PFPX worth it?

[Gregg_Seipp 568]

 

 

no issues with me etops took abit of time but overhaul took about 5 or so minutes from start to finish

ATC ROUTE: N0477F370 PORTT3 PARKE J6 SAX DCT GLYDE DCT WITCH DCT
ALLEX/N0478F390 N323A ELSIR DCT 50N050W/M084F390 52N040W 53N030W DCT
MALOT/N0485F390 DCT GISTI DCT SLANY UL9 STU UP2 OKESI P2 BEDEK OCK2F

 

Glad to hear it can do it now...but it may have trouble with other SIDs which, I believe, ended up being the issue.

[SteveW 1,792]

Determining ETOPS for a route will take more time but it's not the same as finding a non ETOPS route that may not even be available.

 

Having a detailed route is great but outputting gps plans for simulators is a different matter entirely. PFPX will organise those into compatible plans and output to several useful sim formats making it worth the money.

[VHOJT 172]

PFPX is very simple to use.  Planning a MEL-SYD hop in PFPX for the NGX usually takes me about five minutes or less.

 

It's powerful and can be customised if desired to really accurately reflect whatever operation you are trying to simulate.

 

Especially good for long haul flights too.

 

110% worth the money.  Can't imagine simming without it.  If you want an accurate, customisable flight plan - it's the ticket.

[Metal_Sky 14]

PFPX is very simple to use.  Planning a MEL-SYD hop in PFPX for the NGX usually takes me about five minutes or less.

 

It's powerful and can be customised if desired to really accurately reflect whatever operation you are trying to simulate.

 

Especially good for long haul flights too.

 

110% worth the money.  Can't imagine simming without it.  If you want an accurate, customisable flight plan - it's the ticket.

I'm still trying to think of how it's any different with a program like simbrief....which is free. ????

 

I do the same. Cut and paste a flight plan, put in a cost index or a time of flight to receive a cost index to use, and bam, I can use it in most add-ons or in default FSX or p3d or FS9 if I so wish.

 

I can customise it myself as well.

[Cann0nF0dd3r 21]

Short answer is it depends on how in depth you want to get. As others have said if all you want to do is plan a flight to upload to an FMS then use Simbrief. But if you are wanting to get more in depth with fuel planning, ETOPS, dispatching etc then PFPX. I use both depending on what I am trying to do.

[Orlaam 306]

Well, for those with both, is the Simbrief fuel prediction better, worse, or the same more or less?  Also, for the Wx planning, AS16 (and ASN) always gives wrong winds for cruise.  Is the Wx importing in PFPX adaptable for correct wind measures?  Simbrief actually gave me the correct wind the other night and it matched much better to what was in the sim. 

 

I still don't get why my selection of 120.4 as a ZFW displayed as 117 something in the OFP from Simbrief...?

[VHOJT 172]

I'm still trying to think of how it's any different with a program like simbrief....which is free. ????

 

I do the same. Cut and paste a flight plan, put in a cost index or a time of flight to receive a cost index to use, and bam, I can use it in most add-ons or in default FSX or p3d or FS9 if I so wish.

 

I can customise it myself as well.

 

 

For a start, you can customise the fuel policy to exactly match the airline/regulator you are trying to simulate.  You can customise exactly details of the aircraft performance, its critical-point fuel calculations and details, choose exactly how your ETOPS planning is going to take place etc etc.  It's apples and oranges.  PFPX is far more powerful and customisable, and ultimately, more accurate as a result.

 

It can also be as simple as you want it to be.

[Cann0nF0dd3r 21]

Well, for those with both, is the Simbrief fuel prediction better, worse, or the same more or less?  Also, for the Wx planning, AS16 (and ASN) always gives wrong winds for cruise.  Is the Wx importing in PFPX adaptable for correct wind measures?  Simbrief actually gave me the correct wind the other night and it matched much better to what was in the sim. 

 

I still don't get why my selection of 120.4 as a ZFW displayed as 117 something in the OFP from Simbrief...?

 

 

Its adequate. It doesn't take as much into account as PFPX does. Like I said, if all your wanting to do is fly then SimBreif will do just fine but if you want more detail, then PFPX is the way to go.

[Orlaam 306]

I'm leaning towards both.  I mean SimBrief is free and I'll donate if I use it enough, but it sounds like PFPX is nice too.

[Metal_Sky 14]

For a start, you can customise the fuel policy to exactly match the airline/regulator you are trying to simulate. You can customise exactly details of the aircraft performance, its critical-point fuel calculations and details, choose exactly how your ETOPS planning is going to take place etc etc. It's apples and oranges. PFPX is far more powerful and customisable, and ultimately, more accurate as a result.

 

It can also be as simple as you want it to be.

You can only do that if you know it's fuel policy anyway. Simbrief I think has around 20 major airline OFP's to use plus the standard like LIDO. . I think many VA's if their airline isn't in there use simbrief to do the same with the fuel requirements by customising it.

 

I seem to arrive with the right fuel requirement at the end of the day. Works for me.

[johnnycrockett 43]

My 2 cents...

 

I've spent a bit of time setting PFPX up which gives me some fairly quick flight plans.

 

I've added a bunch of flights I do regularly into the schedule which means when I want to fly I just open the schedule, click the flight I want and then plan.

 

Same with the aircraft, having added all my regular ones, including weights, makes planning and performance requirements (min airfield etc etc) very quick and easy.

 

So generally, I have AS16 running already so it generates a weather file.

1. Select flight

2. Select aircraft

3. Select random payload

4. Select alternate if required

5. Find route

6. Release flight

 

Takes less than a minute or two really. The feature I like the most is that I can then export the plan to both FSX & the addon aircraft I'm using. Once the flight plan is loaded in FSX it will appear in AS16 without any input.

 

The flight plans are then in the FMC as company routes ready to use. In addition with the 777 PFPX will export the Route, Winds Aloft and something else which I've forgotten which is then received by the FMC.

 

Personally this is why I like it, saves a lot of time and simplifies it. On top of this there is the ETOPS etc that others find useful.

[joolsd 10]

I'm leaning towards both.  I mean SimBrief is free and I'll donate if I use it enough, but it sounds like PFPX is nice too.

 

When I had a look at SimBrief, it looked like you have to pay for the latest AIRAC. So not totally free.

What's more, it is Navagrath who supply it.

 

But no big deal being 28 days behind. As the month old FMS data is free. That would suit most people. The AIRAC police aren't going to come knocking on your door. 

[pete_auau 1,158]

I'm still trying to think of how it's any different with a program like simbrief....which is free.

 

You  keep saying  its  free,   only  if  you  don't update  the fms  data  or  don't  use  the donate  option  which the dev  has  asked  if  you liked  using  sim brief

[nealmac 260]

Takes less than a minute or two really. The feature I like the most is that I can then export the plan to both FSX & the addon aircraft I'm using. Once the flight plan is loaded in FSX it will appear in AS16 without any input.

Wow. I never knew that. I always load the flight plan manually into Active Sky Next (I'm assuming if what you say is true for AS16 it should be the same for ASN). Can't wait to try that later.

When I had a look at SimBrief, it looked like you have to pay for the latest AIRAC. So not totally free.

What's more, it is Navagrath who supply it.

 

But no big deal being 28 days behind. As the month old FMS data is free. That would suit most people. The AIRAC police aren't going to come knocking on your door. 

Well technically, you're paying for the AIRAC to be up to date. If you want an up to date AIRAC, you still have to pay for it seperately whether you use PFPX OR Simbrief. 

[Boeing or not going 578]

ASN and AS16 both have a options setting to "load flight plan when loaded in the sim" - David Lee