I have been meaning to ask this question for a while and have finally got round to it. I know that when planning flights using FS's flight planner the sim will recommend an altitude that clears terrain, but what about when using third party GPS like Reality XP?I have been flying through Chile recently and on a number of occasions have only just missed a mountain top because I had no way of finding out the elevation of the terrain.Is there any way within FS9 to determine on-route terrain height?ThanksSteve

Hi Stevelook at this instrument: (Eventually copy and paste the link)http://www.reality-xp.com/products/ST3400/index.htmIt does the jobRegardsHenrik BGGH

Thanks HenrikThis is very interesting and I will probably buy this after Christmas. But, I am also interested in anything that gives me terrain height data at flight planning stage.Steve

Hi Steve. Download the Golden Eagle Flight planner from FlightPrep (do a google search). There is a free and professional one. The free one is terrific (the pay one adds weather overlays). This is not a flight sim product, but a real world planning product. It depicts not only terrain, but airspaces and current TFRs and allows you to plan a flight using a highly readable sectional-like map with drag an drop waypoints etc. Of special interest to you (and me!) if also profiles your flight path vertically in a diagram so you can plan how to fly over or below airspace restrictions and (!) where all the mountains and obstacles are so you can plan descents and enroute altitudes. It also depicts visually the MEAs associated with V and J airways included in your flight plan so you don't bust them (and hit a mountain!). This program is my first stop when I begin a flight. I fire it up, plan the flight, print the flight breifing, then start MSFS and enter the flight plan and flight level into MSFS's flight planner directly (actually I enter it first into FSNavigator and then export it to MSFS but that is another story...)

Brilliant,Thankyou I will try thisSteve

Steve,If your flight will be in the U.S., you can do a search in the Avsim file library for the sectional maps uploaded in .jpg format by Matt Fox. He has uploaded them individually and in groups. These charts will show some terrain clearance altitudes and put elevations on the peaks you intend to clear enroute.Happy flying,Kevin

Hi Steve,If you have the Reality GPS 400 or 500, you can see the Enroute Safe Altitude (ESA) on the AUX page under "Trip Planning" after you enter a flightplan into the unit.Devin

http://www.razorsedgesoft.com/airplan/index.htm

Great tip! Thanks. - doug

There is also a link to access these as overlays for Google Earth.You might have to search the forum for it.scott s..

Devin said"If you have the Reality GPS 400 or 500, you can see the Enroute Safe Altitude (ESA) on the AUX page under "Trip Planning" after you enter a flightplan into the unit."I have tried this but I can't get the 500 to activate the flashing curser in Aux mode. The instructions say "press the small right knob" but this doesn't work for me, how do you do it?ThanksSteve