Has anyone tried the new Ideal Flight?

[tamsini]

As the heading suggests, anyone try this yet?

 

http://www.simstop.com/store/product_info.php?task=viewinfo&cPath=1&page=index.php&pid=409&products_id=409

[flyforever]

I've been a user and a tester for a very long time. Ideal Flight is one of those gems that keeps evolving according to the needs of simmers. It's the ideal wrapper utility---from automatic flight planning to weather generation. The list of features is too long to describe, but to use it it's one click away.  The way I use it is as follows:

I pick my airplane, my aiport, the length of time I want to fly, IFR or VFR, and Ideal Flight does the rest. It creates a flight plan and places me on the airport ready to go.  It allows me to set up all kinds of variables--from aircraft failures to system monitoring and grading. I can choose Ideal Flight built weather generation, easy AI buddy( an aircraft that flies with me during my flights), grading, log book report, and all the NaV and flight planning info on the kneepad during flight.

The author is friendly and very professional: there is no question or request not answered or considered promtly.

Once IF is configured to your taste, it's a one button utility. You click one button and the rest is done for you. Never does one need to worry about where to fly or all the other issues related to flight simming.

It's a career tool, too. It logs your flights and scores them as well. It also allows you start other programs with it.

It's offered  as a try before you buy it. Try it. I am sure you'll want to buy it.

tony

[Mephic]

Is it able to convert a flight plan to .rte format? Currently I am using online flight planner which gives me 2 versions - .pln for ATC and .rte for NGX.

 

Ah yes it is in expansion pack. But you need to have base... Too much for me right now as I am getting 777 soon

[flyforever]

The base pack provides plenty to work with. The add on pack clearly provides very advanced features. My suggestion is to do the obvious: go to their website and feel your way around, including asking on the forum. This will, at one point, help you make the best decision.

tony

[tamsini]

I was specifically wondering about the new version that just came out two days ago. Sorry if I wasn't clear :(.

[pmanhart]

I was specifically wondering about the new version that just came out two days ago. Sorry if I wasn't clear :(.

 

I'm wondering the same thing. It would be great to have a definitive list of enhancements included with the ">augmented" version. As a long time user of IF with FSX, before I switched to P3DV2, I'm very interested when IF will release for P3D as well.

 

The developer, Steve, is a class act so I assume the new features are well worth the price, but would still like a defined list of enhancements prior to parting with my cash.

[kingm56]

I haven't tried it yet; I probably won't spend $30 to do so either.  To be honest, I removed IF from my hard-drive a long time ago.  I was never able to capitalize on its benefits.  IF10 does A LOT of things; however, it doesn't accomplish them as well as other high fidelity add-ons.  Specifically, I have have ASN, PFPX and FSCapt.  Thus, IF10 core features are neutralized, at least for me. Indeed, you could disable the weather feature and drop a PFPX generated flight plan into IF10, which could save you a few minutes during the flight planning process, However, having said that, it you don't own a flight planning or weather injection application, this program might be for you.  Although the $70 price point is pretty hefty (40.00 for the base pack and 30.00 for the expansion).  I'd recommend spending the $80.00 on PFPX and ASN.  I concur with the statement regarding the IFs developer...CLASS ACT and very engaged!  

 

Here's a list of features:

• AIRAC and FMC support
• Combines AIRAC and scenery data to produce the compatible subset
• Reads popular aircraft NavData sets for perfect plans
• Auto-export GPS plans and FMC files so that GPS plans are duplicated and ready to load into the FMC co-route
• Follow-me Ai shadow aircraft buddy selection, and markings
• Wake proximity, and turbulence effects around moving objects
• Turbulent conditions created by extended flaps and gear
• Veering stressed airframe at close to max airspeeds
• More plan types, and random route finding, with random aircraft selection
• More approach types; FAF, IDF, SID, and STAR approaches and departures
• Adjust computed approach timing
• Airport destination searches sorted by; alphabet, distance, heading, altitude, and reverse order. World map with improved functions, zooms,
• Handling of airport subsets improved
• More Cold and Dark functions included
• In-flight menu enhanced with weather scenarios
• Diagnostic package lists modules used, analyses VAS usage throughout the flight, reports on exceptions encountered by FSX, and lists any modules causing errors
• Comms radio package pre-sets radios to ATIS etc
• More penalties Taxi speed and Low Altitude Speed
• Improved NavAid symbols on route maps
• Approach and Departure maps included with briefing
• In-flight error messages, auto-pause, and auto-saves
• New Profiles features; limited movement and committed flight score

[SteveW]

Hey KingM56, I'm glad to hear your simming is going well, but that's like comparing a bucket and spade with a 12 place dinner service and cutlery set, with chef, 3 servants and a dishwasher! :lol:

 

Only joking. PFPX and ASN are fantastic, but they do an entirely different thing than IF10, individually or together.

