No Departure or Destination Airports

[GCNorth 7]

Hi Maarten,

 

There is a site called Return to Misty Moorings that creates wilderness scenery and flight plans that allow you to fly from one wilderness cabin to another using float planes.  The flight plans do not use departure or destination airports.  Instead, they use waypoints with latitude and longitude as shown below.

 

<SimBase.Document Type="AceXML" version="1,0">

    <Descr>AceXML Document</Descr>

    <FlightPlan.FlightPlan>

        <Title>test</Title>

        <FPType>VFR</FPType>

        <CruisingAlt>5500</CruisingAlt>

        <DepartureID>ACEN</DepartureID>

        <DepartureLLA>N55° 7' 24.7586",W132° 9' 55.9000",+000000.00</DepartureLLA>

        <DestinationID>PF20</DestinationID>

        <DestinationLLA>N55° 15' 43.7585",W131° 46' 14.9000",+000003.00</DestinationLLA>

        <Descr>ACEN, PF20</Descr>

        <DepartureName>Aiken Cove Entrance</DepartureName>

        <DestinationName>Misty's Place</DestinationName>

        <AppVersion>

            <AppVersionMajor>10</AppVersionMajor>

            <AppVersionBuild>11570</AppVersionBuild>

        </AppVersion>

        <ATCWaypoint id="ACEN">

            <ATCWaypointType>Airport</ATCWaypointType>

            <WorldPosition>N55° 7' 24.7562",W132° 9' 55.9000",+000000.00</WorldPosition>

            <ICAO>

                <ICAOIdent>ACEN</ICAOIdent>

            </ICAO>

        </ATCWaypoint>

        <ATCWaypoint id="PF20">

            <ATCWaypointType>Airport</ATCWaypointType>

            <WorldPosition>N55° 15' 43.7585",W131° 46' 14.9000",+000003.00</WorldPosition>

            <ICAO>

                <ICAOIdent>PF20</ICAOIdent>

            </ICAO>

        </ATCWaypoint>

    </FlightPlan.FlightPlan>

</SimBase.Document>

 

Can these flight plans be incorporated into SimLauncherX utilizing "World Position" instead of airports?

 

Regards,

Gerry

[mawibo 33]

Hi Gerry,

 

It looks like your example flightplan does have a departure airport (ACEN) and a destination airport (PF20). Are you sure that all Misty Moorings sceneries are include in your scenery.cfg file and the SLX database is up to date?

 

thanks, Maarten

[GCNorth 7]

Hi Maarten,

 

I do have Misty Moorings scenery, including airports, installed.  A majority of the flight plans obtained from the Misty Moorings site contain one airport only, either as departure or destination.  The remaking destination or departure can be a number of non-airport locations such as lodges, Forest Service Cabins, lighthouses and other scenery. Perhaps the example I provided above was not a good one.  Here is an another example of a flight plan called #Allan Point USFS Cabin to Sitka.pln.

 

