Imported (.apl) flight plans

[vonmar 122]

HiI did a flight plan with Fsbuild.Cruise flight level 370 (37,000').This altitude did appear in the .APL plan in the radar contact folder but was not transferred into the controllers pages' CRZ ALT window.The plan itself did transfer ok.Why doesn't RC also pull the CRZ ALT from the plan into the controllers page and also display the altitude for this flight in the flight plan text window at the top of the page?Best Regards,Vaughan Martell

[jd 57]

you should export/save as to a fs200x flight plan .pln format, NOT an .apl file formatjd

[vonmar 122]

Hi,OK,What I did was give Fsbuild the RC4 directory to export the plan to.Fsbuild created the .APL file.So, Fsbuild should be creating a different plan extension. Correct?If so, I have to find out how to set Fsbuild to create a .PLN format for RC! I thought it was all automatic within Fsbuild.Best Regards,Vaughan Martell

[jd 57]

it's just a .pln, nothing specialjd

[vonmar 122]

I did as you instructed.I found out what is happening.The first time a flight plan is built (.PLN) there is one file saved eg. KSFO-KDTW.PLNIt loads properly into RC. Alitiude (CRZ FL) is correct in RC.At this time RC puts a file named KSFO-KDTW.RCD in the flight plan folder.Now, next day e.g.If the same route/flight plan KSFO-KDTW.PLN (Fsbuild will always use the same name) is built with a new CRZ altitude.Now, when you tell RC to load the flight plan it must look to the .RCD file previously created instead of the flight plan that was just created because the CRZ altitude is not correct.If I delete the KSFO-KDTW.RCD file from the folder first, then reload the new flight plan into RC all is correct.Best Regards,Vaughan Martell

[jd 57]

this is true.i wanted to make sure you don't use .apl files.rc doesn't know that the .pln file with the same name is new, with a new cruise altitude. so the previously created .rcd still applesif you make fsbuild create the .pln, but you make the file name include the cruise altitude, you'll be sitting pretty.iow katl-ktpa fl230.plnjd

[vonmar 122]

OK,I can do that. It will however require saving each "build" of the daily flights, and there are usually several builds until the plan is perfect.Fsbuild now "exports" the .apl format (your old RC version 2.0, I believe)directly to the RC directory.Too bad you can't hook up with Earnie (Fsbuild) and get your ver 4.0 plans exported.Daily flights from the same departure and destination in Fsbuild always have the same "exported" name. The daily route and altitudes will change often / daily.So, if the plan for the next flight is a new route and altitude, saving with a different name(s)for every flight will be a challenge.The routine would be build flight plan, it gets exported automatically, then save the plan (inside Fsbuild) with a new descriptive name.The "neat and clean" way to do it would be to have it exported from Fsbuild and have RC read it / load it as a first time flight ... no, history from other files or exotic file names required.Originally I thought the .rcd files were only created on those occassions when a flight was "saved" .... like you wanted to do the same approach over again or "safety saves" enroute in which case the saved filigh would have a unique name.Just trying to be helpful here.Best Regards,Vaughan Martell

[jd 57]

.rcd files are for recorded flightsthe .rc4 contains customizations for each .pln loadedyou could delete *.rc4 files before starting your fsbuilds, and be good to go..apl is only for legacy users that have a lot of .apl files. no one should use the .apl file format if you can do a .pln file format.

[ronzie 21]

Re: FSBuildTurn off export to RC2. You should only be exporting to FS2002/FS2004, plus your other needs such as specific FMCs. The RC2 export is only for the older versions prior to 3.I use FSB 2.22 along with Active Sky 6 as it helps with fuel planning. (You will find my entire FSB, AS6, RC4 procedure posted here, on the AS6 forum, and the FSB forum.) I do not have in FSB as a SAVED-Sticky option to export. I only turn on the items in the FSB Export To dropdown menu option as needed so they are not sticky. This stops creating the temporary exports as you build, modify, rebuild. When you are ready to export just click the FSB Export To menu item and click on the formats you wish to export to. You do this for each item. A check mark will appear next to each format. These are not sticky between FSB sessions. After selecting these click Build again and you'll see a status message appear on successful transfer of the exported formats tgo their folders.I am using FSB 2.22 BTW.In RC I always make it a preflight habit of going into the Controller page and checking the cruise level and NOTAMS conditions.