PC flight planner from 2000? (re: killing FlightPrep patent)
 

I'm working on writing a reexamination request for FlightPrep's flight planning patent. People have sent me some really good prior art, but I need one more piece. I'm looking for a flight planner circa June 2000 or earlier that had the following functionality:
- plotted route with waypoints on a chart
- allowed NDBs and VORs as part of flight plan
- was able to download updated nav data (optional)
- display/print flight plan
- submit flight plan to FAA

I know the military had some flight planning systems, but I think there were also some PC programs with those capabilities. I wasn't a pilot back then, so I'm not certain what was available.

Let me know if there was such a flight planner back then, or better yet if you have an electronic version of a user's manual for such a flight planner.

Thanks,
Dave

Wish I had one, but I dont.

I do want to wish you best of luck, and hope this will succeed in knocking FlightPerb off the ladder.

Good luck,

Jeppesen's FlightStar and FlightMap did this but they weren't web based. They are locally installed apps with a subscription to Jepp the data updates. That software was around in the mid 1990s or earlier.

Bob

MS Flight Sim
 

Of course MicroSoft Flight Simulator 2000's flight planner did all of those things, but not online. And it didn't submit to FAA, but it sort-of did the same thing to the simulated ATC on flight simulator.

I haven't checked, but I believe there were on-line flight planners for the virtual airlines in Flight Simulator that did ALL of the things you listed.

And I'm strongly of the opinion that something in a game with millions of users is valid as prior art.

AeroPlanner
 

Back in 1998/1999, I used to use AeroPlanner.com for flight planning. It was the first that I ever used, and did have mapping, waypoints (including navaids), route plotting and the ability to print out a navlog. I don't remember if I could actually file my flight plan from within the program or not. It was/is web-based.

Dave,

According to http://www.pageinsider.com/aeroplanner.com Aeroplanner.com has been in operation since March 17, 2000. Judging from Google's Usenet archives, it provided most everything but the "submit flight plan to FAA" feature.

Best Luck!

FLTPlan.com
 

Dave,

www.fltplan.com did all of those things and more. I've been using their site for more than a decade. I checked this morning on their updates/enhancements page http://www.fltplan.com/NewChanges.htm#2000 and it lists the changes that got checked in during 2000.

Good luck, keep up the GREAT work and don't let the illegitimi grind you down.

Dave,

Aviation consumer compared flight planning software in the Nov 99 issue. It's available on line.

The three they compared were Destination Direct, RMS Flightsoft and Flight Star.

Jim Butcher

I am the author of AirPlan, a PC based flight planner that does all those things. I released it in 1999. It was not web based, but did file flight plans online. I put it out as freeware after the DAFIF went away.

Dean Wilkinson
CTO, AeroLEDs LLC

Hope your info helps Dave of course. Also very glad you gave it up and got into the LED business...they are without compare.

Pete