Hello J van E, haven't heard from you since the AirbusX checklist days. Yes, AivlaSoft's EFB comes with all the charts and plates of the world. It uses Navigragh for updates which aren't totally necessary but really should be updated along with all the other addons on their release cycle. Take a look here http://www.avsim.com...Combo/MD11.html about the middle of the review and at the end for some practical use of EFB. Once you use it, you're hooked. Makes flight planning and monitoring a snap, plus a whole lot more in the slick package.Ray

Yeah, long time no see. Thanks for the extra info about EFB. I just read that Avsim article (interesting read!) but I think EFB is a bit too much for me, specially when you take into consideration that you need to run everything in windowed mode to get the most out of it... But I don't really need (or want) all those real time moving maps and whatnot... I only want to use it (or anything) for planning a flight and I have to say that now I get the hang of it, I rather like to search through my printed charts (I printed all the relevant charts of the airports I frequently visit) and figure out the route that way...! It's a bit like making a puzzle: you have to make all the pieces fit. Yesterday I plotted a flight from EHAM to EGLL and it was very satifsying being able to figure out which procedures I had to follow to get from one specific runway to another specific runway just by looking at paper charts! I used FSC (shareware) to check if everything was correct and it was. I love it. It's great being able to connect the dots!

Another source of European routes is EuroFPL, a real-world flight planning utility (thanks to Pierre Lainé for mentioning it in another thread). There is a free registration process that allows you to register as an "Aviation Enthusiast" or something like that. Just put in "-" in the fields where it asks about your license number and issuing authority. There is also a payware option for simmers (€10 per month) that gives you access to charts and such. I haven't tried it, so I can't comment on whether it is worth it or not. By the way, EuroFPL is the source of many of the European routes in vRoute. You can find EuroFPL here: http://www.eurofpl.eu/

The updated pdf is here.

Many thanks Ray!! :(

Yeah, long time no see. Thanks for the extra info about EFB. I just read that Avsim article (interesting read!) but I think EFB is a bit too much for me, specially when you take into consideration that you need to run everything in windowed mode to get the most out of it... But I don't really need (or want) all those real time moving maps and whatnot... I only want to use it (or anything) for planning a flight and I have to say that now I get the hang of it, I rather like to search through my printed charts (I printed all the relevant charts of the airports I frequently visit) and figure out the route that way...! It's a bit like making a puzzle: you have to make all the pieces fit.

I agree, it's good fun working it all out from the charts.

For those who might be interested in a slightly more planning example you might be interested in this one (KSEA-KLAX): http://forum.avsim.net/topic/345450-sids-stars-and-approach-transitions-worked-example-iii

Word of caution when looking for charts - there are a lot of outdated charts on various sites so sometimes if your nav data in NGX is upto date you will find that the charts dont reflect whats in your plane - example EGBB recently changed all its sids to reflect the change in TA from 4000 to 6000 feet which ment all the sids gained a number. For European charts best place to go is EAD http://www.ead.euroc.../index.php.html thats the official eurocontrol website and contains charts for pretty much most of Europe - you need to register(free) If you want UK charts then they are on the EAD site - but I find it a bit clunky to navigate so for speed of access for UK charts go to http://www.nats-uk.e...&Itemid=13.html Which will give you all the charts for UK airports There is a good little app for Idevices called Circle to Land that contains quite a lot of charts for many countries around the world including the US, UK - it doesnt have all - but a good selection. For flightplans - some good ideas already suggested - Flightaware best for US - but will track aircraft departing into the states from anywhere - it does track some other stuff also - not quite sure how it works, but a google search for Ryanair to LFMT gave me a flightaware link for route from leeds to LFMT. Fsbuild is not bad - but does sometimes generate incorrect routes - but if you use the PM feature of it you can build a route and correct the autogen route by selecting show airways that pass over fix. This product soon hopefully to be released is looking like it will generate some accurate routes and give you all your fuel figures etc http://www.pfpx.com/As the OP as shown so well in his tutorials - STARS and Approaches that are published are not always flown in real life as shown in the chart - many of the approaches/stars/sids etc are published for many reasons - take example EGBB Sids DTY4F - you would only be allocated this SID when the radar had failed or the Tower had been evacuated! The Direct arrival charts again are a procedural appoach use only - you would again only be flying this if no Radar. The approach plates also often show multiple ways to fly the approach outbound on radials from beacons, extending holds etc These are Procedural approaches and again at many airports the only reason you would be flying it this way, is for either training, or a radar faliure. - normally you would be vectored straight onto the localiser or inbound track of the NDB or VOR - often fetched off the STAR early - or commenced from the Hold. That said - often in our FSX world there is no ATC or Radar - and flying these approaches Procedurally is a fun and challenging thing to do, especially if you dont just use LNAV but instead as the op as shown setting the required radials. These are excellent guides for those that are struggling to understand how to navigate and properly plan to get from A to B - They are a good start to help you understand real world Ops, and once you mastered understanding some of the charts etc. I strongly suggest trying something like VATSIM and putting your new found Knowledge into practice - you will then also see how they fit into more normal ops as often what you see on VATSIM at some of the better manned units is what real world ATC is doing, in sense of the vectors you will get.

Er... do those maps and charts things come with EFB...? Or do you have to search for them on the internet and import them somehow? I was put off buy the high preice off EFB, but if it comes with all charts...?

EFB has all the charts; ils, sids, stars, FSX airports, taxi ways, ramp, parking, checklist based on phase of flight, library for ref docs, moving map, can run on remote computers, laptops, iPads (if I recall correctly). it can slice, it can dice ...This truly a very very great application and great value. Go to their web site and download the manuals and give it a read.

...Fsbuild is not bad - but does sometimes generate incorrect routes - but if you use the PM feature of it you can build a route and correct the autogen route by selecting show airways that pass over fix....

Whats the PM feature of FSBuild? My experience with the autogeneration feature is that it almost always create an illegal route for online flying, similar successrates to rbuilder

EFB has all the charts; ils, sids, stars, FSX airports, taxi ways, ramp, parking, checklist based on phase of flight, library for ref docs, moving map, can run on remote computers, laptops, iPads (if I recall correctly). it can slice, it can dice ... This truly a very very great application and great value. Go to their web site and download the manuals and give it a read.

Yesterday I downloaded and installed nDAC from the Navigraph site: it gives me all the same charts as EFB (afaik) for a fraction of the cost. I don't care about the rest EFB offers (also because I don't have a spare laptop or iPad for it...

Yesterday I downloaded and installed nDAC from the Navigraph site: it gives me all the same charts as EFB (afaik) for a fraction of the cost. I don't care about the rest EFB offers (also because I don't have a spare laptop or iPad for it...

Good to hear. What you now have is simply an updated release of what comes with EFB. Depending on wheather you purchased a one time cycle or an annual subscription. Most of us have the annual subscription for Navigraph (13 times a year or so) EFB comes with the full version, just slitghtly out of date, of all the Navigraph data. Ray

Ha, LOL, so I'm am more up to date at a fraction of the cost. I like that. BTW S0me chart in nCAD are rotated (90 degrees). Yoy can rotate them manually, but it would be nice if they STAYED that way... Any trick for that...?

Whats the PM feature of FSBuild? My experience with the autogeneration feature is that it almost always create an illegal route for online flying, similar successrates to rbuilder

Button at top right says PM - this allows you to construct a route point by point showing airways that route over a fix - it shows one way airways etc from this you can build up a route that is correct or at least legal - if the autogen as generated a load of rubbish. For people flying in the UK there is a standard UK route document available of the NATS AIs website where you can see what routes should be used to fly between UK airports or to get to UK exit points