Best on-line flight planner?

steingar

steingar

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steingar
Used to belong to AOPA, the main reason being their flight planner, which I thought excellent. Dropped AOPA anyways. Thinking about heading south to the Sunshine state VFR. What's everyone's favorite (and free!) flight planning site?
 
The Seattle Avionics free offering is what I've been using, It's good but it does require an install on a PC which kind of sucks when you're at an FBO without your computer. Some folks like fltplan.com, I don't. I like my profile view of my route and find the interface clunky.
 
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Landings.com has an excellent set of flight planning tools. The flight planning/map tool will show you an elevation profile over your route.
 
For initial planning, I highly recommend using skyvector.com in conjunction with your "formal" flight planning site. It offers the neatest drag and drop feature for route planning, even better than defunct RunwayFinder.

I have a bit on skyvector in one of my YouTube videos and will post better one(s) as soon as I fix my fast desktop for video editing.
 
Check out iFlightPlanner.com. They have mobile versions, for the iPad and smart phones, too. It doesn't get as much press as it probably should.

Here's an overview with features list and demo videos: http://www.iflightplanner.com/Features/

Hint: if you take the time to watch just ONE of those videos, watch the "Flight Wizard" one on the left side.
 
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I've used fltplan.com for years. In fact, it's what my entire company uses for our filing/fuel planning/etc. It takes a little getting used to in order to find everything on the page, but once you learn it I really like it. Accessible anywhere, quick to put together and file a flight plan; I filed in the Sonic drive through three days ago thanks to their mobile app.

That said, Troy now has me looking at iFlightPlanner...
 
I've used a lot of different ones, but for the quick (and free) down and dirty it's pretty hard to beat DUAT. I generally fly IFR and it will offer several options for routing as well as a complete briefing. They also have printable enroute and terminal charts. I do not like fltplan.com. I never have understand why it is so popular. Different strokes though.
 
Teller1900 said:
I've used fltplan.com for years. In fact, it's what my entire company uses for our filing/fuel planning/etc. It takes a little getting used to in order to find everything on the page, but once you learn it I really like it. Accessible anywhere, quick to put together and file a flight plan; I filed in the Sonic drive through three days ago thanks to their mobile app.

That said, Troy now has me looking at iFlightPlanner...
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If they want people to uograde to the Pro version, they need more than W&B calcs and longer flight history as differentiators. I won't complain too much, less I lose the free functionality.

That said, I also use FltPln.com.
 
TangoWhiskey said:
If they want people to uograde to the Pro version, they need more than W&B calcs and longer flight history as differentiators. I won't complain too much, less I lose the free functionality.

That said, I also use FltPln.com.
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I'm most of the way through registration (I entered about two dozen airports into the favorite airports list). Requiring a Duats account is kind of a killer for me. Fltplan does the filing without needing yet ANOTHER subscription/password to remember. That and the lack of Android support...
 
TangoWhiskey said:
If they want people to uograde to the Pro version, they need more than W&B calcs and longer flight history as differentiators. I won't complain too much, less I lose the free functionality.

That said, I also use FltPln.com.
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Aaaaand iFlight doesn't have the Piaggio in their database of aircraft. Game over. Fltplan wins again. :yesnod:
 
Pa28-140 said:
I do not like fltplan.com. I never have understand why it is so popular. Different strokes though.
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Depends alot on what kind of flying you do.

Most professional/commercial pilots and pilots who file and fly IFR alot seem to be the ones who love Fltplan.com I can see how a person who flies mostly VFR might not appreciate it as much.
 
TangoWhiskey said:
I don't understand. FltPln.com needs your DUATS information, too. You actually had to send them an email authorizing them to file flight plans on your behalf using that account.

http://www.fltplan.com/DUATSFiling.htm
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Oh. Hmm. Well, I've been on Fltplan for so long that I forgot that. I remember sending the email, but not the Duat part. I also forgot my Duat info. Likely it's in an email account that doesn't exist any more. Maybe once hey put the Pistachio in there I'll take another look.

I do really like their weather/route/AFD interface. That is pretty darn slick.
 
Teller1900 said:
Aaaaand iFlight doesn't have the Piaggio in their database of aircraft. Game over. Fltplan wins again. :yesnod:
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Did you tell them it's not there? I suggested the Cessna 680 and he has already added it. Quick response!

Thanks for your aircraft request! We use the FAA's Type Certificate database to create our aircraft profiles, but I wasn't able to create a full CG Profile for the Cessna 680 (Sovereign). This happens from time to time.

We use the TCDS because we prefer certified data and we try to include the base weight & balance data with each model, so should you upgrade to iFlightPlanner Premium your weight & balance calculator will be ready to go.

I've gone ahead and added the 680 without the weight & balance data so that you'll be able to add your aircraft profile and begin flight planning. You can find it in the Aircraft Wizard listed under "Cessna" by following this link:
http://www.iflightplanner.com/My/Aircraft/Wizard.aspx

If you have the weight & balance data and would like to send it our way we'll see to it that it gets entered for you! Let us know if you have any other questions!

