AirTalk.org Aviation discussions newsgroups   Archives   FAQ   Search   Memberlist   Usergroups   Register   Profile   Log in to check your private messages   Log in  Flight planning software the accounts for winds ? Goto page 1, 2  Next          AirTalk.org Forum Index -> Aviation (Classifieds) View previous topic :: View next topic   Author Message server Guest Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 1:11 am    Post subject: Flight planning software the accounts for winds ? [ message unavailable ] Back to top Bob Chilcoat Guest Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 1:11 am    Post subject: Re: Flight planning software the accounts for winds ? AOPA's flight planner takes winds into account once you've downloaded the current DUATS on the weather page. It also allows you to plan legs any way you want, airways, direct, or any other waypoints you want. My only beef with it is that it won't let you reverse the route for a return flight plan until you delete every waypoint between departure and destination points. A real pain on a long cross country flightplan. -- Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways) "Wendy" <wendy (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote in message news:JHGbg.4714$y4.3254 (AT) newsread2 (DOT) news.pas.earthlink.net... Quote: Most of the flight planning software that I have used only offers two options for route planning, 1) direct or 2) airway. I have seen one option that does check winds and offers altitude options, but it's like an after thought, instead of an integrated function of planning the route. My actual question is, what software is out there for GA flight planning that will take winds into account, in both the lateral and vertical, to automatically plan a route for me? I'd like 4 options the software to allow me to select from: 1) Direct 2) Airways 3) Fastest 4) Least amount of fuel Heck, I'd like to hit one button and have all 4 plot on the map with the flight plan data and let me choose which one I want to file. tks. Back to top Cecil Chapman Guest Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 1:37 am    Post subject: Re: Flight planning software the accounts for winds ? Quote: I'd like 4 options the software to allow me to select from: 1) Direct 2) Airways 3) Fastest 4) Least amount of fuel I'd like to add a fifth option 5) The safest route for the flight. :0) I'm a big fan of number 5 <grin>. In answer to your question the AOPA flight planner (the newest version, not the old one) is pretty good and certainly is worth the price (free if you are an AOPA member). EAA has one but it is even more basic than the AOPA one. Even with the AOPA one it lacks some features that you can get on the commercially bought flight planning software; but as a rep from Jeppesen (the company that provided the AOPA flight planner) told me, they weren't about to give away the whole farm so some features were left out. What I *really* like about the AOPA flight planner is the graphical representation of TFR's. -- -- =----- Good Flights! Cecil E. Chapman CP-ASEL-IA Student - C.F.I. Check out my personal flying adventures from my first flight to the checkride AND the continuing adventures beyond! Complete with pictures and text at: www.bayareapilot.com "I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery - "We who fly, do so for the love of flying. We are alive in the air with this miracle that lies in our hands and beneath our feet" - Cecil Day Lewis - Back to top Matt Whiting Guest Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 2:26 am    Post subject: Re: Flight planning software the accounts for winds ? Cecil Chapman wrote: Quote: I'd like 4 options the software to allow me to select from: 1) Direct 2) Airways 3) Fastest 4) Least amount of fuel I'd like to add a fifth option 5) The safest route for the flight. :0) I'm a big fan of number 5 <grin>. The safest route is the zero length route where you stay home. :-) Matt Back to top Cecil Chapman Guest Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 2:38 am    Post subject: Re: Flight planning software the accounts for winds ? Quote: The safest route is the zero length route where you stay home. :-) Matt Naw,,, satellites from space may hit your house,,, better to be moving.... LOL! ;) -- -- =----- Good Flights! Cecil E. Chapman CP-ASEL-IA Student - C.F.I. Check out my personal flying adventures from my first flight to the checkride AND the continuing adventures beyond! Complete with pictures and text at: www.bayareapilot.com "I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery - "We who fly, do so for the love of flying. We are alive in the air with this miracle that lies in our hands and beneath our