Need help - Flight planning software

[NewLine02]

Hello all,

Work on thesis dealing with selection of optimal flight planning software.

Basic info: company with 2 A/C, option for another one till end of this year and totaly 5-6 A/C in 6 year horizont. Low cost carrier concept.

I have sum experience with SITA Gabriel sw and also have sum materials from PPS, Jeppesen, RM Rocade(flt dispatch) and SAS Fltsupport. Can anybody help me with any comments, advises etc. like:

-which software is mostly used by airlines (or most preferable), precentual rate of companies which use each sw (approximately)

-working daily with flight plannign software; which one would you recommend or choose if you were such an option and why?

-what are the advantages and disadvantages of each option, etc.,etc.

guys, any help or comment will be very very usefull and valuable for me... just write anything you got on mind or find important to know... thanks

Peter

[CargoOne]

Jeppesen FliteStar is not a good idea unless you are general aviation. It is very inaccurate in calculations, it have no ideas how to go overseas (you cannot automatically build the navlog from Europe to North America), usually it creates stupid routing over any sea trying to keep very close to the land and so on. Sometimes you may find that the route is build using one-way airways in wrong direction. Actually to make any reasonably long flight using this flight planning software you need manually make the routing by printed Jeppesen charts and then enter the data into FliteStar - then it is ok. Also there is no interface to send flight plans by SITA or AFTN - printout only.. .Advantages - very low cost (tageted to general aviation and Piper/Cessna-class aircraft), and Corporate version is not very different.

[NewLine02]

Thanks,

I mean JetPlan would be more suitable in their case. They operate mainly scheduled transport with very little charter ops. with twin engine turboprops (30 PAX).

[fcit]

No to offend anybody using JetPlan, but with only 2 turboprops Jetplan appears a little overdimensioned. I doubt that your AOC would allow ETOPS NAT crossings (so why questioning how the systems behaves across the pond).

Don`t get me wrong, I think Jetplan is a good system, but I doubt that you can place a deal that will justify the cost.

O.k., this will also probably mean that you might have to put up with some hardships as lack of SITA and/or AFTN interaction. However, trust me with only two aircrafts flying (where you will mostly have only one available - due scheduled mx windows), you should have plenty of time to run your plans with a less fancy system and fax your ICAOs to the local AIS office (this will even save you the cost for SITA, which for small operators is quite expensive, not to mention the cost and availability constraints for AFTN).

Also, if you are focsuing on scheduled traffic (low cost???), you will most likely be operating on RPLs and fixed routeings, so there is only very limited need for a full featured flight planning system.

As for cost effectiveness, I heard ( - I stress I cannot confirm this - ) that PPS and RODOS (SAS flight planning) are among the cheaper ones. Well, you say you have the brochures from most operators (and their price list).

Cheers. .fcit