VFR flight planning for GTN 750 with... which planner?

[Guest]

I wonder how you plan flights for use with the GTN 750. Up to now I simply decide from where I want to fly to where and then enter the airports in the GTN. After doing so I might look at a departure chart, if available, and add some additional waypoints. That's about it. I add an approach as soon as I get close to my destination and know where I will have to land. I sort of mix VFR with IFR because I do like to fly approaches from the charts. 

 

Up to now I used Plan-G to plan flights: set A to B and if necessary drag the flightpath anywhere I want to. Really simple. But Plan-G uses navdata from the sim, making adding waypoints from a chart a bit hard, and the waypoints I simply create by dragging the path are hard to translate to the GTN 750. 

 

I also own PFPX but don't have it installed (haven't had it installed for over a year or more since I don't fly airliners currently). I was wondering if with the right AIRAC cycle PFPX would be handy for planning a flight a bit more in detail before stepping into the plane. I said 'a bit more in detail' because I presume there is no template for my RealAir Legacy so I won't be able to use all options (like vertical path, fuel, TOD, etc. which are all more IFR anyway). I'd might be using it as a simple planner. But I don't know if I can and I don't like to install it if it turns out to be useless for my goal. 

 

Anyway, I was wondering how you plan flights, mainly VFR but a bit of IFR thrown in (approaches), for the GNT 750. On the fly? In a planner? Will PFPX be useful for this?

 

I btw like to use flight following from default ATC: adds some atmosphere but I don't like IFR because then you get vectored all over the place.

 

In short: just curious how you all do this. 

[carguy4471 19]

I have tried most of the sim related planning methods, wasn't a fan of any.  I found what works for me and I don't think I'll be changing it up anytime soon.

 

Skyvector.  Here is my workflow.  It is pretty fast and super simple.  

 

Enter departure airport and destination airport.  Right click on both airport and open in new tab.  Check both airports for SIDS and STARTS (Departure and Arrival procedures, assuming they are far enough apart).  If there have sids or stars I'm going to use I enter those into the route on my primary skyvector flight plan page.  If they do not, proceed to the next step.

 

Next I will flip using the buttons in the upper right on skyvector to either the low enroute (world low) or high enroute (world high) charts based on what I am flying that day.  Mostly I use the low enroute charts for under FL180 when flying the C206 or the high enroute when flying the turbine duke.  Once on the chart you need zoom out and look at the routes that will get you from A to B.  Drag the pink like nearest your departure airport to get you onto a route by intercepting a VOR, intersection, or some navaid.  Now continue to drag your pink line to VORs or intersections to keep you on published V routes or J routes.  Make a note of the MEA (minimum enroute altitude) for these routes.  

 

Once your pink line is on some published routes most of the way it should either line up with an arrival procedure if one is published or bring you right from a nearby navaid to your arrival airport.  Check that airports page again for approaches, if it has an ILS or RNAV you will be using open up that approach and look at the waypoint names.  Find a waypoint that matches up with your rough arrival direction and plug it in to your skyvector route.  So if the RNAV has a waypoint to the east and the west and you are coming from the west, plug the westerly waypoint into your flight plan on skyvector.  

 

Once the above is complete you are all set.  You can plug the flight plan into your GTN exactly as you see it on skyvector.  You can fly it VFR and just follow the pink line if you'd like or fly it IFR in 100% IMC, you should be covered.  I keep my sky vector page open with any arrival, departure or approach tabs that I will be using.  I can find my required altitudes in seconds.  After using this method a few times I can create most of my flight plans in about 3 or 4 minutes and am typically pretty close to real world routes.  The controllers on pilotedge rarely need to change my routes anymore.  

 

If you have any other questions on route planning, or using the GTN I am happy to help.

 

Once my new PC is complete I'm hoping to start a video series on the GTN and flight planning for sim use.  Should be fun!!!

[warbirds 555]

Interesting but when I drag the pink line it does not stay in place when I move the map or try to save it.

[carguy4471 19]

When you drag it to a VOR or intersection, a little box will pop up and you have to click on what you are selecting.  It will have the navaid names and symbols.  Many points will have multiple items to choose from but if it's a VOR lets say, the VOR symbol and it's name will come up in the box, click the PLAN button and it will add it to your route.  If you select two VORs with an airway in between them, it will automatically add the airway to the route as well.   

