Creating fly-to versus fly-over waypoints

[Otrman 0]

I do a lot of sightseeing flight planning, not using auto-pilot, but using LNM, and flying MS 2020, tracking progress using LNM Connect.  I create points of interest POIs along my flight plan, right now focusing on castles in Ireland.  When flying I can keep on course using the pointer that locates the POI and the magenta line.  When I am getting  close to a POI the pointer to the POI disappears so I never get to see.  I create POIs by editing my flight plan using GPS data from Bing or Google maps, or just by getting location data from the Internet. 

I have been researching and fine that there are 2 types of waypoints, fly-to and fly-over which describes these but I cannot find any instruction on how to define that types of waypoints and how to create my choice of either fly-over or fly-to.  I would like to fly-over the particular waypoint, observe, and perhaps even use the DRONE.

I am using 2.6.6 right now.  Can I do this in LNM?

Otrman

 

[Otrman 0]

I created this post because I am told that AVSIM is the support site for LNM.  I created this post a few days ago and have not received a reply. Am I correct  in that AVSIM is the place for LNM support.

I have done some further testing on this and find that as long as I create my desired flight plan and the sites I want to visit are available to MSFS flight planning I do not have this problem.  That, of course, means the sites I want to visit are in the  MSFS community folder and this appear on the MSFS flight planning map to add to the flight plan I am creating.

I would like to use LNM for my flight planning rather than doing flight planning in the sim.

I really like LNM but need to have a solution for this.

Otrman

 

 

[albar965 1,040]

LNM support is here: https://www.avsim.com/forums/forum/780-little-navmap-little-navconnect-little-logbook-support-forum/

Not sure about fly-to and fly-over. Never heard about this. There is no distinction for this in any flight plan format as far as I know.

Fly-over waypoints exist in procedures only. Even if LNM could define this type, simulators do not support these.

Alex

 

[Otrman 0]

I do a lot of sightseeing flight planning, not using auto-pilot, but using LNM, and flying MS 2020, tracking progress using LNM Connect.  I create points of interest POIs along my flight plan, right now focusing on castles in Ireland, which are not known to the sim.  When flying I can keep on course using the pointer that locates the POI and the magenta line.  When I am getting close to the POI, the pointer (in the sim) disappears so I never get to see the POI I created in LNM.  I create these POIs by editing my LNM flight plan using GPS data from Bing or Google maps, or just by getting location data from the Internet. I save it in LNM and load it into the sim and follow the flight using connect.

 

If I create a FP in the sim using POIs known to MS, everything works perfectly.

I have been researching and find that someone things that there are 2 types of waypoints, fly-to and fly-over which describes these but I cannot find any instruction on how to define that types of waypoints and how to create my choice of either fly-over or fly-to.  I would like to fly-over the particular waypoint, observe, and perhaps even use the DRONE.

I am using 2.6.6 right now.  Why can’t I do this in LNM when I can do it in the sim?  

Otrman

[albar965 1,040]

I'm not sure if I understand correctly (a screenshot would help) but I guess it is MSFS trying to anticipate a turn if your aircraft is guided far away from a waypoint. This has nothing to do with LNM.

Fly-over waypoints exist only in procedures. There is no such thing as fly-to and the MSFS SDK has no documentation on the PLN files.

Feel free to post a link or a flight plan if you have one. I'd be very interested to add this if it is supported and documented.

Latest LNM is 2.6.7, BTW.

Alex

[Otrman 0]

What I am trying to do is to create flight plan in LNM that allows me to add my own POIs in Ireland.  The sim has only a couple of them one being Blarney Castle so I have a number of POIs that I would like to fly to.  If I create an FP in the sim that uses one of the POIs supplied by MS, I can use the sim to create a flight plan where I get pointers and can reach the POI and continue on to  the next one.

The problem is when I want to use LNM so that I can create POIs myself I either get a pointer that quickly disappears or no pointer at all.  I can follow the flight path using LNM connect but when I get close the plane wants to turn away.

I have attached screen shots from a LNM plan showing a flight to observe Muckross Abbey and the view from the sim.  I have screen shots as files but cannot attach them to the post as the process seems to want images only from a  URL.

Otrman

 

[albar965 1,040]

Can't see the screenshots but LNM can save only flight plans and cannot create MSFS POIs with the associated pointers.

The sim turning away when getting close has nothing to do with LNM.