feet" - Cecil Day Lewis - "Matt Whiting" <whiting (AT) epix (DOT) net> wrote in message news:gQLbg.8922$lb.809561 (AT) news1 (DOT) epix.net... Quote: Cecil Chapman wrote: I'd like 4 options the software to allow me to select from: 1) Direct 2) Airways 3) Fastest 4) Least amount of fuel I'd like to add a fifth option 5) The safest route for the flight. :0) I'm a big fan of number 5 grin>. Back to top B A R R Y Guest Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 3:31 am    Post subject: Re: Flight planning software the accounts for winds ? On Sat, 20 May 2006 15:36:09 GMT, "Wendy" <wendy (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote: Quote: Most of the flight planning software that I have used only offers two options for route planning, 1) direct or 2) airway. I have seen one option that does check winds and offers altitude options, but it's like an after thought, instead of an integrated function of planning the route. It's free via DUATS online flight planner. Wind correction angles are provided. I think you need to try different altitudes to find the most favorable. Back to top Robert Barker Guest Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 7:24 am    Post subject: Re: Flight planning software the accounts for winds ? "Wendy" <wendy (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote in message news:JHGbg.4714$y4.3254 (AT) newsread2 (DOT) news.pas.earthlink.net... Quote: Most of the flight planning software that I have used only offers two options for route planning, 1) direct or 2) airway. I have seen one option that does check winds and offers altitude options, but it's like an after thought, instead of an integrated function of planning the route. My actual question is, what software is out there for GA flight planning that will take winds into account, in both the lateral and vertical, to automatically plan a route for me? I'd like 4 options the software to allow me to select from: 1) Direct 2) Airways 3) Fastest 4) Least amount of fuel Heck, I'd like to hit one button and have all 4 plot on the map with the flight plan data and let me choose which one I want to file. tks. As has been mentioned, the AOPA software is a stripped down version of a Jeppesen product. You can get Jeppesen's FliteStar (comes in VFR and IFR versions) and I think you will be happy. You can download weather from a number of sources including DUATS and Jeppesen (with a subscription). You can get a subscription to update the chart information as well. I also use Jeppesen's JeppView and FliteDeck combo. You can do flight planning in JeppView, but I think FliteStar is better for this. I have a GPS that I plug into my laptop. Since they all use the same folders, the flights I plan can be loaded into FliteDeck and with the GPS, I have a very large moving map display with current charts! Pretty slick... Back to top Roger Guest Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 10:16 am    Post subject: Re: Flight planning software the accounts for winds ? On Sat, 20 May 2006 16:11:12 -0400, "Bob Chilcoat" <viewptmd (AT) optonlineREMOVE (DOT) net> wrote: Quote: AOPA's flight planner takes winds into account once you've downloaded the current DUATS on the weather page. It also allows you to plan legs any way I've never been able to get that to work on either computer here. Quote: you want, airways, direct, or any other waypoints you want. My only beef with it is that it won't let you reverse the route for a return flight plan until you delete every waypoint between departure and destination points. A real pain on a long cross country flightplan. You basically just create a new flight plane instead of deleting way points. It's sure faster. Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member) (N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair) www.rogerhalstead.com Back to top Stubby Guest Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 8:31 pm    Post subject: Re: Flight planning software the accounts for winds ? Matt Whiting wrote: Quote: Cecil Chapman wrote: I'd like 4 options the software to allow me to select from: 1) Direct 2) Airways 3) Fastest 4) Least amount of fuel I'd like to add a fifth option 5) The safest route for the flight. :0) I'm a big fan of number 5 grin>. The safest route is the zero length route where you stay home. That's mindful of an old Bert and I joke. Ticket agent: "Do you want a on-way ticket or round-trip?" Bert: "Round trip." Agent: "Where to?" Bert: "Here, I s'pose." Back to top John Doe Guest Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 7:32 am    Post subject: Re: Flight planning software the accounts for winds ? "Robert Barker" <cowboy_bob99 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote