Decoding FSX Flightplans Help Please

[Bob Familton 14]

I have a flightplan in FSX as follows:

 

AC#1,N5044,5%,1h,IFR,00:13:00,00:45:48,55,R,

7738,KPSM,00:13:00,00:45:48,55,R,2551,KBGR

 

Here's what I think it means:

 

AC#1= Aircraft number

N5044= Registration number

5%= Min. traffic percentage

1h= One hour repeat frequency

IFR= IFR Flight

00:13:00= Takeoff time in Zulu Time from KBGR

00:45:48= Landing time in Zulu Time at KPSM

55= Altitude 5,500 ft.

R= Forces aircraft registration number to be used

7738=Flight number outgoing

KPSM= Destination airport

00:13:00= I am not sure

00:45:48= I am not sure

55= Altitude 5,500 ft.

R= Forces aircraft registration number to be used

2551= Flight number returning

KBGR= Destination airport

 

What I don't understand are the times. It appears that the takeoff and landing times are the same time from KBGR and KPSM. What is the 1hr repeat time?

 

Am I correct above and could someone please help me to understand the times. Also are the takeoff times the time that the AI is starting taxi or actually taking off? Are the landing times the actual time the AI lands or is it when it completes the taxi after landing? I tried Googling FSX flightplans and could not find any place that fully explains the flightplan decoding.

 

Thanks, Bob.

[Mike777 163]

Hi, Bob,

 

The documentation that comes with Traffic Tools explains flight plan format and gives many options you can use.

 

It can be found in the AVSIM library at:

http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?DLID=34731&Name=&FileName=&Author=&CatID=root

 

Or you can use extended search for file ID 34731.

 

In your flight plan, the first two times refer to the flight beginning at the airport at the end of the line, KBGR - the flight departs KBGR at 1300Z and arrives at 00:45:48 at KPSM.   This is a peculiarity of the format -- the airport at the end of the line is both the starting point and the finishing point for the flight plan. The flight plan is reproduced every hour (1H).  The second two times are for KPSM back to KBGR.   However the times should not be identical for both flights -- the one starting at KBGR -- the first two time entries on the line -- should start and end before the one at KPSM begins.  There is a way to have a flight plan extending over more than one day,explained in the TTools documentation.  You are correct about the other entries - tail number, altitude, etc.

 

I think TTools works in FSX as well as FS2002 & FS2004 (FS9), but I haven't used it much in FSX. 

 

Curious to know where you found the flight plan you gave?

 

Mike

[Bob Familton 14]

Hi. Thanks. I have TTools2.02. That's where I found most of the info.

 

The flightplan is from Pease AFB FSX AI P3.zip, It comes as a reference from another file Pease_AFB_FSX_Version_2.0.zip here at Avsim which sends you to Steve Hess's site  There are a lot of other flightplans for Pease AFB.

 

The two times are equal. That's what I could not understand. Is the F/P wrong? I sat at KBGR and watched the P-3 get taxi instructions and he taxied to the runway but never took off. He finally vanished. I have seen him enroute which is hard to understand.

 

Thanks, Bob.

[Mike777 163]

Hi, Bob,

 

I don't know what a plan with two identical times will do.  It's possible that a plane that disappeared on the ground could reappear en route if you are in a different location or just change the time to a little later or earlier.  But that is definitely a defective plan -- the times should be sequential:

11:00, 13:00, ...  KPSM, 14:00, 16:00 ... KBGR for example. 

 

You should have a help item in the ttools top menu bar that will open a web-type page installed in the ttools folder.  It is called ReadMe.htm.  This help file contains a very detailed description of the flight plan format, including how to do a plan extending over a week.  It is really excellent documentation.

 

I also noticed there is a different utility for FSX, recommended by Tom Gibson, here:

 

http://forum.avsim.net/topic/372963-decompilingcompiling-traffic-bgls-in-fsx/

 

Perhaps it also comes with good documentation.

 

Mike

[Bob Familton 14]

i Mike. Thanks. I have AIFP. I just wanted to try and figure out the plans for my own information. I noticed that there are other AI planes for Pease that have the same type times. I am going to try and contact Steve Hess and ask about the times. Bob.

[Mike777 163]

 

 

i Mike. Thanks. I have AIFP. I just wanted to try and figure out the plans for my own information. I noticed that there are other AI planes for Pease that have the same type times. I am going to try and contact Steve Hess and ask about the times. Bob.

 

Hi, Bob,

 

Unlike airline flights, I doubt that military flight plans are real world accurate as to times.  So you could just modify them so that the times are sequential.  TTools and probably AIFP explain how to have week-long plans and how to reuse them so that you have lots of traffic!

 

Mike

[Bob Familton 14]

Hi. OK. Thanks Mike. Regards, Bob.

[Mike777 163]

Is AIFP similar to TTools?

 

Thanks,
Mike

[Bob Familton 14]

Is AIFP similar to TTools?

 

Thanks,

Mike

 

It is different. I don't know if we can post the URL's for other sites here. Do a Google search for FSX AIFP and the first hit will show you and tell you all about it. It's great. Best regards, Bob.

[Mike777 163]

Thanks, Bob

 

Mike