Flight Planning Software

[youngmic]

I am looking to purchase a flight planning program and wondering what the consensus is on which is best. Appears there is some attractive Christmas discounting of the two below.

I would like to use it for domestic and international IFR planning as well as private domestic VFR. Odd aircraft types are often used.

Champagne Flight Planner 3000 ver. 6.4 and Command Flight Planner are the two that I am aware of. Command Flight Planner whilst slightly more expensive appears to be the better choice.

How good are they, which would suit best, what are there limitations, and are there others that might be better?

Regards
M

[ForkTailedDrKiller]

Mic

I have used Champagne Flightplanner 3000 since about v 0.1 came out what seems like 100 years ago.

Does everything you could want - and more!

Dr :8

[Jamair]

I've owned and used Command since 2000, with annual subscriptions being only about $55.

Have used it for PVT VFR, then IFR then as a CHTR company tool, and found it to be very intuitive and user friendly. It also includes 3 licences, so you can legally have it on your home PC, your laptop and your work PC.

My new company uses Champagne, which although I have figured out (eventually) I find much harder to use than Command. I actually take my laptop to work to use Command on those occasions where I need a FLT PLN program.

Command does not do international though. Mind you, the company is very interactive- I've rung them and asked for inclusions and they could not be more helpful and obliging - so if international is a big thing for you, maybe ring them and ask if its on the cards....?

My two bobs worth.

[Lefthanded_Rock_Thrower]

Hi Mr youngmic,

give this guy a call, Rob Slater 0419 955 704, he is the guy that runs Champagne, good stuff, simple to use, perhaps even for you :) .

He is in WA, i believe the Aeroclub and Western Airmotive have copies for sale, i just purchased a copy of the new version 6.4a ( wow that makes me look smart ? ), has many international aerodrome already installed, i planned Lanseria to Ghana, Ghana to UB, UB to JT ( for the canary ) using this software, much easier that the jepp program ( just have to enter the waypoiny data and mag variation), enjoy.

[787 Captain]

I've used both of them and find both good. They have some significant differences, but when you get used to them I reckon you'd be happy with either.

I recommend you try the evaluation versions of each, downloadable from their websites, to work out which one you prefer. That'd be the best way.

787

[Murray Cod]

Don't be lazy Mic,
I've got a heap of WAC's and some VTC's circa 1998 you can have for a carton , plus a copy of the tourist guide to Booraloola (the good parts ). I'll even throw in the pencil and broken WAC ruler ( I think I broke it trying to measure wog boys nose).
MC.

[youngmic]

Thanks All,

Looks like I'll throw out the old road maps for the Champagne.

Regards
M

[an-124]

Does anyone know of any flight planning software for PDAs/ windows mobile phones?

[Clarie]

Flight Planner 3000 is good. It puts in IFR routes for you and also has details on ALAs all over the place. It's very accurate and I've found it to be user friendly.

I haven't used Command. I was put off when they had listed the Piper "Worrior" or similar - it made me wonder what else they got wrong.

Air Nav VFR is good too but very different. Not as good for IFR planning as the ones above (it won't put the route in) but very good for VFR as it prints out on actual current Airservices charts. You can plan a VFR flight down a lane and it will put that track on all your charts. Simple to use.

For international planning I've used Jeppesen FliteMap. Very powerful but buggy and has a tendency to make up ridiculous speeds far faster than the type can do, so you need to double check the numbers. It takes a bit of getting used to, it's not user friendly. I hate using it but it does have everything you need for international planning.

[Biggles_in_Oz]

an-124
PocketFms consists of two bits., the PC portion does the planning and the PDA portion does the in-flight nav.
They have a time-limited evaluation version, but be carefull as the downloads get rather large if you want to see the Oz maps (quite good).
http://members.pocketfms.com/

[pressed_on]

Jeppesen JeppView and FliteStar are unbelieveably awesome when it comes to flight planning. Little expensive though.

But you select your a/c type, select the route and alt and it calcuates everything incl fuelflows for climbs and all the rest of it. Then the jeppview interpolates with it and sources all of the charts and plates.

Have been using it for flying all over Europe and Sth America so far and we couldnt live without it.

[Ellsworth]

Someone's too bloody lazy not spelling BorROloola properly.

All the good bits are 'beyond the rocky creek'... you silly

- ex BCEC chief cleaner

[jumpuFOKKERjump]

Does anyone know of any flight planning software for PDAs... If you want a low tech/cost approach there is CoPilot. It is shareware and runs fine on my Palm Zire. I used it mainly to check my work for PPL training, but it is nice just to pull it out and see how long it would take to fly to Perth, or how much time I would save flying one type against another. Haven't tried to output a flight plan from it though, but you can. Have to find youself some waypoints too.

http://lauriedavis9.tripod.com/copilot/

[bentleg]

For VFR I use Airnav (http://www.sentientvisionsystems.com/AirNavWebsite/an_overview.html) from Sentient software. You get images of all charts and simply click and point your route. Helpful prompts. Ability to insert comments onto the plan. NAIPs interface. Excellent.

I found Champagne FP and Command FP rather complex for VFR.

[DonC]

I use both Champagne and Airnav - Champagne is great for planning and the waypoint detail is good
I only use Airnav for the charts - which have just had the resolution improved greatly!
By the way - a VNC for Broome now!!!