Vroute Professional as main flight planner for offliner

[Benjamin J 751]

Does FSBuild have an expanding library of ready updated flightplans?

FSBuild does it the conventional way, like the default FS flight planner. So, by default it has no flight plans, but it lets you simply create flight plans using the navdata you have installed. So, if I understand your question correctly, the answer is no. And that's exactly why I want it; it means that as long as the origin and destination exist in the navdata, you can always make a flight plan. This is not true for Vroute, where you have to be lucky. You only get your flight plan if somebody took the trouble to make one and upload it. This is fine for Western Europe and America and the big, busy airport in other parts of the world, but it doesn't work for the not-so-popular destinations.

[vololiberista 205]

FSBuild does it the conventional way, like the default FS flight planner. So, by default it has no flight plans, but it lets you simply create flight plans using the navdata you have installed. So, if I understand your question correctly, the answer is no. And that's exactly why I want it; it means that as long as the origin and destination exist in the navdata, you can always make a flight plan. This is not true for Vroute, where you have to be lucky. You only get your flight plan if somebody took the trouble to make one and upload it. This is fine for Western Europe and America and the big, busy airport in other parts of the world, but it doesn't work for the not-so-popular destinations.

It really is not very difficult to ammend a downloaded vroute fplan in notepad. All you do is substitute the destination airport with the details for your own plus if you need to add or delete waypoints and save the file.vololiberista

[Benjamin J 751]

Sure, that's a possibility, but the problem is that if it doesn't match the AIRAC cycle, it is shown as "not available". So, there is nothing to download and amend for my own use... Really, I want a flight planner that gives me every route ask it to give me, not just a selection that I may have to amend afterwards. For those, like me, that want to fly in SLSU, or various places in Russia, Vroute is not that great.

[ronzie 21]

FS BUILD does have some stored flight plans. These are older contributed plans but you can add to them. If you use the Auto-route function and a stored plan is found, it will use that. Those may not be the latest and you can turn off that function when using the Auto-route feature. (There is a separate category for storing user created plans not for Auto-route use, the normal User category.)AIRAC updates are available at this time at no charge via FSBuild.com. You can export built plans to FS9, FSX, PMDG, LDS, and other formats. It also contains a fuel planning system with several aircraft profiles and you can add your own. It connects to several Active Sky versions and maybe others.It accepts route formats from such sites as flightaware.com using ICAO standards for syntax. Oceanic coordinates may require minor editing (a space deletion in coordinate pairing).When a plan is built it forms a waypoint grid. You can choose to edit this grid by setting an option and then rebuild/export the edited waypoint list. This gets rid of some hard to hit waypoints less than a mile from a runway threshold that may cause dificulties with RC. The grid and the exported plans have all SIDs and STARs expanded to individual waypoints.An example of some FSBuild procedures I have in this support thread in the RC forum here:http://forums1.avsim.net/index.php?showtopic=278121Vroute if I recall only uses current weather. (The site appears down as I write this.) FSBuild uses the weather capabilities of archived or current weather as loaded into your weather application. I use Active Sky 6.5 for FS9. Winds aloft and at the surface are factored into its fuel planning system. When I fly in a different parts of the world I load the weather from the set Z-time of the FS departure location. I do this because the weather environment changes with the time of day due to sun effects, etc., such as fog creation or burn-off, vertical draft/mountain wind changes, and other factors. The only difficulty I have found is in its route function where there are duplicate airport local terminal procedure waypoint labels. The default included radius is 300 nm but this can be reconfigured to 100 nm solving most problems. This avoids points off-route. These areas can be easily proofed on the displayed route map.FSBuild does have a learning curve but not what I consider heavy but that is the price of flexibility. In combination with Active Sky I tend to think of it as a dispatcher's tool. Active sky furnishes the route weather reports and FSBuild furnishes the route/plan and fuel requirements based on that weather.For those who purchase FSBuild there is a non published upgrade link not on the upgrade section of the simmarket.com distribution site.As an aside, for those who wish to "retrofit" an FMC and other navigation equipment to an aircraft of their choice, the same developer, Ernie Alston, also furnishes these panel instrument collections:http://isgsim.com/?page=featuresErnie also furnishes free AIRAC updates for these as well. This way your FMC/GPS database matches your FSBuild database syncing your FS plan for ATC with your nav equipment.

