The built-in flight planner in MSFS is amazing!

[Gazzareth]

21 minutes ago, snglecoil said:

Oooo, did somebody for get to check the expiration date on this post before they served it back up? This one smells a little funny 😄 

lol didn't spot the necromancy !!!.....

G

[Phantoms]

On 10/4/2021 at 8:39 AM, ThrottleUp said:

A good topic, its a nice flight planner. Anyway I wanted to ask - is it possible to add enroute way points using the MSFS planner?

So we make a plan:

A ----> B

Now I want to make it:

A --->waypoint--->waypoint--->waypoint----> B

Does MSFS let us drag the course line around to make our own waypoints like in LittleNavMap?

Open the filters from the menu and make sure fixes, navaids, etc. are on. Now click on the line that's drawn between A ----> B to highlight it and then click on the waypoint, etc. you want to insert in between those two points.

 

[Fence57]

On 8/22/2020 at 4:42 AM, Ricardo41 said:

Apparently, because a "real simmer" spends 3 hours carefully putting together a route, agonizes another 2 over which SIDS and STARS to use, then spends 4 painful hours entering everything into the FMS.

It is not 3 hours pouring over maps, nav points etc.....You use a program called LittleNavMap (LNM)....If is FREE and you can directly export your flight plan into MSFS 2020. LNM also uses the scenery database from MSFS 2020.

It does use a file from Navigraph, but you do not need to have a subscription as it is updated automatically, via LNM.

The (LNM) program you download and add the folder on your desktop or anywhere you would like to store the folder, it does not install on your computer so there are no registry entries etc.

The program is extensive and I think I have only used about 25% of the program. The amount of saved flight plans would only be hindered by the size of your HD.

If you have not used the program you should download and at least give it a try, add the folder on your desktop when you download. Open zip file; drag the folder to your desktop; open the folder and locate the .exe file and double click.

If you don't think it is for you...close the program and drag the LNM folder to your Trash on the desktop, empty trash.

DONE!

Cheers

Greg

[Langeveldt]

On 8/21/2020 at 9:07 PM, Ricardo41 said:

I agree, the inbuilt flight planner is easy to use and intuitive. And being able to load the flight into the FMS is a huge time saver for those of us who actually have day jobs and limited time to game. 

However, I have the following problem: when I save a flight plan and then reload it, it defaults to positioning the aircraft on the runway rather than at the gate (which I specified when I created the flight plan).

This seems to happen when you select a SID in the in built planner.  It seems to default to the runway suitable for said SID

[duesenwerni]

I love the built-in flight planner and its ease of use especially with user created custom waypoints. I often select a departure airfield and then build my route by adding custom waypoints until my destination. It´s so much fun exploring the Swiss alps with custom built routes.

Nevertheless, with airliners as FBW A320, Inibuilds A310 or PMDG Boeing 737-600 I use Simbrief routes as well and am quite happy with them.

[CarlosF]

The integrated flight planner is great for General Aviation but if you opted to fly big iron Airliners, that's a different story.

Edited January 2, 2023 by CarlosF

[level7]

56 minutes ago, duesenwerni said:

Nevertheless, with airliners as FBW A320, Inibuilds A310 or PMDG Boeing 737-600 I use Simbrief routes as well and am quite happy with them.

There is the faffing around with the .pln files in order to get the plane to start at the gate though, otherwise the route will be messed up...

[Haddock69]

32 minutes ago, level7 said:

There is the faffing around with the .pln files in order to get the plane to start at the gate though, otherwise the route will be messed up...

Here's what I do with the A310, be it "faffing around" or not 🙂. I'm a noob at jetliners, the A310 is my first one, so if anyone has a better "sim-flow" suggestion, I'm all ears.

- Do my FP in Simbrief (if I really want a custom one, I try stuff around in LNM, it's more user-friendly, but I end up generating it in Simbrief).

- In LNM, import FP from Simbrief (first menu, one click), right-click on the parking / gate I want, "select as starting point". Then "Save As FLN" to the MSFS flight plan directory.

- In the MSFS planner, check plane/livery, hit space twice and load the FLN, check / set weather and time, "Fly".

- In the A310 MCDU, "Simbrief import".

Now the ATC (should you want to use it) has the flight plan, you start cold and dark at the parking, and the EFB + MCDU work is half done. Only STARs, fuel/pax/weight stuff to do (manual copy from the Simbrief flight plan) ; the SIDs/approaches can do done while cruising.

