. This way RC and your navigation avionics can have the same waypoints.RC4's database has information regarding airports including location, runway information (with navaid properties and frequencies), com frequencies, and other useful information. The scenery build utility goes through your installed scenery to get this data. Waypoint information is taken from the flight plan (FS9 or FSX format) including the name and coordinates.

Yeah, I know, I wasn't discrediting RC's usefulness I'm just saying that if you want to simulate RW flights (within, or to and from the US), flightaware is an awesome tool. Flightaware does not show the entire route, but it doesn't matter, once you plug the flightplan into an FMS you get your routing. vRoute is a powerful flightplanning tool as well, but I didn't see an export option for RC within vRoute. It would be really handy if all payware aircraft had an export option from the FMS to RC or something. I just don't want to pay for an external flight planning tool like FSBuild when I have perfectly abundant flightplanning resources available. I was hoping that the RC team would make it so you can enter in your own flightplans, it doesn't sound like it would be too difficult.Jeff

If you create a flightplan in FSX or FS9 using their provided planner that plan can be used with RC4.3. There are some avionics navaids that use the FS formats as well. All of the FMC formats appear to be proprietary although at least with PMDG the format for their SID/STAR database is open. I have not seen any FMC export or converter utilities. I agree that would be very handy.The PMDG uses two text based plans, .rte and .rt2, that could be interpreted into an FS9 plan by a talented programmer. The question is whether that would constitute a legal violation.If you wish to try a freeware planner that exports to some FMCs as well as FS9 and FSX look here:http://www.cpinf.com/products/super_flight...p_features.htmlI have not used this but it might be worth checking.

Hi folks,Have been using RC4 for a while now and very pleased with the software, much better than the default atc.Steve