<SimBase.Document Type="AceXML" version="1,0">

    <Descr>AceXML Document</Descr>

    <FlightPlan.FlightPlan>

        <Title>     to A29</Title>

        <FPType>VFR</FPType>

        <CruisingAlt>6900</CruisingAlt>

        <DepartureID>    </DepartureID>

        <DepartureLLA>N57° 14' 33.00",W135° 23' 52.78",+000000.00</DepartureLLA>

        <DestinationID>A29</DestinationID>

        <DestinationLLA>N57° 3' 12.88",W135° 21' 01.93",+000000.00</DestinationLLA>

        <Descr>    , A29</Descr>

        <DeparturePosition></DeparturePosition>

        <DepartureName>Allan Point Cabin</DepartureName>

        <DestinationName>Sitka</DestinationName>

        <AppVersion>

            <AppVersionMajor>10</AppVersionMajor>

            <AppVersionBuild>61472</AppVersionBuild>

        </AppVersion>

        <ATCWaypoint id="    ">

            <ATCWaypointType>User</ATCWaypointType>

            <WorldPosition>N57° 14' 33.00",W135° 23' 52.78",+000000.00</WorldPosition>

            <Descr>Allan Point Cabin</Descr>

        </ATCWaypoint>

        <ATCWaypoint id="Allan">

            <ATCWaypointType>User</ATCWaypointType>

            <WorldPosition>N57° 14' 34.00",W135° 23' 52.01",+000000.00</WorldPosition>

            <Descr>Allan Point Cabin</Descr>

        </ATCWaypoint>

        <ATCWaypoint id="wpt01">

            <ATCWaypointType>User</ATCWaypointType>

            <WorldPosition>N57° 13' 13.27",W135° 23' 31.47",+000000.00</WorldPosition>

        </ATCWaypoint>

        <ATCWaypoint id="wpt02">

            <ATCWaypointType>User</ATCWaypointType>

            <WorldPosition>N57° 11' 38.21",W135° 24' 23.38",+000000.00</WorldPosition>

        </ATCWaypoint>

        <ATCWaypoint id="wpt03">

            <ATCWaypointType>User</ATCWaypointType>

            <WorldPosition>N57° 9' 50.36",W135° 26' 50.46",+000000.00</WorldPosition>

        </ATCWaypoint>

        <ATCWaypoint id="wpt04">

            <ATCWaypointType>User</ATCWaypointType>

            <WorldPosition>N57° 6' 17.74",W135° 24' 56.75",+000000.00</WorldPosition>

        </ATCWaypoint>

        <ATCWaypoint id="wpt05">

            <ATCWaypointType>User</ATCWaypointType>

            <WorldPosition>N57° 4' 03.42",W135° 22' 35.85",+000000.00</WorldPosition>

        </ATCWaypoint>

        <ATCWaypoint id="A29">

            <ATCWaypointType>Airport</ATCWaypointType>

            <WorldPosition>N57° 3' 12.88",W135° 21' 01.93",+000000.00</WorldPosition>

            <ICAO>

                <ICAOIdent>A29</ICAOIdent>

            </ICAO>

        </ATCWaypoint>

    </FlightPlan.FlightPlan>

</SimBase.Document>

 

Apparently non airport locations are defined in the Map option in FSX utilizing coordinates provided in a table for scenery locations. The instructions say "...choose "Map" (World/Map). Enter the Latitude and Longitude into the proper boxes. Set your altitude at zero and set your magnetic heading (M) accordingly for the location. Set your airspeed to zero. When you click OK, the simulator locates you at that scenery location....Once situated at the new scenery location (you must do this first or you will get an error), go to the simulator flight planner and pick the location ... but make sure it has a # in front of it. This indicates you will be flying from the location to the airport. If the simulator asks you to position yourself at the airport, then your starting point is an airport, you can put yourself on the runway by saying "YES" or say "NO" and fly from where you are located. Most of the time on the reverse plans it will not ask you if you want to position yourself at the airport. The flight plan will be on your GPS and after you take off, you can turn on the autopilot and it will track you back to the airport."

 

The reason I bring this up is that I attempted to include the hundreds of flight plans provided from Misty Moorings into SimLauncherX but all of them were flagged because they did not have departure and destination airports.  My question is if it would be possible to include a feature in SimLauncherX that would mimic the Map Option in FSX and allow entry of coordinates?

 

Regards,

Gerry

[mawibo 33]

Hi Gerry,

 

I can change the flight plan handling and allow for latitude, longitude values for the departure/destination airport, but it will take some time before that is finished.

 

thanks, Maarten

[GCNorth 7]

Hi Maarten,

 

I'm sure a lot of bush pilots will be very happy!

 

Thank you,

Gerry

[mawibo 33]

Hi Gerry,

 

The latest version allows you to set a location, specified by latitude and longitude, for the departure and the destination of your flight plans. Please let know if this suites your needs or if you want me to change anything.

