VFR flight planning and navigation software I've written

[Tim Dawson]

Hi guys,

I've been hanging around here a while now, rarely posting but all the time secretly developing a suite of software just for VFR pilots like you fine folks. It comprises flight-planning software for your home PC and in-flight GPS navigation software for your mobile phone. This software has recently reached the beta stage and if any of you would like to try it, you'd be most welcome to do so.

It's loaded with data for the UK and Ireland, and you can download data for the USA or France also if you'd rather (or if you're curious). There's a fully interactive moving map, plotting a route is as easy as clicking on consecutive waypoints and it will download and plot NOTAMs, TAFs and METARs for you automatically. You can then simply print off a PLOG with all the calculations/frequencies you need to take with you, and go.

My background: I run a successful software company and I'm also a PPL, so I did this as a "side project". It will probably become commercial software at some point, to compete with the other VFR flight-planning software out there, but for the moment while I consider it unfinished, everyone can use it for free. It certainly makes the jobs of planning and even flying easier (though I do say so myself). Naturally I'm after your feedback, so please post here giving your thoughts, or contact me through the website if you'd rather.

It's called SkyAngel and you can read more about it, and download it, here. I hope you find it useful. They say a picture is worth a thousand words so I'll try and attach a few screenshots.

[VFR Transit]

What costs are involved, as this type of program would not be on the free market!!

is it s trial download?
monthly payment?

VFR

[liam548]

any chance of creating the software to run on symbian devices not just windows mobile?

[140KIAS]

Im a fan of online/computer planning tools. I tend to use Jepp Flitestar and Skybook GA. Also occassionally the Notam plot feature on UKGA. Ive tried Navbox and the other Notam tools but didnt take to them.

Ive just installed your package and had a quick initial 'play'. However this is no toy - I'm absolutely speechless at what you have created.

I'll try and provide some feedback soon.

140k

[BRL]

I am hoping this is free............

[englishal]

This looks pretty flash! I'm downloading it as I type and will give feedback. Any chance of an Android version

Excellent, keep up the good work!

Cheers

[englishal]

Yep that is SLICK! Great program, now if you make this do ALL preflight functions, weather, Notams etc., then I reckon you could clear up the preflight planning market.

[englishal]

PS you are not based at EGHS are you? I see your demo routes start from there

[Shunter]

Nice. Very nice indeed. Quite often with flight planning software one thinks, I wish it would do x, y or z... All those things seem to be quickly and intuitively accessible.

I'd certainly consider paying for it when released commercially. I'd also love to give it a try on my phone, but I'd take an educated guess there's no chance of a Cocoa port on the horizon.

[stickandrudderman]

At first glance this looks absolutely brilliant!
It took me a couple of minutes to work out how to change the default cruise speed and I haven't yet worked out of the live weather will automatically enter the wind speed/direction into the plog but will have a longer look over the weekend.
Well done you Sir!

[liam548]

Originally Posted by stickandrudderman

At first glance this looks absolutely brilliant!
It took me a couple of minutes to work out how to change the default cruise speed and I haven't yet worked out of the live weather will automatically enter the wind speed/direction into the plog but will have a longer look over the weekend.
Well done you Sir!

i cant work out the live wx either

[Black Prince]

This looks very impressive. Very quick and intuitive. Well done.
Is it possible to overide the leg altitude below the MSA? It seems that at the moment it's possible to increase the intended cruise altitude by simply dragging the pink line on the elevation, but not decrease it. If not, then even if the MSA is the default, I think an overide would be very useful for VFR.

[Gertrude the Wombat]

Er ...

See the end of this message for details on invoking
just-in-time (JIT) debugging instead of this dialog box.
************** Exception Text **************
System.ArgumentOutOfRangeException: Year, Month, and Day parameters describe an un-representable DateTime.
at System.DateTime.DateToTicks(Int32 year, Int32 month, Int32 day)
at Divelements.Aviation.Weather.Metar.ParseWeatherReportMonth(S tring dayOfMonth)
at Divelements.Aviation.Weather.Taf.Parse(MessageLog messageLog, String tafData)
at Divelements.Aviation.FlightPlanner.Briefing.WeatherDownloadM anager.ProcessDownloadedTafs(String data)
at Divelements.Aviation.FlightPlanner.Briefing.WeatherDownloadM anager.OnFinishedDownload(BackgroundQueueJob job)

************** Loaded Assemblies **************
mscorlib
Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.3082 (QFE.050727-3000)
CodeBase: file:///c:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.NET/Fra...7/mscorlib.dll
----------------------------------------
SkyAngel
Assembly Version: 0.9.1.27550
Win32 Version: 0.9.1.27550
CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/Divelemen...n/SkyAngel.exe
----------------------------------------
Divelements.SandGrid
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************** JIT Debugging **************
To enable just-in-time (JIT) debugging, the .config file for this
application or computer (machine.config) must have the
jitDebugging value set in the system.windows.forms section.
The application must also be compiled with debugging
enabled.
For example:
<configuration>
<system.windows.forms jitDebugging="true" />
</configuration>
When JIT debugging is enabled, any unhandled exception
will be sent to the JIT debugger registered on the computer
rather than be handled by this dialog box.