Alex

[Otrman 0]

First of all please me compliment you on LNM - it has  many capabilities for someone who wants to simulate all the aspects of true flight planning in the real world of aviation.  As for me, I am 83, and entirely new to flight simulation, about 18 months in  having taken up flight simulation on advice of my doctor who advised me to do something that really exercises most of the capabilities of the brain, i.e., memory, quick thinking, on the fly problem solving, reaction time and the like.  I started with XP 11 learning the Cessna and flying around as a VFR pilot.  I then was seduced by MSFS 2020 by the notion that scenery is downloaded to me as a fly and does not require me to use addons such as Ortho4XP.  I did experiment with XP 11 aircraft such as the P51 Mustang, the Corsair, and the F18.

What I want to do is to take tours of historical areas flying over, and perhaps photographing, points of interest such as castles, ruins, and the like.  I can create a perfect plan if I use the MS Sim to create a specify a point to point route as long as the sim knows about the sites I want to see.  In order to work the sites have to be either in the "Community" or "Official" folders of the Sim - and it does indeed work.

What I thought I could do was to create waypoints in LNM using coordinates available from various sources such as the web.  I created flight plans and both saved and exported them to MSFS 2020 but I do not quite get to a point before, even though I am manually flying, the FP seems to anticipate my next objective and begins to turn a away.

I believe it would be a great addition to LNM to support VFR scenery fliers such as I.  I have considerable computer experience, 35 years including software development, testing, user support, research and more.  As a retired techie, I would be glad to work with you if you would be interested in adding the ability to create flight plans that me integrate my needs into LNM.   As a retired vet I don't have a lot of money but have time.

Henry

 

 

 

[COBS 25]

Hi

I do similar in FSX , it might be of help.

I do a google search for the Latitude/Longitude of a point of interest. SHOT #1 ; Lat/Long of Herman Denkmal is entered at horizontal LL1 of Right MFD and entered as DTO(Direct To) see SEQ 01 in Radar . Monument is about a battle in year 9AD in Germany where 20,000 Roman troops were killed by local tribes.

Recently location of battle was discovered , Lat/Long is entered at LL3 of right MFD , appears as SEQ 02 in Radar.

SHOT # 2 ; The aircraft Flight Plan was flown on autopilot , to prevent turn anticipation prior to arrival at SEQ 01 , "Waypoint Locked" was selected as can be seen as RED text in Right MFD , with the waypoint locked the aircraft will fly to the actual location of SEQ 01 then orbit it (monument visible above glaresheild) until waypoint locked is turned off it will then proceed to SEQ 02 .

While this is in FSX it is reasonable that similar can be done in your sim  ; two methods are ; METHOD # 1 , using "Waypoint Locked" as detailed above .

or

METHOD # 2 , create a DTO (Direct To) to the Lat/Long of your POI , aircraft will fly to it then orbit .

Cheers Karol

Edited February 21, 2021 by COBS

[Otrman 0]

Thank you for your reply and interest.  I fly the Cessna Skyhawk G1000 not using autopilot but flying manually.  What plane are you flying.  I don't see a  method of "locking" a waypoint in LNM or in using MSFS 2020 to create a flight plan.

Have you flown the new MS sim?

I am very interested in figuring this problem out.

BTW, I just flew along east coast down under and the area vegetation is very lush.

Henry

[COBS 25]

Hi Henry

Good ! thanks for the info , we now have sufficient to get it working for you .Your aircraft Cessna Skyhawk G1000  , the G1000 is a form of a GPS display unit , switch it on , ensure map is being displayed , practice Zooming in and out and become familiar with the distance scales at various zoom levels . Now ensure that your flight plan line is showing on the display map .Take off then turn to intercept the nearest portion of the Flt Pln line , zoom in and fly your aircraft precisely along that line , then zoom in or out as suits you until you are getting close to your POI , then zoom in and ensue you are precisely on the line and at a low enough altitude to see the POI , when very close hit PAUSE , pausing the sim gives you time to take stock of the situation and allows you to go to spot view and pan about .

Please try the above and advise how it went and any problems , pausing the sim is an incredibly valuable tool , I use it all the time especially during instrument development and calibration , but also at other times just to enjoy the beauty of the sim .

