The question is: when you buy a new (to you) complicated aircraft do you read the manual ? And if affirmative do you take it with you while flying and - what this topic is supposed to be about - : how ??  Do you print the manual (i figure not likely....), do you break the immersion by having a look at it on the same monitor or do you have a laptop or tablet next to your FS monitor ?

I am asking because i want to stop printing manuals (because it's getting ridiculous and expensive and i need to change glasses all the time..). So i am planning to buy a laptop to have not only the manual but also the flightplan, enroute- and terminal charts and other docs right there with me in the cockpit. 

I have a cabinet full of out of date Jeppesen enroute and terminal charts (talk about paperwork !) and always loved to use them. It gave me something real in my otherwise all virtual flying world and helped a great deal in the immersion. ( from the Promenade deck at EHAM Schiphol many years ago i could see the pilots in the cockpit struggling with the enormous Jeppesen enroute charts !  I felt proud to get to stuggle with the same enormous Jeppesen charts at home 😉 ) Alas those days are long gone, we have Little Nav Map now and i even forgat the names of earlier digital flightplanning programs. All Jeppesen terminal charts are on line... I could just throw my paper Jeppesen collection away but i certainly won't. They remain very dear to me !  ;o)

So what do you recommend, gentlemen, is having a laptop next to my FS monitor the best option to have manuals, flightplans, charts etc. with me in my virtual cockpit ? Does the size matter ? ( thinking of buying a 14" ). 

Thank you very much for any tips/hints !

Edited April 20, 20251 yr by JanGerbr

An iPad and navigraph charts if you’re looking for simple and easy.

23 minutes ago, Keirtt said:

An iPad and navigraph charts if you’re looking for simple and easy.

+1. This also offers the modern realistic. 

Thank you, Keirtt! Sjeezzz, that Navigraph prog looks amazing after viewing a small tut just now. Must say in FS2020 as well as in 2024 i've just been puttering around in small ac to enjoy the scenery. Time to get a bit more serious, i do love the looks of these new airliners in FS2024.

Would you say an iPad is big enough to read manuals and work with LNM and Navigraph ?..

Thanks again !

Depends what size. I personally use an iPad Pro 12.9 inch. Works great. 

Navigraph obviously works on Android too and I’m assuming you could find a cheaper tablet on that platform.

I don' use Navigraph anymore and have uninstalled it completely from my system. Not only do I save myself an(other) annual subscription but I also don't have to deal with the clunky Navigraph in-game apps. 

Rather, I use the new flight planner that comes with MSFS 2024 and was created by Working Title. It comes with Lido charts and you can even use it in conjunction with simbrief. 

There is an active Discord channel by WT, should you have questions about the flight planner or its ongoing development. It is not yet feature-complete. 

The default flight planner can even be accessed separetly on the web.

As for manuals, I don't print them out anymore, either. I just watch start-up tutorials on youtube and take notes. 

Also, the default flight planner also comes with check lists, which take you to the various procedures. 

I'm not flying complex aircraft, only small GA's that I can afford in real world.

I'm flying paperless (in real) for years now only with several iPad/iPhone (backup... backup) with Foreflight or Skydemon depending on the location I'm flying: notam, weather report, nav log and obviously charts. Exact same setup with MSFS. The perfect training tool to practice these apps that could be complex as well.

 

Edited April 20, 20251 yr by vbazillio

I have the sim on one monitor, and Navigraph charts on a second monitor. That second monitor is also useful for opening PDFs of aircraft manuals, or looking things up in a web browser if needed.
 

1 hour ago, prolixindec said:

I have the sim on one monitor, and Navigraph charts on a second monitor. That second monitor is also useful for opening PDFs of aircraft manuals, or looking things up in a web browser if needed.
 

This for me as well.  I keep Navigraph charts, the Beyond ATC window and any aircraft PDFs needed on that screen.

I haven’t printed a manual in many years.

8 hours ago, vbazillio said:

only small GA's that I can afford in real world.

Interesting approach. I'd have assumed that someone who flies in real life uses the sim to fly aircraft he will never be able to afford in real life.

I only fly small to medium GA aircraft and use Foreflght on an ipad air 10.9" for real world flight planning and charts.  But also subscribe to navigraph for use in the simulator and with aircraft that do not have GPS with easy manual entry of the real world flight plans.

 

Mike

16 hours ago, Farlis said:

Interesting approach. I'd have assumed that someone who flies in real life uses the sim to fly aircraft he will never be able to afford in real life.

I think there's no general rule. I know real world pilots (private) that love using only what they can't afford 😉 including liners 😉

Edited April 21, 20251 yr by vbazillio

Thanks very much for your input, gentlemen !

Particularly the use of a second monitor i completely overlooked...(thanks for the tip, prolixindec and Dave !:) Afraid i shall have to go back and reconsider my strategy. 😉

Not much of a fan of Apple. I 'know' an iPad because my ex has one and when she asks me to help with something i get hopelessly lost in its stucture. (imagine you have to download and install an app first to get Windows Explorer....). I might still consider a tablet instead of a laptop but now there's this second monitor to consider as well... If it was money to add to the decision i think i'd go for the second monitor but since that not the case... i've always kinda liked such a laptop but never saw the need to have one. Here's my chance then...  Remarkable non of you uses one... ;o)

Decisions, decisions.. in any case thank you all very much again, i'll certainly think it over a bit longer now.. 🙂

Cheers,
Jan

 

 

 

 

On 4/20/2025 at 1:39 PM, prolixindec said:

I have the sim on one monitor, and Navigraph charts on a second monitor. That second monitor is also useful for opening PDFs of aircraft manuals, or looking things up in a web browser if needed.
 

Qurious to hear about how you change between the two monitors you want to work with. For example, you have your FS VC on monitor A while you get your plane set up and ready, you have the manual PDF on monitor B and need to scroll to the next page... Would that be just a matter of pushing a dedicated "change monitor" key or a mouse click somewhere ?... 

Thanks for your help! 😉 

Another question if i may : would you recommend a touch screen as a 14" secondary monitor ? Would that make my life easier ?.....

Thanks !