Flight Planning on Rec Fly

[Admin]

As all registered users here at Recreational Flying would know, we have in the "Resources" section a free Flight Planning tool that registered users can use to get an idea of a plan between a departure and destination airstrip. It shows a side elevation to get min heights and more and has been very useful to many users in the past.

 

With the proliferation of Flight Planning apps, tools, etc that you can use on your phones, tablet pc, internet etc, I was wondering whether you see an opportunity in improving the Recreational Flying Flight Planner here on the site or whether it just isn't worth the effort any more given what is available out there for you to use.

 

I think the question comes down to whether you would use a tool, if it suited your needs, on this site to plan your flight or whether you would use something else that is more convenient in the way you do and when and how you do your flight planning.

 

Do I spend the money and update the flight planner on this site to something much better or not?

 

 

[cscotthendry]

Ian:

 

I had a look at the flight planner and while it was a little primitive, I would use it. It had some good features and some that I thought could be improved on. A big plus for me was being able to print.

 

 

[Admin]

One format that can be used to improve the Flight Planner is to integrate it with the Recreational Flying Google Map Airstrip application on the site, the weather lookup etc and use a form entry layout something like:

 

 

The thing I need to know is if I fork out the money to get all this developed, would it be used given all the other flight planning opportunities that we all have today?

 

 

[peter]

I am very happy with oz runways so not worth the cost/effort for me

 

 

[bushpilot]

I am very happy with oz runways so not worth the cost/effort for me

Ditto.. You have enough on your plate Ian.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Ditto.. You have enough on your plate Ian.

Ian this site would keep several keen moderators and developers occupied, and it looks like you spend an enormous amount of time on it, for which we are all grateful.

I have seen the damage screen addiction can do. Take your kids to the park and fly a kite instead.

 

 

[Admin]

You guys would not believe what is involved in running this site and trying to bring to you as much as possible...I am currently engulfed in a major brawl with the developer who was creating the new Google Earth Airstrip section. At one point after I had paid him nearly $300, which was his quote, he wasn't going to provide anything till I both agreed to not have all the features in it that we need here, and that I pay him another $180. So extortion of more money, less features, no refund and no product. This fight has been going on for many days now with hundreds of emails and so much so, that I had to bring it out into the public domain on the development web site where it ended up having 6 pages of posts, and me having to stay up all night etc, just to get something worked out. The many other posters there were saying Shame on him to the point where he had to publicly come out and say that he would finish the job for the price quoted. Since then, again he has been trying to get out of including all the features in it and saying he owns the work that I have paid him to do.

 

So, the point I am making is that a hell of a lot of work goes on every single day behind the scenes to bring you the absolute BEST resource in recreational aviation possible. But, this work can't stop if Recreational Flying is to continue to provide you with great features that you enjoy and why you come here...the more that come here the more help that the site can provide.

 

 

[Admin]

Thanks Guys...I hope I didn't come across the wrong way in my post above, sorry if I did...bad night BUT, the Recreational Flying Google Airstrips Section is now up and running so just looking for my next project and was testing the water to see if I should get the current flight planner improved or not...if not, what other components do you think would be useful, to you, to have on the site?

 

 

[campslive]

Thanks Guys...I hope I didn't come across the wrong way in my post above, sorry if I did...bad night BUT, the Recreational Flying Google Airstrips Section is now up and running so just looking for my next project and was testing the water to see if I should get the current flight planner improved or not...if not, what other components do you think would be useful, to you, to have on the site?

hi ian

 

alot of us cannot afford or wish too purchase the correct program to do the correct required legal flight plane ,,,

 

but is it worth say a small fee to members of this site to join or contribute towards an upgraded version?

 

i personally have used your flight planner to double check my figures but i would love to use /join a version i

 

could simply print out as a wac chart or vtc chart with departure to destination?

 

if we spread the cost across members i am happy to pay my way,,

 

cheers graham

 

 

[Admin]

Thanks Graham...WAC etc charts are a Air Services owned format so to get the digital versions you have to pay Air Services thousands of dollars every year...you even have to, I believe, sign an agreement saything that you will maintain insurances of x million dollars for 10 years after you stop using them...or something like that.

 

The other alternative is that everything that is on the Air Services charts can be obtained from the public domain so using resources like GeoSciences charts and other pieces of information around you can create the same kind of charts BUT there is a bit of work initially to create them. Then to be sure you pick up on any changes that may happen, you would need to get every Air Services chart each time a new set are released and cross check them with your own...just to make sure!

 

The idea I had in the improvement of the flight planner all started with the update to the Google Earth Airstrips Section. From there we update the planner to a form type of layout. Next stage is we get the planner to automatically get the weather for the weather section and apply that to the plan. The final stage would be bringing it all together that allows you to print out your flight plan that has the numbers plus is laid out over a Google Earth map. It would be a project that would end up costing a bit of money and be undertaken in steps over a period of time...that is why I wanted to know if it would all be worth it

 

 

[campslive]

Thanks Graham...WAC etc charts are a Air Services owned format so to get the digital versions you have to pay Air Services thousands of dollars every year...you even have to, I believe, sign an agreement saything that you will maintain insurances of x million dollars for 10 years after you stop using them...or something like that.The other alternative is that everything that is on the Air Services charts can be obtained from the public domain so using resources like GeoSciences charts and other pieces of information around you can create the same kind of charts BUT there is a bit of work initially to create them. Then to be sure you pick up on any changes that may happen, you would need to get every Air Services chart each time a new set are released and cross check them with your own...just to make sure!

 

The idea I had in the improvement of the flight planner all started with the update to the Google Earth Airstrips Section. From there we update the planner to a form type of layout. Next stage is we get the planner to automatically get the weather for the weather section and apply that to the plan. The final stage would be bringing it all together that allows you to print out your flight plan that has the numbers plus is laid out over a Google Earth map. It would be a project that would end up costing a bit of money and be undertaken in steps over a period of time...that is why I wanted to know if it would all be worth it

ian,

 

if you could update your current planner i would be more than happy to subscribe and use it,i am certain many other members too for a minimal cost?

 

the more who use it the cheaper it becomes for all of us?

 

like your last voting poll on replacing aircraft can u do one one this subject?

 

it would be great if you could put in departure and destination and press print and vice versa for return trip and carry it in your aircraft with your maps and gps,

 

look forward to using this tool more regularly,,

 

cheers graham