To be honest, I haven't heard anything bad about it. Nor did I hear recommendations from fellow captains to use it. But apart from it sexy looks, I cannot confirm it offers smth really helpful for my pre-flight briefing. I heavily rely on online resources for my WX brief, flight planning, etc. plus a couple of tiny but powerful freeware gauges for taxiing, wind speed calculations, TCAS, etc during the actual flight. Plus I'm not a proponent of keeping the system busy with many external tools running in the background...

 

So, I face to you, guys, since I'm still deciding on purchasing this monster tool. Do you think you would sincerely recommend it to a professional simmer (sorry, if it sounds cocky, but I've been pro simming for 10+ years incl. experience in VATSIM, FSE, PMDG, etc.)?

 

Thanks a lot!!!

It's pretty good, yeah. I don't use it for pre-flight (I'm not even really sure what it offers for pre-flight) in any way, just as a better flight log that allows me to go back and look at flights and ask 'what did I do wrong this time?' at anytime in the future.

It's also got a very useful gauge included with it, it's a moving map that is a kind of cross with an ACARS, TCAS and terrain display. That alone  is worth the asking price in my opinion.

But for moving map there is a pretty nice tool called PlanG. And it's freeware...

 

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But for moving map there is a pretty nice tool called PlanG. And it's freeware... Sent from my GT-I9295 using Tapatalk

 

Yes, but the moving map in FSFK also contains taxiways and parking spots extracted from your scenery. Which is pretty invaluable IMO.

Sorry to say this, Nikki, but again: PlanG has this built-in functionality as well - just right-click on the airport name and select "Show airport diagram".

 

Anyway, thanks for your input guys! But from what I understand I better spend my money on smth really useful for my flight experience.

 

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FSFK really wasn't designed to be a flight planning tool, it's a very comprehensive log book. It captures a ton of data on every flight. I've used it for years and love it. The reports are a nice way of tracking hours/miles by ac, addon, airline, etc.

At the end of the flight you can check the critics, and if you need you can setup them as you wish. 

The developer keeps updating with aircraft and function.

The acars future are awesome to check metar, airport info wind along the Fight Plan and many other stuff.

It's also help with Virtual airline to send pirep.

 

Plus I'm not a proponent of keeping the system busy with many external tools running in the background...

this tool is another one on your background.

I use EFB OPUS FSFK FSRealTime PFPX TOPCAT is there somthing new? LOL

I don't know about PlanG , but the FSKeeper ACARS runs as a gauge in FS so you can see it when running Full Screen.

OP, I would recommend it to a simmer, but not to you, and only because you are asking if it would help you with pre-flight.  FSFK's main use is as a flight log program.  It has other tools, but nothing that you can't find as freeware, and nothing better.  I have been using it since v1.0 to keep track of my flights for my VA.  For my purposes, it is a very good program:  performance is non-intrusive, support is outstanding, and it does what it does very well.  

...I have been using it since v1.0 to keep track of my flights for my VA...

Aha, so it logs for VAs too... Good catch, thanks! And where does it upload the flights to - dct to Vatsim servers, or Vataware, or per individual VA defined within the program?

 

Thanks!

 

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From it's web page:

 

FS Flight Keeper (FSFK) combines seven programs in one: A Logbook, a basic Aircraft Black Box, a Flight Weather planning tool, a Flight Information System (ACARS Device), a Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS), a Cockpit Sound Environment enhancement and Air TV. The Logbook keeps track of the flights you made. It stores Flight Times (also Day and Night), Fuel used, Pilot, Aircraft used, etc. Whilst the Black Box logs all aircraft events like autopilot settings, engine settings, weather, etc. FSFK also features flight weather planning (METARs, TAFs and ALOFTs), data export, configurable flight critique, World (Moving) Map display, Instant Messaging, Screenshot Manager and much more.

 

FS Flight Keeper contains many features for Virtual Airlines (VA), which need a standardized way of logging, transmitting flights and even want to upload actual flight reporting maps. FS Flight Keeper can transmit fully customizable flight reports via Email or any available Web Service (page). FSFK also offers realtime (live) ACARS. This means that ACARS messages are created in realtime and automatically transmitted to an existing Virtual Airline Web Service. The service can then store and process the received messages. Virtual Airline (live ACARS) Traffic can displayed on the World Map. With the existing Virtual Airline Software Development Kit (SDK) and the contained example services and databases any VA can develop FSFK compatible web service in a really short time.

I've been using FSFK for years and can vouch for its excellence. The moving map is very good but what I find most useful is the ACARS device which tells you so much information about your flight, aircraft status and weather (current, waypoints and destination).

 

If you want to become a better pilot the flight critique will help a lot. Thomas Molitor's support is outstanding on his forum.

Hello,

 

I've been thinking about purchasing this for a while but have concerns about the gauge?  How does it work?  Does it embed itself in your add-on aircraft, and, if so, what is the effect on the aircraft itself?  Can it be removed and essentially wiped clean?  FSX is very quirky and I'm terrified this program may negatively affect my aircraft add-ons and overall FSX performance.  I will mainly use this as a record keeping device and to review my flights with the multitude of information the ACARS portion generates. 

 

Also, what is the effect on performance?  Is it any different than a VA ACARS program? 

 

James

The ACARS gauge can be sized to fit into a suitable area on your screen. I haven't noticed any reduction in fps when it's displayed but I do have a powerful graphics card. You should be okay with a 670.

 

I toggle it on/off via a button configured via FSUIPC. Once visible you use a mouse to select the various menu options. I certainly don't leave it on for all the flight but its moving map will be useful at airports for taxiing. Alternatively you can bring up the main map either on the FS display or on a separate one via WideFS.

 

Thomas Molitor has refined this program over many years and I've always found it user friendly and stable.