All the best.
Steve

[kingm56]

LOL...fair enough, Steve.  As stated, I think it would be wise for anyone to check your product out...just because I couldn't find a practical use in my simming experience, doesn't mean they won't.  All the best to you, sir!  

[MarkSC]

While I haven't tried the update (waiting on P3D version), I can recommend Ideal Flight as a great add on. There are so many features. One of the best, and what got me interested in the first place, was the ability to generate random flights using your search parameters. Then, when the flight is finished, the aircraft remains there cold and dark until your next flight. Really, though, that is just one of many, many features. Steve is a great developer and very responsive on his forum.

[flyforever]

Not to get into a "this is better than that",  I use IF because  of the one button approach to my flying.  When I start it, it picks up from where I last landed and finds another airport for me--through out the entire world.  My flying is fun because I no longer have to think about which programs to start or start FSX in the same default airport. IF beautifully matches my aircraft with the amount of time I want to fly, including all the navigation aids and maps to get me there. It adds the flight plan into the gps and off I go. For this, there are two buttons: one, generate new flight plan; two, fly!. So, for a busy guy like me, who works and sims at the same time, I set up IF to pause at TOD and I concentrate on takeoff, then go to work (home business)and let autopilot fly until TOD, where a gentle bell reminds me that the plane has paused.

Then I take over for the approach phase.

 

As to whether it's too costly......, does anyone truly believe that there's a difference between a 737 and a 757 in a sim?   In real life, naturally, but in a sim, I can barely tell the difference.  Yet I spend my money on both planes for the fantasy of it all.

 

Now to the question of whether the "add on to IF" is worth the money....... Again, only familiarity with the base pack will help you determine whether you want to continue to invest in a great utility.....

 

Lastly, with IF I have saved hundreds of dollars. I use its great AI aircrafts features which keeps my frame rates high( think about it, AI are needed only at the airport you fly, and IF allows you  to pick a few or as many AI planes at the departure airport . The other programs load all the AI  planes. The weather generation is great, so I don't own any of the other add on weather programs.

IF may not be for everyone, but as one becomes familiar with it, it becomes a handy addon.

 

tony

[VeryBumpy]

To current Ideal Flight owners, the free update jump from version se to sf is VERY substantial.

 

The Augmented features (which I have and am using) are especially useful for the common high end planes, like PMDG and Airbus X, making detailed plans with AIRAC in seconds and then being able to load the plan in FMC in seconds within the plane.

 

Originally bought it for the ability to totally fill up airports with parked aircraft.

 

Since then I've fallen in love with its weather engine, ability to create random flight plans ONLY between my installed airports/scenery, able to filter all airports with ease and then sort them!

 

I really enjoy IF cause I can be planned, weathered, fueled, detailed route loaded and flying in less than 120 seconds. IF really takes the tedious stuff away.

 

I find the Flight Assessment at the completion of a flight enjoyable and a fun challenge;  you get performance graded in a bunch of areas over the whole flight.

[SteveW]

Everyone apart from kIngm56 will be interested to note that there's a lot more about the >augmented upgrade on the report page at the site. Also at the top of the page there is news on how progress is being made already with version [sg].

[henri5]

I have  it and agree that it is a great program, especially for those  who want the program to choose their destination based on distance criteria. I am tempted by the augmented version, because it has SIDs and STARs and additional maps to show approaches and departures. I fly the Majestic Dash Q400 a lot and I am not clear on how easy it is with the augmented version to get a flight plan into the FMC without programming the FMC by hand. Say for instance I fly from KSAN to KLAX, will the augmented version automatically calculate and put the full flight plan including SIDs and STARs into the Q400 FMC? If not, how tedious is it to do it? If it is a one-button press thing, then I will certainly buy the augmented version.

 

Henri

[SteveW]

Hi Henri,

I didn't think the Dash accepts a co route file for the plan at the moment, I thought it was supposed to be coming in an update soon. Anyway I intend to support this one as soon as possible (got it myself). If the aircraft supports a co route file, it's going to be supported, just a matter of time.

Steve