Question about IFR Vs VFR flight plan in SD
 

What determines if a flight plan is a VFR or IFR ( or a composite) in Skydemon? Once filed online does it identify the portion that is on an airway as IFR and VFR for off airway portions? I understand there is a letter identifier for different types of flight plan I.e. Z, Y etc. where in the Skydemon filing is thus identifier? Also if I create an flight plan in "Airways view" in SD does this automatically file the plan as an IFR flight?

You have me thinking now. I've put a few flight plans through on SD and can't remember. Isn't there a selection as to whether it's a VFR or IFR flight?

If you are talking about sending an IFR plan via SD, you can't but you can plan anything you want and use it in flight. You switch from VFR charts to Airways in one touch of a button, you can also customize you IFR chart to show cities, terrain etc. It does not show SIDs or STARs, you have to pull up the AIP chart for that.

I use RocketRoute or Autorouter to plan/file the IFR flight plan and then import the plan into Skydemon for moving map, NOTAM, PLOG, met etc. If it is only a few sectors, I just rubberband it in SD

I confirm (as an employee of SkyDemon) what dirkdj wrote. You cannot file an IFR flightplan in SkyDemon. It is VFR only in this regard, even if you planned your route using the "airways mode".

Time to get busy writing some more code Bobby!!

I am not sure it is something they're considering adding. I thought that was actually a deliberate decision made by SD? I heard someone say that SD didn't want to compete in the IFR space. (Bobby please correct me if I am wrong)

Autorouter.eu is my poison of choice for finding IFR routes. It is free and quite quick! As I only have an IMC rating however, I would need to file by hand to ensure that I don't enter controlled airspace on my route.

The best way to work is to use combine tools.

Use something like the astoundingly good autorouter.eu site to generate and file your plan.

It will then give output which can be directly pasted into SkyDemon so you then have your route and plates available via SD.

Check out the new 'telegram' functionality in autorouter as well - it's brilliant.

alex90 is largely correct... While we do develop the occasional feature with IFR pilots in mind, we still consider VFR our main focus and area of expertise.


To elaborate, after seeing the (really rather good) routing algorithms created by the guys at Autorouter.eu we decided that working with them to have an "Open in SkyDemon" button would be better for pilots than us trying to build a similar system up from scratch within SkyDemon. The fact that they can file IFR plans as well as routing is a most excellent bonus, and as stevelup points out, they are committed to developing the system and adding new functionality. Good guys.


piperboy84, I assure you, you don't want me coding SkyDemon! :)