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AOPA Internet Flight Planner v1.5.0

Agree. I use it all the time. It's especially useful for up to date TFR's & weather. My Garmin 696 does that too, but it's great to know before you head to the airport.

L.Adamson --- RV6A
 
Two annoying things about it (I've contacted AOPA about both, but if they hear from lots of you they are more likely to fix it!):

- You cannot enter your flight plan as you would hear it "as a clearance" and have it draw out the flight plan you entered
- You cannot force it to pick a particular high/low route associated with a point

Both of these are annoying in different ways. If, for example, there are two airways between points A and B and only one airway between B and C (which is one of the two from A/B, then it is possible the flight plan it "generates for you" will list two airways rather than just the one that is common to the whole route. How it picks is a mystery. Likewise, if you are picking most of your waypoints independent of airways but specifically want to name one or more segments as using an available airway, you cannot force it to do so.

The bottom line is - you can't tell it which point is or is not part of an airway, nor specify which airway a part of the route is to be described as using when there are more than one.
 
Ummmmm.....

breister said:
The bottom line is - you can't tell it which point is or is not part of an airway, nor specify which airway a part of the route is to be described as using when there are more than one.
Click to expand...

Not sure I follow, ........say again??:confused:
 
Ok, a concrete example.

I decide I want to go home to visit mom in Indiana, and I SPECIFICALLY want a flightplan which goes:

KLZU WOMAC HRS V51 ZORRO AZUMO KVPZ

So, I enter KLZU-KVPZ, low airways. The resulting flight plan is

WOMAC V463 HRS V267 VXV V97 CVG V517 RID V340 AZUMO

Hmmm, I want to go a different way. So I try typing the following into the flight plan section:

WOMAC HRS V51 ZORRO AZUMO

But, it does not update the chart or the route. Grrrr.

Next, I try to tell it the route using the mouse. I start out with KLZU - KVPZ Direct, and start inserting waypoints. I start with the routing tool - it has a button to delete a waypoint, but no tool to insert one. Right click for context menu? No go. Highlight the destination and press the INSERT button? Similar results.

Ok I've got a straight line between start and finish, on to the map. Right-click on WOMAC, select "Add to Route. Same for HRS, ZORRO, and AZUMO. But, no airway between HRS and ZORRO... Hmmm.

Right click on ZORRO again, select "What's here" and there is V51 as plain as the nose on my face along with a button "Add to Route." But, it is grayed out. Click on V51, double click (gives info); right click - all useless. I cannot add V51 to my route no matter what I do.

Back to the routing tools box - maybe I need to select both my entry and exit points? Select HRS then ZORRO - nothing. CTRL-select - no good. SHIFT-select - no good.

Ah, what's this? Drag and drop HRS to ZORRO - nuts, it just swaps the points.

Finally - go and add every single point along V51. Nope - it just gives a flight plan with all of those points.


So, something which is infinitely simple with paper and pencil, or with my GNS 480, is IMPOSSIBLE to do with their flight planning software. You cannot enter the flight plan in the way ATC gives it to you, which is our "natural language" as pilots.

And finally, lest you think "why would you not just accept the flight plan it gives you?" - think about how many times 50 miles variation on a long trip means the difference between sunny VFR an slogging through the ick...
 
Flight planner

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
 
breister said:
Next, I try to tell it the route using the mouse. I start out with KLZU - KVPZ Direct, and start inserting waypoints. I start with the routing tool - it has a button to delete a waypoint, but no tool to insert one. Right click for context menu? No go. Highlight the destination and press the INSERT button? Similar results.

Right click on ZORRO again, select "What's here" and there is V51 as plain as the nose on my face along with a button "Add to Route." But, it is grayed out. Click on V51, double click (gives info); right click - all useless. I cannot add V51 to my route no matter what I do.

Ah, what's this? Drag and drop HRS to ZORRO - nuts, it just swaps the points.

.
Click to expand...

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.

On your way to mom's house wave as you go by KLAF, I'll wave back.;)

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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I had the same complaints, but after playing with it recently, I figured out some of the tricks Frank mentions. You can delete fixes and add them at will, as Frank explains. I am getting more comfortable with it. I have been using Fltplan.com recently, and it has some of the same characteristics. You can drag course lines around in Fltplan.com (I believe) and change routes in that fashion. Lots of good wx, GPS RAIM calculations, etc with Fltplan.com. I tend to use a combination of DUATS, AOPA, and Fltplan.com depending on what I need. AOPA and Fltplan.com have good airport directories and fuel price info.
 
Capflyer said:
Golden Eagle Flight Prep blows the AOPA planner away and it is also free. Once you start using Golden Eagle you'll wonder how you tolerated the difficult and feature poor AOPA by Jeppessen planner. http://flightprep.com/rootpage.php?page=infogoldeneagle
Click to expand...

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.

L.Adamson
 
L.Adamson said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
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.
 
DGlaeser said:
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.
Click to expand...

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
 
AOPA

L.Adamson said:
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
Click to expand...

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.
 
John Clark said:
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
Click to expand...

(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.
 
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Frank Smidler said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.

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.
Click to expand...

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!

:D
 
breister said:
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!

:D
Click to expand...

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.
 
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
 
Jason Krause said:
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.
Click to expand...

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
 
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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.
 
Spoiling our Students (not to mention ourselves)...

Once I've shown my students what's available on-line, for free, it's hard to get them excited about learning to use an E6B :rolleyes:
And to make matters 'worse' (?), they are learning in G1000 equipped planes.
If they have an iPhone, they can do all this stuff, and more, sitting in the plane :cool:
I'm in the IT business (so I'm pretty hi-tech aware), and it's hard to keep up! :eek:
Did you know that FlightAware (and probably FltPlan, I forget) will send you an email alert (to your phone if you want), with your expected routing when you file an IFR flight plan? Look for this to be a new feature in the Golden Eagle and AOPA software soon...
 
Not only will FltPlan.com send you a text/email message confirming that your flight plan has been filed and another message with your expected route, they will text/email EDCT messages. They now give you a GPS RAIM check for your flight plan, as well. They will fax a message to an FBO with your ETA and any requests you might have. IAP charts are available on their site as well as weather. They also have eAPIS service and will file your IFR flight plans in domestic or ICAO format. Pretty much one stop shopping.
I still use a combination of DUATS, AOPA, and FltPlan.com, but it seems like FltPlan gives quite a bit for a free service.
 
L.Adamson said:
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.

L.Adamson
Click to expand...

Nice, the AOPA planner has come along way. Not enough to pry Seattle Avionics Free Flight from my hands tho!
 
Frank Smidler said:
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.
Click to expand...

You may disagree - but as a person with over 20 years' software development and process improvement background I will point out that a product designed to submit a flight plan to the FAA which does not accept input of internationally accepted standard flight plan notation is flawed by definition.

If your disagreement is your way of saying you aren't interested enough to take 2 minutes to write AOPA and recommend they fix it, then all I can say is, "WHAT-ever..." - but if that's the case why spend so much effort trying to convince me it isn't bugged?

:)
 
I used to use the AOPA software quite a bit. Lately I use paper to plan the route and Fltplan.com to file it. The only problems I run into with Fltplan.com is that if you need to leave early or your schedule changes, your follow on legs may not have been submitted yet. Yes its free.
 
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