Haddock

Edited January 2, 2023 by Haddock69

[micstatic]

29 minutes ago, level7 said:

There is the faffing around with the .pln files in order to get the plane to start at the gate though, otherwise the route will be messed up...

I don't understand what you mean.  I make sure when I get a new airplane I setup Simbrief properly.  Seems each plane has it's own system.  Then I either give my simbrief login to the MCDU or point the desktop simbrief flightplan downloader to the appropriate directory.  Go to simbrief.  Create my flightplan quickly.  Load up at gate then immediately key in to load my plan.  There is no messing with plan files if you do it that way.  

[Haddock69]

16 minutes ago, micstatic said:

There is no messing with plan files if you do it that way.  

No ATC then ? (I'm not saying it's good but ...)

[Noel]

1 hour ago, CarlosF said:

The integrated flight planner is great for General Aviation but if you opted to fly big iron Airliners, that's a different story.

I find it's still great for big iron airliners and that is all I use.  I use A Pilot's Life v2, GSX Pro, and PACX and this is my routine which works perfectly because of timing issues.  By the time GSX has loaded PAX/Cargo I've had just the right amount of time to set up the flight in the airliner including inputing the route waypoints manually by hitting the N key to bring up the flight plan that came out of the flight planner.  I don't want Simbrief (which is used by APLv2, so I could if I wanted) nor LNM to input my waypoints else I'll be twiddling my thumbs waiting for GSX to complete.

Here's a little tip that is useful if you use the integrated planner.  Here's how to know which runway you will depart from, and arrive to:

1. Leave the default type, Direct/VFR, enabled--IOW, don't change to IFR low or high yet.  Enter your departure airport ICAO.  Now select it AGAIN, and repeat:  you will notice quite regularly when you first input the ICAO you'll get a specific runway, but when you enter it the 2nd time, voila you're now almost 100% of the time going to see what runway ATC is going to direct you to.  
2. Enter your arrival airport.  Do the exact same procedure (reenter it) and you will now discover which runway ATC will route you into.  My typical flight lengths are 45 minute to 4h, and almost always this is 100% reliable.
3. Now I switch to IFR High Altitude.
4. Now I recall what my arrival RUNWAY is going be, and input that arrival as an ILS/RNAV/VOR in the arrival runway field in the planner--and this is what ATC will direct you to.  Sometimes the planner will display a SID/STAR and I will then go with that in the plane's FMC, otherwise I am for ILS when possible and as I say ATC cooperates with that after inputting it.
5. Finally, since I know which departure runway ATC will use this allows me to select an appropriate gate near the threshold.

Works for me, every time!

[Ricardo41]

11 hours ago, Fence57 said:

It is not 3 hours pouring over maps, nav points etc.....You use a program called LittleNavMap (LNM)....If is FREE and you can directly export your flight plan into MSFS 2020. LNM also uses the scenery database from MSFS 2020.

It does use a file from Navigraph, but you do not need to have a subscription as it is updated automatically, via LNM.

The (LNM) program you download and add the folder on your desktop or anywhere you would like to store the folder, it does not install on your computer so there are no registry entries etc.

The program is extensive and I think I have only used about 25% of the program. The amount of saved flight plans would only be hindered by the size of your HD.

If you have not used the program you should download and at least give it a try, add the folder on your desktop when you download. Open zip file; drag the folder to your desktop; open the folder and locate the .exe file and double click.

If you don't think it is for you...close the program and drag the LNM folder to your Trash on the desktop, empty trash.

DONE!

Cheers

Greg

I made this post close to 2.5 years ago and am using Simbrief, Navigraph, and Pro ATC SR for flight planning and ATC.

[GentleGroove]

I don't understand the "workarounds" mentioned here to get the aircraft to load at gate. Here is my current flow (with Simbrief-created flight plans):

• load the plan inside the MSFS World Map menu
• select the approach at destination airport
• verify the SID / STAR are correct
• select the gate (via drop down or clicking on the position) and load the flight

This last step might be a little misleading, as the Departure will still show a runway, but the aircraft will load on the selected gate. You can confirm this will happen as the selected gate will also be highlighted in green in the map.

[micstatic]

1 hour ago, Haddock69 said:

No ATC then ? (I'm not saying it's good but ...)

I haven't flown with default ATC in years.  I either do vatsim or I do no ATC at all

[Noel]

2 hours ago, Haddock69 said:

No ATC then ? (I'm not saying it's good but ...)

I find like most everything else in MSFS it continues to improve.  I'm hoping primarily the Azure voices change and it does still have a few bugs left in it but in large part it works quite well.