Silly question about flight planners

Between real life and the flight sim I've used numerous flight planners, both on paper and computer. I've tried several for FS2004 and FSX, but always just settle for the built in planner for simplicity's sake. I only fly GA (mostly VFR) and usually trips of 3 hours or less in a session. My current favorite plane is the Carenado 172N since it flies very similar to the 1967 C-172 I used to own. Mine did have an autopilot. It wasn't functional though and would send the plane in a tight spiraling turn to the right. I had to learn to trim it out perfectly if I wanted a decently relaxing cross country flight.

What are the benefits of something like PlanG and other flight planners? What am I missing? I tried PlanG and a few others a while back, but never understood the problems with the built in default planner. To be honest, the dream for me would be to find all of my old VFR sectional charts from pre-2007 and use those for planning my flights on paper with my E6b and a calculator.

Are most of the planners intended for airliner flights?

John,

 

Really Plan G, LittleNavMap and the flight planner in MSFS all do pretty much the same thing. Since you said most of your flights are VFR under 3 hours, IMHO and just MHO, any of them will do just fine. Plan G and LittleNavMap's map function is easier to move around in than MSFS's. You can actually drag the map around rather than having to go to the border and clicking to move around. Both Plan G and LittleNavMap allow you to load a plan into MSFS flight plans. LittleNavMap allows for Navigraph updates as well.

Since both Plan G and LittleNavMap are free for the download it can't hurt to give them both a try and see if you like either one better than the default planner in MSFS.

One caveat, they both will take a little time to understand the nuances. Reading the manuals is necessary. But, neither one is terribly complicated.

 

Hope this helps a bit.

 

Bill

Thanks Bill!

Clears it up a bit. I don't know if it's because I'm a fan of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica or if it's because I'm an old school cro-magnon, but I just don't trust computers. Even when I was flying in real life, I'd figure everything out on paper and then see what the computer had to say about my figures. I got pretty good after getting disoriented (never lost!) on my first cross country flight. By the time I did my last one, I flew it well enough to be off by only 45 seconds at touchdown. Picked up a minor tailwind for a bit.

I may try LittleNavMap. Tried Plan G and it was okay, but nothing spectacular. If I can ever find the box all my old maps are packed in, I'll be happy. May switch over to all photo realistic scenery just so I can do some real VFR by landmarks.

Thanks Bill!

Clears it up a bit. I don't know if it's because I'm a fan of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica or if it's because I'm an old school cro-magnon, but I just don't trust computers. Even when I was flying in real life, I'd figure everything out on paper and then see what the computer had to say about my figures. I got pretty good after getting disoriented (never lost!) on my first cross country flight. By the time I did my last one, I flew it well enough to be off by only 45 seconds at touchdown. Picked up a minor tailwind for a bit.

I may try LittleNavMap. Tried Plan G and it was okay, but nothing spectacular. If I can ever find the box all my old maps are packed in, I'll be happy. May switch over to all photo realistic scenery just so I can do some real VFR by landmarks.

 

Hi...

 

One feature about LNM I truly enjoy - is it can scan your scenery.cfg and will database all your addon airports - then you can select to display ONLY those airports you have addon scenery for - makes it much easier to decide on a destination - especially if you have something like ORBX Freeware airports loaded as their are literally hundreds of them... I spend a great deal of time visiting these ORBX airports...

 

Regards,

Scott

Hi...

 

One feature about LNM I truly enjoy - is it can scan your scenery.cfg and will database all your addon airports

 

Now THAT could come in handy!

Ok! I'm a believer! Plan G is the bomb! The moving map feature could spoil me!

The map synced up perfectly with Ultimate Terrain X and shows roads and rivers right where they are outside.

After getting used to it a bit, it's a breeze to operate.

If you're looking for charts, the closest you can get for free is https://skyvector.com. US sectionals and World VFR charts. Built-in planner. Edited August 6, 2019 by ianhr

Oh that's nice! Thanks Ian!

I just landed at Tri-Cities Regional and realized how close I am to Ashville NC.

I think I'll start my next leg to there tomorrow.

And for super-easy-to-try (and free 1m resolution) photoscenery of many of the states on our western side, try some offerings from Bluesky Scenery. I'll take any amount of visual navigation with BSS over being the passenger of a flight computer at 33,000'

 

Loyd.

 

Plan-G is my Map/Planner; Bluesky is my Scenery!

I never before realized/appreciated how barren portions of Oregon were...

 

Edited August 6, 2019 by llivaudais