One Stop Flight Planning Website/Software?

[IO540]

Tango Oscar

I use Avbrief and it is excellent. I've never used the Met website since I've been using them. Their Notam function is only straight line at present (I think) so for notams I use the AIS site which is the "official" one anyway.

Mike Cross

I am sure that a GSM PDA with built-in GPS is coming. Garmin already do a reasonable GPS PDA (I am sure it is made in China & branded) but no GSM. There are lots of GSM PDAs now to which one could connect a GPS receiver...

I personally don't like the Ipaq with its massive GPS sleeve; in a plane I have it all in the panel; in the car (GPS road nav) I would prefer just a simple bracket and have a rooftop GPS aerial. For portable use (flight planning on the ground) one rarely needs a GPS.

But most PDAs have a bad display (for www) and nonexistent battery life. I had a little cheap Palm PDA just for W&B (running CoPilot) and every time I switched it on the battery had gone flat, all the data was lost, and I had to take it home to recharge it and resync it with a laptop.... on this front, there is a LONG way to go.

I know what you mean about the Notam data feed..... I wonder if the CAA is guarding the data feed so that it can be distributed only by commercial flight data providers? It is possible they don't want "amateur" web sites offering what appears an official notam feed.

But in the end the AIS site is just a website so if one can get e.g. Avbrief on a PDA one could get notams.

IIRC Navbox is available on a pocket/pc O/S already.

But if mobile flight planning is needed, one may as well carry a very light windoze laptop; getting it online via a GSM phone is easy (IR, bluetooth, cable), you get great www operation (if slow)... one can also get PCMCIA GPS modules. Presently this is a better option than a PDA.