Question Regarding Flight planning for Prep3D

[yellowjack 28]

I am planning to get into my first commercial aircraft for Prep3D (either a CRJ or 737 I have both). I understand that different aircraft types need different FP formats and that flight planners are available to produce a flight plan in the required format for the aircraft I have available.

My question is,  "How do I produce the same flight plan for ATC use?". Will available flight planners produce both the aircraft aligned FMS flight plan and the ATC flight plan for the same trip or is there something I need to learn?. Any help to set me on the correct path would be much appreciated.

My previous experience was with the FS QW757 which would load the FSX flight plan directly into the B757 FMS so I didn't have this issue.

Thanks in advance

John      

[DaveCT2003 1,820]

33 minutes ago, yellowjack said:

I am planning to get into my first commercial aircraft for Prep3D (either a CRJ or 737 I have both). I understand that different aircraft types need different FP formats and that flight planners are available to produce a flight plan in the required format for the aircraft I have available.

My question is,  "How do I produce the same flight plan for ATC use?". Will available flight planners produce both the aircraft aligned FMS flight plan and the ATC flight plan for the same trip or is there something I need to learn?. Any help to set me on the correct path would be much appreciated.

My previous experience was with the FS QW757 which would load the FSX flight plan directly into the B757 FMS so I didn't have this issue.

Thanks in advance

John      

Excellent question John!

SimBrief is an excellent web based, free tool for flight sim flight planning.  It will pull a recent (up to date) flight plan for you and check it for the AIRAC you select it to use.  At first glance you may think it's complicated but it really isn't.  Just go through line by line and you'll figure it out easily enough.  It also allows you to download a flightplan for just about every payware airliner out there, or you can use the automatic SimBrief downloader (very small program that you install on your computer) and when you generate a flightplan using the web based tool it will automatically download and place the flight plan in the correct folder for you.  It's really too easy!

I'm not sure if you're using our (Aerosoft) CRJ-700/900, but regardless the CRJ is a little different of an aircraft to fly so I would urge you to use your 737.  But if you're already familiar with the CRJ then by all means go for it!

Aerosoft is putting the finishing touches on our Connected Flight Deck (CFD) for the Airbus Professional and eventually we'll have CFD for our CRJ.  We'll should be releasing the latest version of our CFD (which is presently in Beta).  Why is this important?  Because you'll be able to fly the same aircraft with someone who is very experienced in the aircraft, and they can cover flight planning and aircraft operation with you in real time while operating the same aircraft with you.  It's not only the best teaching tool in flight sim, it's an incredible amount of fun!

I hope this has been helpful to you!

My very best wishes for an enjoyable flight!

 

[ChrisDa 41]

I use the old AivlaSoft EFB v 1.6.13 to do the planning and it will save the plan into "Prepar3D v4 Files" folder and into the PMDG FLIGHTPLANS folder.

I load the .pnl file into P3D planner and the .rte file into the FMC,

Works for me.

Chris.

[SteveW 1,792]

We need a.PLN xml file for the ATC and AI operation within P3D, these are GPS waypoints, not SID/STAR waypoints. That's loaded into the sim from the menu.

If the FMS supports it you can use a file to import into the FMS the GPS waypoints of the .PLN file. The FMS is then used to choose the departure and approach or SID/STAR while in the sim.

 

[yellowjack 28]

1 hour ago, DaveCT2003 said:

Excellent question John!

SimBrief is an excellent web based, free tool for flight sim flight planning.  It will pull a recent (up to date) flight plan for you and check it for the AIRAC you select it to use.  At first glance you may think it's complicated but it really isn't.  Just go through line by line and you'll figure it out easily enough.  It also allows you to download a flightplan for just about every payware airliner out there, or you can use the automatic SimBrief downloader (very small program that you install on your computer) and when you generate a flightplan using the web based tool it will automatically download and place the flight plan in the correct folder for you.  It's really too easy!

I'm not sure if you're using our (Aerosoft) CRJ-700/900, but regardless the CRJ is a little different of an aircraft to fly so I would urge you to use your 737.  But if you're already familiar with the CRJ then by all means go for it!