[scottb613 1,188]

Hi Folks,

 

Yeah - SkyVector works really well and I believe it covers the globe... I've already been toying with emulating a transatlantic GA flight with all the requisite hops... Keep in mind - the real power of the GTN vs the GNS is that the GTN has all the airways built into the database... In flightplan mode - just click on the waypoint and it will list all airways that intersect said waypoint... It makes creating a flight plan a hundred times easier/faster... While you may already be aware - just throwing it out there...

 

If you want IFR flights - personally - I strongly recommend Radar Contact - it's the best ATC service I've found and it works well with FS9, FSX, and P3D... It eliminates all the crazy heading changes... I won't fly an IFR flight without it... It does require an official FS flight plan though - so whatever plan I'm creating I load I to FS Build - simple cut and paste - to quickly build the official FS flight plan...

 

The GTN is not aware of any FS flight plans - so you always need to build them into the GTN as you would in the real world... Also - the GTN database is static and can't be officially updated with new NavData - unofficially - I believe if you happen to a Garmin/Jepp real world subscription it can be updated the same way you could with the older RXP GNS models... Just copy in the requisite files but it's cost prohibitive unless you happen to have the sub for real flying...

 

Regards,

Scott

[vgbaron 3,625]

I use both PlanG and Aivlasoft EFB depending on what I want. With the EFB I just select Start/finish and let it plan the route. I manually input the route to the GTN. I set approach procedure enroute depending on weather, etc.

 

 

Vic

[fppilot 4,371]

Here is a pretty good online tutorial on youtube. It's long and somewhat slow paced. If you jump to just beyond the 30 minute mark in the video you will find a segment of the video devoted to Skyvector with some good tips on taking a simple point to point direct route and enhancing it with interim waypoints by dragging and dropping the Skyvector route line.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7bzNiHzja8

[hesynergy 67]

On 2/4/2016 at 7:37 AM, carguy4471 said:

I have tried most of the sim related planning methods, wasn't a fan of any.  I found what works for me and I don't think I'll be changing it up anytime soon. .  .

You can plug the flight plan into your GTN exactly as you see it on skyvector.

 

Could you amplify on the above? What about ad hoc coords?

Just copying the the route with the coordinates  directly and not as a GFP FILE as specified by Garmin below?

FPN/RI:F:KSLE:F:N45223W121419:F:N42568W122067:AA:KSLE:AP:I31.JAIME

Or user.wpt as:

FISH01,STATELAKE,39.1353,-95.1388

FISH02,EASTPERRYLAKE,39.1502,-95.3924

FISH03,WESTPERRYLAKE,39.1502,-95.4515

FISH04,CLINTONLAKE,38.922,-95.4081

DUCK01,NWPERRY,39.2825,-95.4984

DUCK02,WINCHESTER,39.3016,-95.3208

In neither case, the format does not match the coordinate format in the skyvector route edit box...

totally interested but confused.

 

Thanks,

Chas

[vgbaron 3,625]

I now use Little Navmap - great program and it will export your plan in the GFP format which can be easily imported into the 750.

 

Vic

[Guest]

10 hours ago, vgbaron said:

I now use Little Navmap - great program and it will export your plan in the GFP format which can be easily imported into the 750.

 

Vic

Wow, that looks pretty cool...! I've been using Plan-G for ages but this one seems very interesting, specially if I want to use my 750 again.

[Egbert Drenth 250]

10 hours ago, vgbaron said:

I now use Little Navmap - great program and it will export your plan in the GFP format which can be easily imported into the 750.

 

Vic

I use also Little NavMap but not the GPS export (yet)
I wonder: Since the Garmin database is outdated, does that impose an issue with the NavMap export? (with regards to newer aiways, waypoints etc)

[bpollock 0]

I love simbrief.com as it now exports to GTN

[Lenny777 299]

I know where to put the GFP file but how do you import it into the GTN750/650?

 

EDIT: Never mind I've figure it out.

 

[vgbaron 3,625]

9 hours ago, Egbert Drenth said:

I use also Little NavMap but not the GPS export (yet)
I wonder: Since the Garmin database is outdated, does that impose an issue with the NavMap export? (with regards to newer aiways, waypoints etc)

Occasionally, yes. You'll get a waypoint error in the GTN. I usually load the plan w/o the waypoint and then insert it manually. The GTN recognizes it that way but not in the import. Not really a big deal so far.

Vic

[Rolfspan 24]

I also use Little Navmap. It works great.

Rolf