 

thanks, Maarten

[GCNorth 7]

Hi Maarten,

 

Thanks for such a quick response.  It looks great!  When reviewing the Misty Moorings site, I noticed that they also provided the heading of your plane as explained below:

The data for a mooring point will look like this:

N54 19.22 W129 13.17 Heading 156 Altitude 0 Speed 0

• The N54 19.22 is the Latitude (be sure to add the space and the decimal)
• The W129 13.17 is the Longitude
• Heading or Mag is the direction your aircraft is pointed
• ALT ... always set this at "zero", it finds the altitude of the land when it moves.
• Airspeed ... always set this to "zero" otherwise you'll be moving fast!

In FSX, bring up the MAP VIEW ... then enter the data in similar to below: Note: be sure to use the proper spacing and decimal for each entry.

 

When you are finished, press the OK button and you will be transported to the correct starting location and will be lined up correctly.

 

If it is possible, could you include heading, altitude and speed for input?  If it is not possible, that's fine.  Thanks again for adding latitude and longitude.

 

Regards,

Gerry

[mawibo 33]

Hi Gerry,

 

To set the heading for the flight, move your mouse over the (by default red) aircraft icon on the map and then press and hold Ctrl+Shift and scroll with your mouse wheel. To set the altitude, press Ctrl or Shift and scroll with your mouse wheel (this also works for the blue simulator aircraft icon btw). You can also use the Instruments window: set the target to 'Flight' and use your mouse over the instruments.

 

thanks, Maarten

[mawibo 33]

Hi Gerry,

 

Just in case you missed it: you can set the latitude and longitude for the departure and destination locations if you right click anywhere on the map and then select 'Set as departure/destination location'. The small black circles representing the departure and the /destination locations can also be dragged and dropped into position.

 

thanks, Maarten

[GCNorth 7]

Hi Maarten,

 

Thanks for all your changes.  At the risk of sounding ungrateful, I wonder if you could reconsider allowing for direct input of heading.  The headings provided by Misty Moorings for their locations are for the precise placement of aircraft next to docks and other moorings.  Using the mouse on the map would give you an approximate heading depending on your ability to determine, say 249 degrees heading on the map.  Or perhaps if while rotating the airplane on the map, a pop up would show the heading.

 

I do certainly appreciate what you have done, and if the heading input is not possible, so be it. 

 

Thanks again,

Gerry

[mawibo 33]

Hi Gerry,

I will make a small popup, but in the meantime I suggest you use the instruments window. The HSI can be used to set the heading.

 

EDIT1: on second thought: the HSI might not be very useful for this purpose because it indicates magnetic heading and you probably need true heading, so stay tuned for the popup; it's almost done.

 

EDIT2: popup is finished

thanks, Maarten

[GCNorth 7]

Hi Maarten,

 

I am having problems creating flights with a departure or destination based on latitude and longitude.  I'm wondering if this is because the format for longitude and latitude entries in the flight plan is different from the format in the FSX Map View.  It is done in degrees, minutes and seconds as indicated below:

 

The data for a mooring point will look like this:

N54 19.22 W129 13.17 Heading 156 Altitude 0 Speed 0

• The N54 19.22 is the Latitude (be sure to add the space and the decimal)
• The W129 13.17 is the Longitude
• Heading or Mag is the direction your aircraft is pointed
• ALT ... always set this at "zero", it finds the altitude of the land when it moves.
• Airspeed ... always set this to "zero" otherwise you'll be moving fast!

In FSX, bring up the MAP VIEW ... then enter the data in similar to below: Note: be sure to use the proper spacing and decimal for each entry.

 

 

The entry in the flight plan option in SimLauncherX appears to be in a fractional equivalent instead of degrees, seconds, and minutes.  When I attempt to launch a flight, it causes a fatal error in FSX with a restart.

 

Regards,

Gerry

[mawibo 33]

Hi Gerry,

 

Yes, you have to enter the latitude and longitude values in decimal degrees. To convert e.g. N54 19.22 to decimal, just open a calculator and type "54+19.22/60". As for the crash of FSX: can you send me an email (address is on front page of the user guide) so I can send you a test version?

 

thanks, Maarten