Best,
Andy

Andy Matthews
iFlightPlanner
4343 Concourse Dr., Suite 330
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
E : andy@iflightplanner.com
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Everskyward said:
Did you tell them it's not there? I suggested the Cessna 680 and he has already added it. Quick response!
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Yeah, I suggested it. It might be a little harder to come by the data for, though (two variations, plus two supplements for extra weight/fuel for each). Or you may have just suggested yours first. I'll be patient. :)

I added the Diamond I flew back in Virginia to my profile so I could play with their weather/flight planning interface; I really do like it.
 
Teller1900 said:
Yeah, I suggested it. It might be a little harder to come by the data for, though (two variations, plus two supplements for extra weight/fuel for each). Or you may have just suggested yours first. I'll be patient. :)
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I'm not sure what data they need to have. You enter your own performance data. It's apparently not like fltplan.com which has canned numbers. I'm also not sure what W&B figures he would like to have. I wouldn't do W&B using this site anyway since we have our own program from Cessna. Actually Cessna has a flight planning program too but it's pretty primitive.
 
Everskyward said:
I'm not sure what data they need to have. You enter your own performance data. It's apparently not like fltplan.com which has canned numbers. I'm also not sure what W&B figures he would like to have. I wouldn't do W&B using this site anyway since we have our own program from Cessna. Actually Cessna has a flight planning program too but it's pretty primitive.
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I suppose you're right; I don't know either. We have our in-house w&b program, too, but it would be nice to have something that I could use quickly on FBO computers for ballpark calculations without having to download our software.
 
I've always been a DUATS user myself. I can get an official briefing, file and plan my flight in one stop.
 
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Thanks for the tips guys, didn't know about a bunch of these. The one for a smart phone looks cool, but my phone is dumb as a rock.
 
I'm late coming in on this, but I downloaded iFlightPlanner.com. There was a bit of data communication problem. After an e-mail to them I received a telephone call from Andy Matthews, the "man what am" who designed it. He was terrific during a long conversation during which he walked me through the entire package.

Teller 1900: I'd bet that if you call Andy and inform him of the lack of the Piaggio he'd set it up in the system. Customer service is A+.

HR
 
Lawreston said:
I'm late coming in on this, but I downloaded iFlightPlanner.com. There was a bit of data communication problem. After an e-mail to them I received a telephone call from Andy Matthews, the "man what am" who designed it. He was terrific during a long conversation during which he walked me through the entire package.

Teller 1900: I'd bet that if you call Andy and inform him of the lack of the Piaggio he'd set it up in the system. Customer service is A+.

HR
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Funny you should mention it. I just got an email from him about 7 minutes ago saying they're working on building it in and he'll email me again when it's added. I'm impressed.
 
Just got this response from an issue I reported this morning:

Thanks for your feedback on the TAF showing an incorrect flight conditions the Tempo in the following reading:

KAFW 221120Z 2212/2312 23006KT P6SM VCSH SCT060 BKN100 FM221500 19012KT P6SM VCSH SCT060 BKN120 TEMPO 2215/2219 -RA BKN060 FM230000 32008KT P6SM SCT150 FM230900 19005KT P6SM SKC=

We've investigated and realized that if a forecast did not contain a visibility reading, our software was recognizing that as zero visibility, which triggers the LIFR. We've updated our software so that if not visibility data was provided, it will ignore it for purposes of determining flight rules.

This fix will go out to iFlightPlanner.com in our next software update, which we expect to be released in the next couple weeks. The next update also contains a number of new planning and filing features, so keep your eyes out for an announcement!

Thanks again for the heads up. We always want to hear about our member's experiences with iFlightPlanner and will work tirelessly to get to the bottom of any technical issues.

Sincerely,

John Burnside Co-Founder, Director of Technology
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Very responsive!
 
Teller1900 said:
Funny you should mention it. I just got an email from him about 7 minutes ago saying they're working on building it in and he'll email me again when it's added. I'm impressed.
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I tipped him off about the forum with which he had not been familiar, and the specific thread that he could read but not post a response. He must have jumped right on the Piaggio matter which I did not mention.

HR
 
I normally use Navmonster or DUAT Voyager.
 
Lawreston said:
I tipped him off about the forum with which he had not been familiar, and the specific thread that he could read but not post a response. He must have jumped right on the Piaggio matter which I did not mention.

HR
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Jesse can make it so he can post....
 
