VFR Flight planning software

[Staple]

I'm planning a bit of a touring adventure through Europe and wondered if anyone out there had any recommendations of VFR flight planning software. Ideally something robust and reliable that can download met data from an internet source. I've seen Jeppesen's Flitestar VFR Europe advertised but not as yet read a review of it.

Any advice anyone?

[acuba 290]

maybe great free software PocketFMS, and wenn you donate over 50 Euros, You'll get great charts, almost like Jeppesen;)
http://www.pocketfms.com (http://www.pocketfms.com/)
(http://www.pprune.org/forums/www.pocketfms.com)

[DaveW]

I like NavBox ProPlan (http://www.navbox.nl/pro_main.htm).

[Avarell]

Flitestar VFR is great. I use it all the time with Garmin 296 thru USB interface.
Additional charts and Met info are not for free though. :(

[IO540]

Navbox Pro for me, for VFR.

Flitestar IFR, for IFR/airways. Has specific features for IFR like semi-intelligent (I almost said "intelligent" but it crashes too much) airways handling - put in the airway sequence and it generates the route and a plog with all the waypoints.

Flitestar is not a nice piece of software. It crashes regularly, in fact every time with certain routes loaded, and for VFR it offers little that Navbox doesn't offer. I suppose Flitestar VFR is good if you buy the VFR raster charts; then you can print off enroute sections which is quite slick - for long range European touring. But for the UK, VFR, I would use Navbox every time.

[Colonel Panic]

... Ideally something robust and reliable that can download met data from an internet source.
Don't forget that coupled with a subscription to AvBrief, you can get TAFs / METARs within NavBox ProPlan too :D :)

[pistongone]

Nav Box is the one for me. Dont forget to go to configure the map to show all airspace, roads towns railways etc. I was using it for a few months before i realised all that stuff was there:confused: :confused:

[DaveW]

..and terrain, of course - in the latest version (v5.2) :ok:

[Whopity]

Whatever happened to the hardware approach

Map Protractor Ruler and Pencil?

[IO540]

Whatever happened to the hardware approach
Map Protractor Ruler and Pencil?

21st century now. Far quicker and more reliable.

One still has to use the chart for terrain (MSA) and CAS reference; no electronic solution for that as yet, for VFR.

[DaveW]

Blimey, you'll be expecting us to operate engines fitted with magnetos and carb. heat next.

Oh...

[pistongone]

Whatever happened to the hardware approach

Map Protractor Ruler and Pencil?

Do you still practice long division and multiplication Whopity? No i didnt think so :8 :hmm:
It is good to know HOW to do these things manualy, but in the real world we use TOOLS to make life easier!:D