FSBuild does it the conventional way, like the default FS flight planner. So, by default it has no flight plans, but it lets you simply create flight plans using the navdata you have installed. So, if I understand your question correctly, the answer is no. And that's exactly why I want it; it means that as long as the origin and destination exist in the navdata, you can always make a flight plan. This is not true for Vroute, where you have to be lucky. You only get your flight plan if somebody took the trouble to make one and upload it. This is fine for Western Europe and America and the big, busy airport in other parts of the world, but it doesn't work for the not-so-popular destinations.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,927]

I read on the vRoute forum last week that Michel is away for several days but cannot remember exactly how long. This would explain why the service has not been restored.This is the first downtime I can remember in more than two years since I first started using it. I'm sure as soon as Michel returns he'll restore the service unless someone can contact him privately beforehand.

[out 769]

This is the first downtime I can remember in more than two years since I first started using it

Exactly, I was surprised myself to see no Vroute servers action tonight.I'll see if I can contact Michal on that issue.UPDATE: Michal had a skiing accident in the Alps. He's got a broken leg. We'll need to wait a bit I'm afraid.

[Chuck_B 2]

Deleted by poster.

[Chuck_B 2]

For those who purchase FSBuild there is a non published upgrade link not on the upgrade section of the simmarket.com distribution site.

Ron, can you tell me where exactly this link is? Not sure I follow what you're saying here , , , Thanks!

[JP_Visser 3]

.... You only get your flight plan if somebody took the trouble to make one and upload it. This is fine for Western Europe and America and the big, busy airport in other parts of the world, but it doesn't work for the not-so-popular destinations ...

Well,atleast we know who doesn't take the trouble :(

[out 769]

VROUTE is back! :(

[Ray Proudfoot 8,927]

Exactly, I was surprised myself to see no Vroute servers action tonight.I'll see if I can contact Michal on that issue.UPDATE: Michal had a skiing accident in the Alps. He's got a broken leg. We'll need to wait a bit I'm afraid.

Hi Rafal,Poor Michal. But as long is it's his leg that broken and not his typing finger he may me able to carry on. At least the server is running so we shouldn't need to bother him.

[Mike_CFII_MEL 788]

Hi,I use FSBuild, and have done so for many years. I have one ongoing beef with FSBuild's database (fsb_fplans2) AR1 should be AR21, if you run a flight from KJFK into KFLL or KMIA or any other route that requires AR21, you are given AR1 and if you don't fix the mistake it will take you MILES and MILES and MILES out of your way. I complained about this a very long time ago, it still hasn't been fixed.I'm talking about the AUTO GENERTAE / BUILD fetaure of FSBuild, for those of you that have FSBuild Enter KJFK in DEPARTURE, enter KMIA in DESTINATION, press AUTO GENERTAE, then press BUILD.Here is FSBuilds flightplan from KJFK to KMIAKJFK WAVEY EMJAY J174 WARNN J174 DIW AR14 METTA AR1 HOBEE HEATT5 KMIA - It takes you on a tour of South America (Carrasco) - Total Trip Distance 9067NM. This flight plan takes you over 8,000 NM out of your way.Here is what it should be:KJFK WAVEY EMJAY J174 WARNN J174 DIW AR14 METTA AR21 HOBEE HEATT5 KMIA - Total Trip Distance 979NM.I can't be the only one having this problem, the problem is in its database. I just reworked fsb_fplans2 AGAIN, if you need the fixed file, I can send it to you. Just wish FSBuild would fix this problem once and for all.I enter all my flight plans manually (most of the time) into FSBuild so I don't see the above problem all that much, All-in-All FSBuild is a great program!. Just wish Ernie would fix this database problem.

[ronzie 21]

The latest link is:http://www.fsbuild.com/dl/Fsbuild2372Upd.exethat is if you have 2.3.2 installed. It is not in the normal upgrade list in your simmarket.com order history list.

Ron, can you tell me where exactly this link is? Not sure I follow what you're saying here , , , Thanks!

[Mike_CFII_MEL 788]

Hi,The link is no good, 404 error.

The latest link is:http://www.fsbuild.com/dl/Fsbuild2372Upd.exethat is if you have 2.3.2 installed. It is not in the normal upgrade list in your simmarket.com order history list.

[Chuck_B 2]

Mike, no you're not the only one. It happens to me quite a bit and I have just learned to look at the map and make sure the plan forms a relatively great circle route before I proceed. If I see a significant deviation like that I just delete it in the grid and use the rebuild from table grid option. I always just chalked it up to identical waypoints confusing the program. I would lke to have a copy of your fix, though so I'll PM you in a minute.Hey, just for sh**s and giggles, try the autobuild for EGKK to CYYZ using the KENE2M SID, for instance. :(