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08-25-2009, 04:54 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,082
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Quote:
Originally Posted by L.Adamson
I see that you have to sign up for the "free--limited flight planner", and the full service is $149.95 annual subscription. Just wondering the differences; since the free planner is limited.
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The free version Golden Eagle planner gives you pretty much everything you could want. The only thing you need is a Duats account which is also free and most of us already have.
One of the new features in the latest software update is an altitude comparison which gives you ground speeds, times, and fuel burns for your selected route.
__________________
Mike
JAMES AIRCRAFT.com
Flying - RV8 Hot Rod "Drone Killer"
Flying - RV8 "Look'n Good"
RV4 - FAST & FUN! Rebuilt, Flown, Sold
RV-7A Built, Flown, Sold
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08-25-2009, 07:13 AM
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: Rochester Hills, MI
Posts: 879
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I like Flite Prep also
I agree that Flight Prep is better than the AOPA s/w. It's easy to use, you can modify your route at will, and generate flight logs corrected for winds.
The subscription gets you on-line charts, both IFR and VFR, approach charts, and a flight planning wizzard (don't know what that does for you).
I use the free one all the time and like it a lot. I've also played with FlightAware and FltPlan, and they have some nice stuff also, but the complexity factor is much higher.
__________________
Dennis Glaeser CFII
Rochester Hills, MI
RV-7A - Eggenfellner H6, GRT Sport ES, EIS4000, 300XL, SL30, TT Gemini, PMA6000, AK950L, GT320,
uAvionixEcho ADSB in/out with GRT Safe Fly GPS
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08-25-2009, 07:25 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: KSLC
Posts: 4,021
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DGlaeser
I agree that Flight Prep is better than the AOPA s/w. It's easy to use, you can modify your route at will, and generate flight logs corrected for winds.
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I can do that with the AOPA planner...... also.
BTW--- the AOPA planner is a new version that was released in the last year.
L.Adamson
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08-27-2009, 11:26 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 454
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AOPA
Quote:
Originally Posted by L.Adamson
I can do that with the AOPA planner...... also.
BTW--- the AOPA planner is a new version that was released in the last year.
L.Adamson
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From what I read on their site the Golden Eagle program seems to be PC compatable only. I can use the APOA flight planner on my MAC or any computer at which I happen to be. I find it does everything that I need. I use to use CIRRUS and found it to be excellent and intuitive but no longer supported and not MAC friendly. All the earlier AOPA flight planners were not very user friendly either until this most recent version.
I really like the new AOPA flight planner and how my routes are stored online so that I may access them from any computer.
__________________
George Goff RV-6A (Flying 3/7/2006 )(Houston, TX)
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08-27-2009, 12:33 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 1,231
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John Clark
I must be missing the point of Breister's complaints about the AOPA Flight Planner. I think the key here is flight planner. I use it to plan a flight, that is, get the big picture, pick out a route, and get the weather. I think Breister is looking for a "flight plotter" to make a map of his predetermined route. If you have a route picked out, enter the flightplan, and file it. Then enter it in the GPS and go. Or, be stone-age like me and highlight it on a (gasp!) paper chart. The AOPA product is great as is.
John Clark ATP, CFI
FAAST Team Member
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA
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(Edit - sounded sarcastic when I was trying to agree with you...) My point is that it is a flight planning tool which does not perform all of the accepted functions of flight planning. It is good, but can be better - and all it will take is for enough of us to report the bugs.
Suppose you are planning on filing IFR. The AOPA flight planner allows you to file on-line. Except, you cannot file the flight plan you wish, only the one it gives you. Or, perhaps you CAN edit the route box and file the plan you wish - but the chart then does not reflect the route you filed. Either one of these possibilities allows you to print out materials and walk out to the airplane with incorrect info. This is the stuff that violations are made of.
I'm not saying it is a bad tool - it is useful. It is just incomplete.
Last edited by breister : 08-27-2009 at 12:39 PM.
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08-27-2009, 12:38 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 1,231
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank Smidler
I have used the AOPA flight planner for at least 6 trips in the last 8 months with very good luck. I haven't used the low level route option and found it interesting to play with. I can understand your frustration. I could only make it work using direct than choosing the points along V51 manually.
I can help you with one issue. You said you could not add a way point? Simply put your cursor on the location where you want the way point (you do not highlight it), right click, select waypoint and fill in the info.
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Yes - in my example I did this. What I said was, you cannot add a waypoint from the Route tool. You CAN add it from the chart.
Quote:
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Update: I worked on it a little more and if you choose all of the points along the low level route, the pull down routing tools list will show all of those points (WOMAC HRS HCH LVT IIU ABB SHB ZIPPY AZHUP BVT ZORO AZUMP) but the flight plan will not (WOMAC V463 HRS V51 SHB V97 ZORRO AZUMO). The nav log will show the same data as in the routing tools pull down, it even shows the VOR freq. and morse code identifier.
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Yes, I had that experience too - I thought it was too much detail for the discussion. Note that what you discovered is exactly what I described in my original post. Between SHB and ZORRO, V51 and V97 run concurrently. Why on earth then does the flight planner switch from V51 to V97 at SHB???
So, we have a free tool and it is buggy. If you like it and like me want to see it be a bug-free tool, please contact them and let them know - we can make a difference!

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08-27-2009, 02:15 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Stoughton, WI
Posts: 473
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Quote:
Originally Posted by breister
So, we have a free tool and it is buggy. If you like it and like me want to see it be a bug-free tool, please contact them and let them know - we can make a difference!

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I have to disagree that it is "buggy". Every thing it does is accurate and works as designed, it just does not operate the way you want it to. It has it's limits as do all programs. I am quite happy with it's operation and plan to continue to use it.
__________________
Frank Smidler
N96FS, RV-6
Flying 1/11/09
1085 hr
2WI6 Stoughton, WI
Formally of Lafayette, IN
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08-27-2009, 07:51 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Glendale, AZ
Posts: 65
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Golden Eagle for VFR planning
I really prefer the golden eagle free software as compared to the AOPA. I use it on the Mac just switch to windows OS with boot camp and run it. Also the vertical planning with airspace, terrain and winds is a great help for long trips.
Certianly worth the install and a test run if you have not tried it!
Would love to have a good IPhone app flight planner if anybody knows of one?!
Jason
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08-27-2009, 08:31 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: KSLC
Posts: 4,021
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason Krause
I really prefer the golden eagle free software as compared to the AOPA. I use it on the Mac just switch to windows OS with boot camp and run it. Also the vertical planning with airspace, terrain and winds is a great help for long trips.
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The AOPA flight planer also has vertical planning with airspace in it's profile view. Has the terrain option for the chart which looks like a sectional. And the winds too, as well as other weather options.
L.Adamson --- RV6A
Last edited by L.Adamson : 08-27-2009 at 08:43 PM.
Reason: add pic
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08-28-2009, 06:53 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 626
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Is there some way to enter waypoint without having to zoom in on a particular area in order to see you waypoint, right-clicking and adding it to the flight plan? Seems like you ought to be able to right-click in the Routing Tools window and add a waypoint in a text field as you do the origin and destination in the start up Plan Your Route form. Once you have several waypoints in the Routing Tools list, you can move them up or down, and delete them, but not add them.
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