in message news:aeidnfWFR6DaUvLZnZ2dneKdnZydnZ2d (AT) giganews (DOT) com... Quote: "Wendy" <wendy (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote in message news:JHGbg.4714$y4.3254 (AT) newsread2 (DOT) news.pas.earthlink.net... Most of the flight planning software that I have used only offers two options for route planning, 1) direct or 2) airway. I have seen one option that does check winds and offers altitude options, but it's like an after thought, instead of an integrated function of planning the route. My actual question is, what software is out there for GA flight planning that will take winds into account, in both the lateral and vertical, to automatically plan a route for me? I'd like 4 options the software to allow me to select from: 1) Direct 2) Airways 3) Fastest 4) Least amount of fuel Heck, I'd like to hit one button and have all 4 plot on the map with the flight plan data and let me choose which one I want to file. tks. As has been mentioned, the AOPA software is a stripped down version of a Jeppesen product. You can get Jeppesen's FliteStar (comes in VFR and IFR versions) and I think you will be happy. You can download weather from a number of sources including DUATS and Jeppesen (with a subscription). You can get a subscription to update the chart information as well. I also use Jeppesen's JeppView and FliteDeck combo. You can do flight planning in JeppView, but I think FliteStar is better for this. I have a GPS that I plug into my laptop. Since they all use the same folders, the flights I plan can be loaded into FliteDeck and with the GPS, I have a very large moving map display with current charts! Pretty slick... I checked out their webpage and they do claim that FliteStar IFR offers "Wind-aware routing" I think that's basically what I'm looking for. Can you expand on that at all and describe what this does for ya. tks. Back to top Robert Barker Guest Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 7:54 am    Post subject: Re: Flight planning software the accounts for winds ? "John Doe" <divx1 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote in message news:vp9cg.75170$iF3.70806@dukeread01... Quote: "Robert Barker" <cowboy_bob99 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote in message news:aeidnfWFR6DaUvLZnZ2dneKdnZydnZ2d (AT) giganews (DOT) com... "Wendy" <wendy (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote in message news:JHGbg.4714$y4.3254 (AT) newsread2 (DOT) news.pas.earthlink.net... Most of the flight planning software that I have used only offers two options for route planning, 1) direct or 2) airway. I have seen one option that does check winds and offers altitude options, but it's like an after thought, instead of an integrated function of planning the route. My actual question is, what software is out there for GA flight planning that will take winds into account, in both the lateral and vertical, to automatically plan a route for me? I'd like 4 options the software to allow me to select from: 1) Direct 2) Airways 3) Fastest 4) Least amount of fuel Heck, I'd like to hit one button and have all 4 plot on the map with the flight plan data and let me choose which one I want to file. tks. As has been mentioned, the AOPA software is a stripped down version of a Jeppesen product. You can get Jeppesen's FliteStar (comes in VFR and IFR versions) and I think you will be happy. You can download weather from a number of sources including DUATS and Jeppesen (with a subscription). You can get a subscription to update the chart information as well. I also use Jeppesen's JeppView and FliteDeck combo. You can do flight planning in JeppView, but I think FliteStar is better for this. I have a GPS that I plug into my laptop. Since they all use the same folders, the flights I plan can be loaded into FliteDeck and with the GPS, I have a very large moving map display with current charts! Pretty slick... I checked out their webpage and they do claim that FliteStar IFR offers "Wind-aware routing" I think that's basically what I'm looking for. Can you expand on that at all and describe what this does for ya. tks. I fly out of the foothills of the Rockies. The winds here are pretty high at times and because of the mountains, can vary quite a bit in direction. A change of a couple thousand feet can mean a 20kt tailwind or a 20kt headwind. And that can change over distance. When you set up a route in FliteStar, you can check a box that says "Optimize for Winds". That causes it to ask to download the weather and then you choose a range of altitudes you want to fly. FliteStar will then use the downloaded winds and find the best altitude for you to get you the best tailwind. I had a flight the other day