[Molesworth 1]

Very nice with some innovative features.

The Enroute Features is a blast! I also like the way the Notams load in the background.

It needs fine tuning and feedback from users. I would suggest calling it a Beta and not a Trial Version at this stage (you'll be in trouble with the mods if you asking for money for a non Trial Version).

Needs a help file - not really professional without one. A lot of it is intuitive and should make a lot of the cheaper commercially available planning software cringe with embarrassment.

How do you change the default TAS, for example. This is quite a basic requirement.

Well done - but it needs polishing.

[Tim Dawson]

Thanks everyone for trying it and giving your feedback. I'll try and answer your questions as best I can.

VFR Transit, the software will probably cost money at some point in the future but for the moment it's free, while it's "unfinished".

The software will only run on Windows Mobile devices because those devices are the only ones I know about writing software for.

englishal, I consider both Henstridge and Compton Abbas to be "home" airfields, though I don't keep a plane at either. Are you local?

stickandrudderman, the live weather is METAR and TAF data, neither of which is suitable to be applied as wind for route calculations, hence the box at the top for you to enter such data (from the met 215). Unfortunately I don't yet have a feed of enroute wind information at altitude. If anyone knows of one, do let me know!

liam548, as you plot a route the TAF and METAR data for airfields near the route will appear on the graphical route depiction at the bottom. You can also switch to the TAF and METAR windows at the bottom for a more detailed view. Additionally you can right-click any airfield and request weather data for it, but of course not all provide it.

Black Prince, it is not currently possible to plan a route altitude at less than what the software considers "safe". If people think this should be overridable, then I'll make it overridable. I know nobody likes software to boss them around

Gertrude, thanks for reporting that error, I'll take a look into it. It would help to know what station produced the TAF that caused it to choke, if you can remember (or what your route was), but I'll ensure that in the next version you'll see a much friendlier response than that.

Has anyone tried the USA data?

[Tim Dawson]

Molesworth, it certainly is a beta. I don't think I've referred to it as a trial version, and it's not even possible to pay for it. Getting the kind of feedback you just gave is the goal at the moment.

Double-click any route segment (in the map or in the route plan window) to bring up its properties, where you can change the planned speed, altitude and wind for that segment. Not at all obvious, you're completely right.

Rest assured a help file will be forthcoming.

[HeliCraig]

What a lovely piece of software - coming from someone who also writes it! Well done.

With a couple of minor tweaks, and possibly a few extra features which may require purchase / licencing, it will be my preferred choice easily - which I would happily pay for!

Couple of thoughts:

1. Really like the way Generate plan picks up relevant freq's for your route - although it does appear to miss out Farnborough Radar (I planned EGBE - EGLL, and although it picked up Brize Radar no F'borough - presumably because it isn't a nearby airfield?).

2. The ability to "schedule" a plan for the future would be nice. For instance if I wanted to fly to Sywell tomorrow, could I see NOTAMS that are relevant (and for tomorrow for instance there is RA(T) at Sywell), but I don't appear to be able to do this.

3. The software which comes with my FlyMap allows me to "drag" the course line, and thus create a way point. For instance to the edge of CAS in order to avoid it.

4. The ability to add a user defined way point is very helpful, especially for us heli-pilots for things like hotels and private sites. Is this what the "Insert Pin" function does on a right click? I can't see how.

5. Be really nice to double click on a airfield to see basic information (runways, freqs, etc) - even nicer if you could buy an electronic pooleys / afe subscription and see the plate; or maybe a link to the PDF on the NAT AIS / AIP site?

6. Maybe also the ability to purchase the CAA digital charts and use those - although the data used to generate the "map" does seem excellent.

7. Some way of permanently acknowledging the initial msg box re: don't rely on this - it could get annoying after a while.

8. Ability to print a zoomed in section of map; even nicer if linked with number 6!

None of this is meant as a criticism, obviously, but I do seem to have gone on a bit. Really really like it, excellent work - if you need any help / advice / ideas just PM me!


C.

[Freightops]

Germany & benelux

I must say it is a very nice and admirable what you have done.
Will you at a later stage include Germany & Benelux?

[Ultranomad]

Tim, will there be a way for users to add their own maps - and/or maybe to contribute maps to a publicly downloadable common library?

[funflier44]

Looks good but it doesn't work on real computers - Apple

OK I'll get my coat