The guy at the flight school was using Golden Eagle Flight Prep. My BF thought it was better than my AOPA flight planner because it apparently showed "tops" or "terrain avoidance" or "min. safe altitude." Didn't see it myself, anyone else use this Eagle thing?
 
kimberlyanne546 said:
The guy at the flight school was using Golden Eagle Flight Prep. My BF thought it was better than my AOPA flight planner because it apparently showed "tops" or "terrain avoidance" or "min. safe altitude." Didn't see it myself, anyone else use this Eagle thing?
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Don't use FlightPrep. They seem to do more litigating then they do innovating which is a sad thing for a software company. They're directly responsible for the death of some good free websites and they've caused great headache for many.

http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?t=47345
 
jesse said:
Don't use FlightPrep. They seem to do more litigating then they do innovating which is a sad thing for a software company. They're directly responsible for the death of some good free websites and they've caused great headache for many.

http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?t=47345
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I didn't know that. I was sad when I went to airnav and the link to the sectional was gone (runway finder). Regardless, I pay AOPA for a membership so I might as well use their tools right? I'll use AOPA again, I liked their "kneeboard" vs "full page" print options - I gave the BF his own full sized clipboard and flight plan and he helped a lot on my XC. Timing logs, taking notes, etc. I have him well trained.
 
kimberlyanne546 said:
I didn't know that. I was sad when I went to airnav and the link to the sectional was gone (runway finder). Regardless, I pay AOPA for a membership so I might as well use their tools right? I'll use AOPA again, I liked their "kneeboard" vs "full page" print options - I gave the BF his own full sized clipboard and flight plan and he helped a lot on my XC. Timing logs, taking notes, etc. I have him well trained.
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Note that airnav has switched to vfrmap.com for the sectionals in the absence of the aforementioned runwayfinder.com. So they have them again, at least until the FAA starts charging for charts and plates.:mad:
 
gprellwitz said:
Note that airnav has switched to vfrmap.com for the sectionals in the absence of the aforementioned runwayfinder.com. So they have them again, at least until the FAA starts charging for charts and plates.:mad:
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VFRMap is handy but of limited use due to the lack of a planning function. My guess is they will have that once they work out a deal with the Sith FlightPrep.
 
gprellwitz said:
Note that airnav has switched to vfrmap.com for the sectionals in the absence of the aforementioned runwayfinder.com. So they have them again, at least until the FAA starts charging for charts and plates.:mad:
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alfadog said:
VFRMap is handy but of limited use due to the lack of a planning function. My guess is they will have that once they work out a deal with the Sith FlightPrep.
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I've always used SkyVector if I want to look at sectionals/en-routes on line. Very nice website, relatively easy interface, and they have basic route planning/weather tools built in.

That said, iFlightPlanner has all that and more...

(Other than the lack of Android support, and the fact that I'm required to use FltPlan for work, Troy, I think you've converted me).
 
Teller1900 said:
I've always used SkyVector if I want to look at sectionals/en-routes on line. Very nice website, relatively easy interface, and they have basic route planning/weather tools built in.

That said, iFlightPlanner has all that and more...

(Other than the lack of Android support, and the fact that I'm required to use FltPlan for work, Troy, I think you've converted me).
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I am a fan of Skyvector so I will give your recommendation a look. Thanks.

edit: Not bad. Not as nice as Skyvector for routing directly on the sectional but doable and I like that it has the Google satellite option ala Runway Finder. That is something I miss in Skyvector for VFR pilotage planning.
 
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TangoWhiskey said:
I don't understand. FltPln.com needs your DUATS information, too. You actually had to send them an email authorizing them to file flight plans on your behalf using that account.

http://www.fltplan.com/DUATSFiling.htm
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That's just the beginning of the problems that I have with fltplan. I got into it with them once when I requested my password (hint: I didn't request that my password be reset, I requested my password). I was surprised to see my exact password sent to me in the email. It felt like 1999 all over again. It had been so long since I had seen a password stored/sent plain text that it felt odd. I emailed them about it...explaining why it was a bad idea and how easy it would be for them to fix it.

No response.

So I emailed them again.

No response.

So I emailed them again.

Response: "We don't discuss security issues".

I haven't used them since.

I don't reuse passwords, so it isn't a big deal to me. But how much do you trust them? Think of how many pilots have the same email address and password for their amazon accounts as they do for their fltplan account. It just signaled a level of apathy that I didn't find appealing.

Oh, and this all happened just last year.

As for what I use...I really like navmonster for quick and dirty stuff.
 
jason said:
That's just the beginning of the problems that I have with fltplan. I got into it with them once when I requested my password (hint: I didn't request that my password be reset, I requested my password). I was surprised to see my exact password sent to me in the email. It felt like 1999 all over again. It had been so long since I had seen a password stored/sent plain text that it felt odd. I emailed them about it...explaining why it was a bad idea and how easy it would be for them to fix it.

No response.

So I emailed them again.

No response.

So I emailed them again.

Response: "We don't discuss security issues".

I haven't used them since.

I don't reuse passwords, so it isn't a big deal to me. But how much do you trust them? Think of how many pilots have the same email address and password for their amazon accounts as they do for their fltplan account. It just signaled a level of apathy that I didn't find appealing.

Oh, and this all happened just last year.

As for what I use...I really like navmonster for quick and dirty stuff.
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..and its also really lame how they just kill your account if you don't use it for awhile.
 
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