When I first started my training for cross country flights I made

https://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?/files/file/43863-balkan-area-detailed-flight-planner/

To make the detailed part of my flight plan, and have basically more or less stuck with it since give or take a few minor changes that weren't worth shouting about.

For my next flight I thought I would give little navmap a go, been a long while since I used it and saw it had had a lot of loving since then.

https://albar965.github.io/

OHhhhh my, leaps and bounds doesn't cover the half of it. this isn't just a recommended app, its verging on a flight and sim essential.

 

Edited October 26, 20232 yr by mSparks

It has been an essential utility for years. 😉

Yes cant do without it, but also use PlanG. not quiet as fancy but good for those GA flight.

PlanG

It is my nav flight bag and does all I need to use as a document base and data sets for any flight. Needs its database aligned with XP but the program has just got better and better over the years. If I could just somehow port it into the AVITAB EFB in XP it would be perfect runs rings around XP for its weather data real time, winds and general information in an easily accessible place. I do the flight plan display to I guess industry standard for layout. It exports as FMS for XP no issues, I do a print copy -pdf of plan at moment and put it in the resources box/text and bring it up on AVITAB that way but it is cumbersome and loses that real time connection that Navigraph has. I know how to access or have links to all the AIP around the world without NAVIGRAPH and where I operate a lot I save the IAP's for planning and for display in AVITAB as well. But  it is no drama to flick between windows to see how the flight is progressing on a useable moving map display! 

I have been using Navigraph through FSX P3D and now XPlane - it has become very quick and slick to use. It's freeware but I donate to the author they deserve it. Major problem is really that XPlane's AIRAC cycle is out of date!

Edited October 27, 20232 yr by coastaldriver

3 hours ago, coastaldriver said:

does all I need

The two things I noticed seem to be missing, is although it gets wind angle and knots, I couldn't/can't see WCA, having that easily to hand really reduces cockpit workload for VFR (I find it a complete pita to calculate), it also only puts the distance but not the heading & leg time on its map display.

The other thing I have in that excel file which I really find useful is the expected cloud bases (based on dew points) and whats currently observed at each leg + VFR/MVFR/IFR/CB flags for each leg, cancelled a couple of flights over the years last minute (including today 😪) because the weather in the mountains was going to be to ugly or there were CBs to near where I wanted to go.

So I wouldn't quite say "all I need".

But it sure beats trying to make

in gimp 😄

4 hours ago, coastaldriver said:

if I could just somehow port it into the AVITAB EFB in XP

Not sure if this is exactly what you mean, but you should be able to use

https://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?/files/file/44809-movevr-move-external-windows-into-x-plane-even-into-vr/

On 10/26/2023 at 5:06 PM, mSparks said:

this isn't just a recommended app, its verging on a flight and sim essential.

and has been for ca. 15 years. 😊

why not contact Alex directly re. WCA, he normally responds promptly.

13 minutes ago, turbomax said:

and has been for ca. 15 years. 😊

Think the last time I used it was probably around 2018, Back then you couldn't just stick in

EGLL EGCB

into create flight plan

and have a full flight plan built for you with pretty much all the detail you could possibly want. Not that it was bad before, just that now it pretty much goes head to head with skydemon and comes out swinging

quick google:

https://www.gfsg.co.uk/cdn/Overview-of-Little-Navmap.pdf

18 hours ago, mSparks said:

The two things I noticed seem to be missing, is although it gets wind angle and knots, I couldn't/can't see WCA, having that easily to hand really reduces cockpit workload for VFR (I find it a complete pita to calculate), it also only puts the distance but not the heading & leg time on its map display.

The other thing I have in that excel file which I really find useful is the expected cloud bases (based on dew points) and whats currently observed at each leg + VFR/MVFR/IFR/CB flags for each leg, cancelled a couple of flights over the years last minute (including today 😪) because the weather in the mountains was going to be to ugly or there were CBs to near where I wanted to go.

So I wouldn't quite say "all I need".

But it sure beats trying to make

i

I do not think LittleNavMap retrieves or applies winds aloft - below 10000 ft no winds are reported metars are airport ground level. High level use grid chart same issue interpolation from a grid box. Pireps are only going to give you spot winds and usually high level! The map shot you show is that a WCA problem your trying to solve? WCA is a function of the 1 in 60 rule - simple thats why there is the hand held computers or ER-6B so you can visualise it. Big ask to get the calculation done by the PC. Simple wind is easy it is a time issue you ahead or behind? Thats a fraction of your TAS. So multiple fractional computations required drawing the resultant on a map should be a cinch! Apparently not! So 5 off (left or right) in 60nm means I am 5 degrees off time x distance ahead or behind give GS which applied to TAS gives you the wind velocity. Double your drift to get your WCA to get back on track in another 60nm. Now you can apply a corrected wind at the next waypoint to get a correct drift correction. Or you can map read and by locating yourself on the lines - do the same thing! Still got to draw a line on a chart between A n B - thats what LittleNavmap is for! 

The window program to get a windows program into the sim is for XP11 at the moment. Had some issues for VR folk, not me, but ALT+TAB for a sec or two does me actually. 

6 hours ago, coastaldriver said:

The map shot you show is that a WCA problem your trying to solve?

There's some shots in the very first link, specifically this one

(apparently, variation has changed by 2 degrees since I made that...)

center column, basically what to add/subtract from the intended magnetic heading to get those nice tight turns and a nice straight line to the next waypoint. give or take any scenic detours.

map is for making sure you are going where you expect to be going.

I can keep that, but LNM can output all the data needed to populate it, except WCA.

Formula I have for that is

1. wind direction - desired heading

2. wind speed * cos (1)

3. wind speed * sin (1)

4. Resultant speed = IAS * (2)

5. WCA = DEGREES(ATAN((4)/(3)))

6 hours ago, coastaldriver said:

there is the hand held computers or ER-6B so you can visualise it.

yeah, helicopter... no hands free apart from the odd quick release of the collective to change something on the avionics or turn a page.

6 hours ago, coastaldriver said:

Or you can map read and by locating yourself on the lines

do that pretty much constantly, the detailed part is for a clean transition from one leg to the next. Mistakes in the turns I found are the key source of navigation errors later.

6 hours ago, coastaldriver said:

I do not think LittleNavMap retrieves or applies winds aloft

Its grabbing them from NOAA on the version I just downloaded, each leg in the LNM output tables seems to be giving good wind 'M and wind speed, at least what I expected, I replaced the small wind direction in that above screenshot with a large text form in later versions (i.e a big bold NNW instead of a small 327.4), learnt the hard way after the wind changed direction during a flight, also more useful for planning for an autorotation.

I'll see how it fares after some flights, I'll still be checking it against the TAFs (METARs are no good for weather estimation more than a couple of miles from the airport).

Edited October 28, 20232 yr by mSparks