Aerosoft is putting the finishing touches on our Connected Flight Deck (CFD) for the Airbus Professional and eventually we'll have CFD for our CRJ.  We'll should be releasing the latest version of our CFD (which is presently in Beta).  Why is this important?  Because you'll be able to fly the same aircraft with someone who is very experienced in the aircraft, and they can cover flight planning and aircraft operation with you in real time while operating the same aircraft with you.  It's not only the best teaching tool in flight sim, it's an incredible amount of fun!

I hope this has been helpful to you!

My very best wishes for an enjoyable flight!

 

I have had my eye on SimBrief but will SimBrief generate the ATC flight plan as well as the FMC flight plan? CFD certainly sounds interesting. However, in my location and my timing that may be harder than you think. I am retired so I flightsim only during the day when most people area at work and my location is GMT plus 10hrs (Oz), Perhaps some Americans or Europeans for that matter may object to being woken up to go and teach an old codger how to fly. 

Although I have no previous experience with the CRJ I spent considerable time in FSX flying an ERJ so I should be OK to try the CRJ BTW my 737 is the Ifly version. 

[SteveW 1,792]

@Dave. Glad to hear all the hard work of developing that stuff is coming on well Dave. Good job!

[Bobsk8 12,669]

Simbrief is the best in my book. 

[F1Fan 121]

Also, if using Simbrief, make sure you subscribe to the Navigraph AIRAC if you want the current navigation cycles for the aircraft FMS or any other addons you use that work with Navigraph AIRAC.  Simbrief only provides outdated cycles free currently going back to March 2018. 

[SteveW 1,792]

When downloading an AIRAC data set, make sure to download all the different sets you can think of for that one month so everything you have is at a current date.

[Gandalf 45]

If using Navigraph data, they have an excellent tool (fms data manager) that will scan for your add ons requiring airarc data and download the relevant cycle.

Hope that’s helpful

Regards

G

1 hour ago, SteveW said:

When downloading an AIRAC data set, make sure to download all the different sets you can think of for that one month so everything you have is at a current date.

 

[DaveCT2003 1,820]

19 hours ago, yellowjack said:

will SimBrief generate the ATC flight plan as well as the FMC flight plan?

It does.  But why in the world would you want to use the GPS when you have an FMC aboard the aircraft?

 

[yellowjack 28]

7 minutes ago, DaveCT2003 said:

It does.  But why in the world would you want to use the GPS when you have an FMC aboard the aircraft?

 

Huh! Where did the  GPS reference come from?  I never mentioned anything regarding GPS systems. I did allude to  the fact that the ATC communications system needs to know about a flight plan in order to function correctly just as they do in the real world. So, maybe I have the wrong end of the stick, but it is logical to assume that for a flight sim to function realistically any installed flight plan must satisfy both the ATC comms. requirements and the aircraft navigation needs be it FMC or GPS driven.

Thank you for clarifying that flight planners can also meet the need to let the flightsim ATC subsystem know of my flight plan as well as the Aircraft FMS or other navigation equipment.

 

[SteveW 1,792]

4 hours ago, DaveCT2003 said:

It does.  But why in the world would you want to use the GPS when you have an FMC aboard the aircraft?

 

Not sure he wants to use a GPS, although no harm to surely.

What is often not realised is the .PLN file, whether a GPS is intended for use in navigation or not, is basically loaded for ATC and the AI system in P3D to know where the flight goes, by providing the set GPS waypoints. 

[SteveW 1,792]

18 hours ago, Gandalf said:

If using Navigraph data, they have an excellent tool (fms data manager) that will scan for your add ons requiring airarc data and download the relevant cycle.

Hope that’s helpful

Regards

G

 

In my case I've got more stuff not installed, their program would not see most of my requirements. Another thing is the possibility of a future purchase on the cards might require an AIRAC then, so it is worth considering when downloading those data sets.

[Gandalf 45]

7 hours ago, SteveW said:

In my case I've got more stuff not installed, their program would not see most of my requirements. Another thing is the possibility of a future purchase on the cards might require an AIRAC then, so it is worth considering when downloading those data sets.

Hi Steve

Sorry, it’s probably me being a bit dull this morning but I didn’t understand the first part of your post. Could you expand?

Regards

G