I have not flown the new MS sim , nor will I as I find that with FSX I have an endless array of aircraft available and I can customise the instrument panels ,access to heaps of scenery airports VOR NDB AM radio antenna , military ground target objects , civil and military AI aircraft , boats ships destroyers aircraft carriers , can land on carriers bridges and rooftops . But most importantly I have a complete FSX SDK that allows me complete flexibility in creation of interesting and advanced instruments .

The plane that I'm flying is the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark , known affectionately as the "Pig" in Australia , we were the only operator of the aircraft outside of the US , it's fast M2.5 , generally I fly at 400 to 500 kts often as low as 20 ft AGL , it has a rudimentary TFR , the panel shown is not authentic , when I first started flying it I wanted systems and capabilities as in the real deal , so I learnt xml programming and went about creating advanced capability instruments to suit my needs . As shown in shot #1 there exists a built in Flt Planner editor in Right MFD consisting of 8 pages it's linked to the radar allowing the radar display to be projected to any location on earth to harvest waypoints during Flt Plan creation , the radar screen can be activated as touch sensitive enabling mouse clicks to capture Lat/Longs of places on screen  for the Flt Planner . Both the Flt Planner and Radar can be utilised for entry of Bombing Targets into the BNS (Bomb Nav System) which will then automatically release bombs  to precisely hit targets making applicable allowances for ground elevation , Airspeed , aircraft height , and distance to run to target  , and number of bombs to be released and time interval between each of them . As many different Flt Plns or Direct To can be created during any flight as one might desire , and any changes , new plans or diversions can be done on the go , it is meant to be adaptive , totally flexible . The Left MFD has a Synthetic ILS/AILA instrument that enables absolute precision ILS style landings to be made at every runway at every airport , and similar at any captured location on earth , for example regardless of where you are you can enter KDEN (Denver airport) you then get distance and direction to it and a choice of any of the 12 runway end of any of 6 runways to do a precision 3 degree ILS landing .

There are other features , but already this reply is too long , but you get the drift of why I stay at FSX , flying wise it's utterly brilliant .

I do like flying down low and fast in the lush mountains of the East coast of Australia , but also fly Italy , Alps ,Germany , England . In USA I like the Appelatians , New England , Cannon , Mountain Home airbases and mountains North West to Seattle , some get bored in the sim , I never do , you get out what you put in .

Cheers Karol

PS ; If you are interested the following is a link to a screenshot/diagram of my Flight Plan Editor , Scroll down to reply # 11 , click on image to enlarge , it is different but it's very capable ,I have a load of fun with it .

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/capturing-a-source-airport-from-a-directto-function.445430/

Edited February 22, 2021 by COBS

[Otrman 0]

Karol, thank you for your reply,  I am not sure I am ever going  to get where you are any time soon. 

Have you ever tried flying down into and along the river at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.  I have done it both in XP 11 using the Cirrus and Cessna and with MSFS using the Cessna.  It's challenging and fun.

Henry

 

[Micko 89]

Hi there, this video might help you:

Good luck

[COBS 25]

On 2/23/2021 at 2:23 AM, Otrman said:

Have you ever tried flying down into and along the river at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.  I have done it both in XP 11 using the Cirrus and Cessna and with MSFS using the Cessna.  It's challenging and fun.

Henry , yes a few years ago , and you are right it's a challenge , there were a few places where the turns were too sharp and I had to go up to the top of the canyon level briefly , but it was fun .

Have you had any success finding the castles , I must admit the only one that I've tried was Neuschwanstein  in Bavaria it was at correct Lat/Long , it's the one Disney modelled the fairy tale castle on , I suspect that some castles won't be in the sim library.

I viewed the above linked video , in the G1000 the magenta flight plan line didn't go all the way to the house waypoint , it struck me as odd , also not sure how much you can magnify with the zoom , when I fly to a target waypoint I can get to within a couple of feet from it .

Cheers Karol

[Otrman 0]

In the next day or so I will try to fly it with XP 11 using the WWII Corsair but I think I would have better luck with the Zero or Spitfire.  They are both light and turn on a dime.  We will see how far I go.  When I get to the edge I will turn left and see.

In terms of the Castles and other attractions.  MS just did an update of what they call UK/Ireland.  There are plenty in UK proper and they work just fine.  I will just some of the ones they provide and fly manually.  I don't even need to use the magenta line as pointers appear and I just steer toward them. 

I am disappointed in MS regarding Ireland as there are so many historical sites as well as those in Germany, France, Italy, and other countries.

Regards,

Henry