where I went up a couple thousand more than I normally would and was able to get the old 172 up to over 150kts groundspeed (according to the Garmin 530) even though I only had about 2500rpm! I was really proud of the girl. Certainly, I could have done this on my own with some manual flight planning but it was nice to have it done for me. FliteStar also gives a little horizontal graphic showing the various flight levels it plans along the route. It's a nice piece of software. Back to top Peter Guest Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 11:39 am    Post subject: Re: Flight planning software the accounts for winds ? "Robert Barker" <cowboy_bob99 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote Quote: FliteStar will then use the downloaded winds and find the best altitude for you to get you the best tailwind. Does this work only in the USA, or worldwide? Where does FS get its wind data from? Back to top Oscar Guest Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 10:38 pm    Post subject: Re: Flight planning software the accounts for winds ? Op Sat, 20 May 2006 15:36:09 GMT formuleerde "Wendy" <wendy (AT) hotmail (DOT) com>: Quote: Heck, I'd like to hit one button and have all 4 plot on the map with the flight plan data and let me choose which one I want to file. tks. You might check PocketFMS: www.pocketfms.com It's free. However donation required for better maps. Oscar Back to top John Doe Guest Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 6:36 am    Post subject: Re: Flight planning software the accounts for winds ? "Robert Barker" <cowboy_bob99 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote in message news:8-adnaZsIYh9uuzZRVn-qw (AT) giganews (DOT) com... Quote: I think that's basically what I'm looking for. Can you expand on that at all and describe what this does for ya. tks. I fly out of the foothills of the Rockies. The winds here are pretty high at times and because of the mountains, can vary quite a bit in direction. A change of a couple thousand feet can mean a 20kt tailwind or a 20kt headwind. And that can change over distance. When you set up a route in FliteStar, you can check a box that says "Optimize for Winds". That causes it to ask to download the weather and then you choose a range of altitudes you want to fly. FliteStar will then use the downloaded winds and find the best altitude for you to get you the best tailwind. I had a flight the other day where I went up a couple thousand more than I normally would and was able to get the old 172 up to over 150kts groundspeed (according to the Garmin 530) even though I only had about 2500rpm! I was really proud of the girl. Certainly, I could have done this on my own with some manual flight planning but it was nice to have it done for me. FliteStar also gives a little horizontal graphic showing the various flight levels it plans along the route. It's a nice piece of software. When you click Optimize for Winds, does it take into account lateral deviations for winds as well as vertical? I've noticed on some of my longer flights that if I alter my route to get into or out of the jet stream, I can save alot of time than just blinding flying "Direct" to my destination. I'm looking for software that takes winds into account in all 3 axis, not just altitude. Back to top Guest Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 10:19 am    Post subject: Re: Flight planning software the accounts for winds ? Cecil, If you got the email I sent you about the stagecoach checkpoints could you please post it for the group. I can't find it in my 'sent' file. If youdidn't get it let me know or better yet just post it to the group. Gene Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First         AirTalk.org Forum Index -> Aviation (Classifieds) All times are GMT Goto page 1, 2  Next Page 1 of 2   Jump to: Select a forum Aviation----------------alt.aviationAviation safety EnhancementPlanes, gliders and flying in AustraliaAviation et pilotage (Français)rec.aviationAviation (Aerobatics)Hot air, gas balloons and airshipsHang-gliding, paragliding, foot-launched flightAircraft Design & BuildingInstrument Flight RulesAviation (Classifieds)Military AircraftNaval AviationAviation (Miscellaneous Topics)Owning AirplanesAviators (General Discussions)Aviation related productsAircraft RestorationHelicopters and rotary wing aircraftsFlight SimulationSailplanesAviation (Students)Light aircraftFlying related activities in the UK Airports----------------alt.airportsEdinburgh Airport Glasgow Airport Humberside Airport Luton Airport Aberdeen Airport Glasgow Prestwick Airport  You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2006 phpBB Group SEO toolkit © 2004-2006 webmedic.