Flight planning software, Which one to get?

[Gregg_Seipp 572]

I have to admit, the SID/STAR thing in FSBuild does make it seem pretty tempting. One thing I dislike is having to click on the PDFs one at a time to find a SID/STAR that works for the runway in use and the direction I'm going.

[cmpbellsjc 2,963]

Another vote for FSBuild. Been using it since FS9 and love it. Like other mentioned, its great to use with flightaware and also if you let it autogenerate the flight plans with the corresponding sids and stars provided you provide the expected runways for departure and arrival. In fact a lot of time it will generate the same flight plans that flightaware give.

 

Its also a snap to then upload the flightplan into ASE or AS2012. Not sure about importing into REXE though since I dont use it.

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

I just use Plan-G....I find it a rather good piece of Freeware. but no SID or STARS

[mikea76 184]

I have to admit, the SID/STAR thing in FSBuild does make it seem pretty tempting. One thing I dislike is having to click on the PDFs one at a time to find a SID/STAR that works for the runway in use and the direction I'm going.

 

I have FScommander but what I have found myself doing for sid's and stars is going to flightaware and find a RW flight I want to sim and use the RW flights sid and star. Never had a issue doing that on vatsim.

[brucewtb 250]

These days I am mainly using FlightAware to get routes and then importing into Aivlasoft's EFB to convert to FSX and PMDG format and to add Sids and Stars. I also use Plan-G for VFR stuff.

 

Bruce

[elprim 10]

And here's one more vote for vroute premium. Bought it last week, got 20% off (18 Euros).

 

Huge database of flight plans, decent fuel calculator, METAR, winds enroute predictions, fuel burn, export to most add-ons, map, info about real-world flights on a selected route, automatic Vatsim booking, info about charts, sceneries and ATC bookings etc. Very useful if one does not predominantly fly in the areas covered with Flightaware.

 

As most here, I am too in a row for pfpx to be out in some 2-3 months. Let's see...

 

Daniel

[rototom 198]

Can Vroute read weather from Active Sky or other? That's what I like about FSBuild, I can look up on Flightaware (right in FSBuild) pick my aircraft, set my route and when I select build, it pulls upper winds from AS and adjusts my plan accordingly. Topcat is obviously much better for TOLD data but FSBuild can give you takoff and landing speeds if the aircraft data is available. I'm guessing they are very similar programs though.

[WebMaximus 372]

These days I am mainly using FlightAware to get routes and then importing into Aivlasoft's EFB to convert to FSX and PMDG format and to add Sids and Stars. I also use Plan-G for VFR stuff.

 

Bruce

 

Sorry to wake up an old thread but how do you import flight plans from FlightAware into Aivlasoft EFB?

[wims80 121]

I'm not using Aivlasoft EFB, but I imagine you just copy-paste the route into the EFBs route dialog. Surely

[WebMaximus 372]

I'm sure you're right, I'm not in front of my computer right now so can't check what it looks like in EFB but my biggest concern was where you find a flight's actual route at FlightAware? Most probably just me being blind but maybe I can blame it on surfing on my mobile :wink:

[RedSpinnaker 35]

I just copy the route from flightaware (mouse select, copy), then within EFB -> Route Setup -> Select and paste it in the box "Enter route description". You'll have to add the origin/departure ICAO codes manually to the route, but that's the easiest for me.

 

For full planning, I use FSBuild for the actual flight planning (with highly tweaked performance models, use it more for fuel calculations than anything due to excellent ActiveSky winds aloft integration), TOPCAT for calculating takeoff performance, and AivlaSoft EFB on my iPad for well, EFB functions during the flight.

 

That's for IFR planning. VFR flights, I love PlanG!

 

Need to get my iPad and ForeFlight working with FSX, and start using that though eventually.

 

EDIT: One thing to watch when cutting/pasting routes off FA. If the route on FA has a NAT track in it, EFB doesn't (at least I've not be able to get it to) expand the track with the effective waypoints.

[brucewtb 250]

Sorry to wake up an old thread but how do you import flight plans from FlightAware into Aivlasoft EFB?

 

You copy the FA route into a text editor and add the ICAO ID for departure and arrival airports. Then you paste into the route description space in EFB. Works like a charm. Unfortunately it seems not all flights have the route feature enabled but does work in North America, Australia and between North America and Australia.

 

Bruceb

[WebMaximus 372]

Ok, must be what you say that not all flights have the route feature enabled because for the flights I've checked I haven't been able to find any route info. Currently I'm in EDDL and was trying to find a route back to ESSA but no luck. Tried some other legs as well like ESSA-EHAM.

 

Too bad because the method is brilliant how to get real flight plans into EFB!

[wims80 121]

Flightaware is only good for US flights. For real (or at least perfectly valid / legal) flights in Europe I recommend using other tools, like vroute.info or vatroute.net. While its possible that some of the routes are not actually flown by any of the current carriers, the routes in those databases should all have been validated with Eurocontrols flight plan validator and should be legal to fly, even in the real world (altho, DO NOT use any of these route databases for real life flying. For real life flying you have to do the work yourself instead of hoping that the route you have chosen is a legal and valid)

 

EDIT:

Vatroute is suggesting this route for flights between EDDL and ESSA

 

MEVEL Y850 BASUM UM170 STADE UZ102 HAM UP605 MEGAR GESKA N851 MIKNA Z226 NILUG

[WebMaximus 372]

Thanks, just tried Vatroute and seems to be very good!