Looking for a program to generate multi-leg flight plans with limited leg distance

[LMF5000]

I would like a program that will generate flight plans with multiple legs, where I specify the departure airport, the arrival airport and the maximum distance of any one leg, and the program generates a list of airports for this task (or, ideally, a .fpl file that I can load directly into the default FSX GPS, but this is optional).

So, for example, say I wanted to fly from Malta (LMML) to Chicago Medway (KMDW) using the default Cessna 172. The direct GPS route is over 4000nm long, but the Cessna has only 600nm of range. Plus, the direct route passes over the ocean (i.e. at one point there will be no airports within the cessna's range so you can't land to refuel), so the only way to do this would be to go around the world, eventually crossing the Beiring strait (the water beween Russia and Canada I think).

So in this program, I'd tell it "LMML" and "KMDW" and "600nm", and it would generate a list of airports not more than 600nm apart and lying along a path that will eventually take me to KMDW.

Do you know of any such program please?

[jcmmg]

Hi!

I use Plan-G (http://www.tasoftware.co.uk/)

It is free, nice interface, easy to use, it has FSX data and the result is a file in the format for the FSX GPS .

I am not aware about the capabilities that you mention, but I have done something similar on it and it was simple.

I just put the departure and the destination creating a straight line between them and by using nav aids and airports along that line I can develop a flight plan with the desired leg length. By doing this I could develop a flight plan for around the world.

From my point of view is the best for VFR planning....

Hope I could help!

Clear skies

Jcmmg

[ReggieF5421]

So, for example, say I wanted to fly from Malta (LMML) to Chicago Medway (KMDW) using the default Cessna 172. The direct GPS route is over 4000nm long, but the Cessna has only 600nm of range. Plus, the direct route passes over the ocean (i.e. at one point there will be no airports within the cessna's range so you can't land to refuel), so the only way to do this would be to go around the world, eventually crossing the Beiring strait (the water beween Russia and Canada I think).

With Plan-G you can set 'Range Rings' so that you can choose airports to set the plan.

BTW - real world people do fly C-172's across the Atlantic every year with most legs shorter than 600 nm. The most critical leg is BIKF-BGSF or BIKF-BGBW. You can do sub-600 nm legs by going BIKF-BGKK-BGSF-CYFB. It would be very expensive to arrange fuel at BGKK in the real world - but cheap in FS.

Here is a route which only has a couple legs which stretch the fuel - http://gc.kls2.com/cgi-bin/gc?PATH=l...avy&MAP-STYLE=

Going the other way, you must have one leg of at least 715nm between UHSS-UHPP, and several legs in the 650-700 nm range. Also the Bering Strait is between Russia and the United States.

[bwiafan09]

http://simroutes.com/
Its self explanitory. Tell it what you want, what sim you have, departure airport, arrival airport, aircraft type etc. It even gives you an alternate airport. Once you set everything you want, you choose your sim and dowload the flightplan for it.

[Tim_A]

Light aircraft regularly cross the North Atlantic. Those that really don't have the range often have ferry tanks fitted (usually a large rubber bladder that fits into the cabin). They are also often granted a permit to fly over gross. But it is as much about timing as it is about navigation - pick the right day with the right weather and the most favourable (or least unfavourable) winds. It's obviously much harder going East -> West than it is going West -> East.

[ReggieF5421]

You can occasionally follow these journeys on web sites. One reason that BIRK-BGSF-CYFB or the reverse is becoming more 'popular' than the shorter BIRK-BGBW-CYYR is that getting stuck two or five days at BGSF waiting on weather is significantly cheaper than BGBW. Neither is cheap, but BGSF is cheaper. Also it is easier to take a commercial flight out of BGSF if the weather requires abandoning the flight for several days.

Another thing is that the weather at BGSF seems to be less likely to interrupt the flight than at BGBW.

Someone is flying a C-172 today from CYYR - BGBW

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N2164M

I also see that in the past week the following aircraft have made the CYYR-BGBW flight - N995MH - Beech Duke; N1488C - Cirrus SR20; N720PA - Piper PA-28; N138CM - Piper Malibu Mirage; N860PC - Cirrus SR22

In the reverse route - there has been a TBM6 and a C-210

There was a Cirrus SR22 which flew CYFB-BGSF

[LMF5000]

I did try plan G, but none of the flight-plan related buttons would work (in fact it's a listed bug for windows 7 computers like mine).

Sorry for the late reply...

[LMF5000]

With Plan-G you can set 'Range Rings' so that you can choose airports to set the plan.

BTW - real world people do fly C-172's across the Atlantic every year with most legs shorter than 600 nm. The most critical leg is BIKF-BGSF or BIKF-BGBW. You can do sub-600 nm legs by going BIKF-BGKK-BGSF-CYFB. It would be very expensive to arrange fuel at BGKK in the real world - but cheap in FS.

Here is a route which only has a couple legs which stretch the fuel - http://gc.kls2.com/cgi-bin/gc?PATH=l...avy&MAP-STYLE=

Going the other way, you must have one leg of at least 715nm between UHSS-UHPP, and several legs in the 650-700 nm range. Also the Bering Strait is between Russia and the United States.

How did you produce that route using the great circle mapper?

[LMF5000]

http://simroutes.com/
Its self explanitory. Tell it what you want, what sim you have, departure airport, arrival airport, aircraft type etc. It even gives you an alternate airport. Once you set everything you want, you choose your sim and dowload the flightplan for it.

It couldn't find me a route from LMML to KMDW (kept saying "no plans found") - am I doing something wrong?