One thing I've used with success (for free) is simroutes.com. You can create a flight plan using stored routes or routes you create yourself. Note that you will have know the route first. It won't just create one. So, you either need charts or you need to find a route (like on flightaware.com). (I do both, depending on the time I have available.)After creating the route, you can save and download the plan in the PMDG format. If you're using Vista, I recommend that you download to the desktop and THEN drag to the PMDG/Flightplans folder, as Vista's nanny might not actually download it to the folder. (There's other threads on this.) Name it whatever you want and drop it in the folder. When you go to the FMS, it should pop up through the coroute box. This usually works flawlessly. Sometimes, if there's a waypoint that's new, it will screw it up/not be accepted. In the 747, I've had problems with the transatlantic lat/lon fixes being accepted, but the MD-11 works well most of the time.Give it a whirl, I like it. Its free, so YMMV.

Funny, I actually found this site right after reading the last post and tried it out at work. It looks great and it seems that if you want to fly a pre-made route already in the Simroute database you can just save and load. I assume I am understanding that correctly? Otherwise I will gnerate a flight plan with Copilot Pro and enter that info into the plan generator. Thanks to all of you for you assistance.Pete

Funny, I actually found this site right after reading the last post and tried it out at work. It looks great and it seems that if you want to fly a pre-made route already in the Simroute database you can just save and load. I assume I am understanding that correctly? Otherwise I will gnerate a flight plan with Copilot Pro and enter that info into the plan generator. Thanks to all of you for you assistance.Pete

That's correct. If its a popular route, there's probably a saved route on Simroutes. Just download and go (note Vista folder issue I mentioned above.) If there isn't a route and want to generate your own quickly and free, try this to see if it works for you: 1. Go to Flightaware and find a flight that you want to replicate. Highlight and copy the route. 2. Go to simroutes "generate route", type in the origin and destination, drop downs for SIDs and STARs should come up. Skip these unless you know that you are going off a specific runway. I actually usually add the SID, since I know what runway I'm going to use and add the STAR later. Paste the route form flightaware into the box and hit generate route. 3. It should go to a page summarizing the route. 4. Using the drop downs, save/download in PMDG format (note my previous comment about Vista and where to download to). 5. Start FS and try coroute in the FMS. This doesn't always work, mind you, but it does most of the time. You won't learn anything about flight planning this way, but its fast and generates more realistic routes than MSFS crappy flight planner.

That's correct. If its a popular route, there's probably a saved route on Simroutes. Just download and go (note Vista folder issue I mentioned above.) If there isn't a route and want to generate your own quickly and free, try this to see if it works for you: 1. Go to Flightaware and find a flight that you want to replicate. Highlight and copy the route. 2. Go to simroutes "generate route", type in the origin and destination, drop downs for SIDs and STARs should come up. Skip these unless you know that you are going off a specific runway. I actually usually add the SID, since I know what runway I'm going to use and add the STAR later. Paste the route form flightaware into the box and hit generate route. 3. It should go to a page summarizing the route. 4. Using the drop downs, save/download in PMDG format (note my previous comment about Vista and where to download to). 5. Start FS and try coroute in the FMS. This doesn't always work, mind you, but it does most of the time. You won't learn anything about flight planning this way, but its fast and generates more realistic routes than MSFS crappy flight planner.

It's sort of funny that I think the last time I actually filed a flight plan was the day I took my private pilot check ride in 2001! Since then I think the farthest I have flown was up to Mitchell Int'l in Milwuakee, which round trip took not much more than one and a half hours, but at about $120 per hour in the Piper Warrior if I went far enough to need a flight plan i think I'd go broke! It's so expensive to fly that I only go up maybe once a month; good thing there's flight simulator!

That's correct. If its a popular route, there's probably a saved route on Simroutes. Just download and go (note Vista folder issue I mentioned above.) If there isn't a route and want to generate your own quickly and free, try this to see if it works for you: 1. Go to Flightaware and find a flight that you want to replicate. Highlight and copy the route. 2. Go to simroutes "generate route", type in the origin and destination, drop downs for SIDs and STARs should come up. Skip these unless you know that you are going off a specific runway. I actually usually add the SID, since I know what runway I'm going to use and add the STAR later. Paste the route form flightaware into the box and hit generate route. 3. It should go to a page summarizing the route. 4. Using the drop downs, save/download in PMDG format (note my previous comment about Vista and where to download to). 5. Start FS and try coroute in the FMS. This doesn't always work, mind you, but it does most of the time. You won't learn anything about flight planning this way, but its fast and generates more realistic routes than MSFS crappy flight planner.

O.k. this is very strange: I used this simroutes program at work (XP machine) and downloaded the flight plan as a rte file as it should be. I got home a little while ago and tried downloading the same file on my vista machine and the file says "details.aspx." What the heck is going on here? Is this another vista related issue? By the way, I saved the file and emailed it to myself and it works like a charm in the MD-11, so now why would the exact same file download as this "aspx" file instead of EGLLLFPG.rte? Thanks again for any assistance.

O.k. this is very strange: I used this simroutes program at work (XP machine) and downloaded the flight plan as a rte file as it should be. I got home a little while ago and tried downloading the same file on my vista machine and the file says "details.aspx." What the heck is going on here? Is this another vista related issue? By the way, I saved the file and emailed it to myself and it works like a charm in the MD-11, so now why would the exact same file download as this "aspx" file instead of EGLLLFPG.rte? Thanks again for any assistance.

I'm not a Vista expert, but I'm assuming this is some security "feature". Did you send it to the desktop directly? You could try searching for it, or do what I'm about to do when I get home, which is install Windows 7 and hope everything gets better. :(

I'm not a Vista expert, but I'm assuming this is some security "feature". Did you send it to the desktop directly? You could try searching for it, or do what I'm about to do when I get home, which is install Windows 7 and hope everything gets better. :(

Haha...I was thinking of getting Win 7 but I am afraid to mess up my well running Vista setup. Anyway, the issues I was having was when accessing the website with Internet Explorer. I then switched to Google Chrome and no problem. There must be some issue with my explorer. Anyway, good luck with the Win 7 installation, hope it works well; if the review are good I will do the same.Pete

Thanks for your response, I went to the website for vroute and it seems to cost somewhere in $35 range. I don't suppose there are any freeware programs that will do this? If not I will definitely try to familiarize myself with the custom flight planning via the link you sent. I guess it doesn't hurt to learn something new. Thanks again!

Here's a link to the freeware version: http://www.vroute.net/content/view/84/52/The drawbacks are you can't do any fuel planning with it, and you can't export into a PMDG-specific format. Otherwise, it works just great.