Free Flight Planning Software

[Dean_aeroleds]

I don't know if many of you realize that I am the author of a flight planning software program called AirPlan, but I recently decided to make it available as freeware after many years of selling it online.

I have been struggling to keep the navigation database up to date in the past two years after our wonderful government pulled the DAFIF out of the public domain. I am hoping to find the time this fall to create an importer to pull data from the National Flight Database that NACO publishes, but getting ready for Oshkosh is eating all my time right now.

In any case, if you are interested in using it, it is now free for anyone to download and use. Now that I have removed the license functions it runs well under Windows Vista.

You can download it from the Razor's Edge Software website at http://www.razorsedgesoft.com

Enjoy!

Dean Wilkinson
CTO, AeroLEDs LLC

[N200PF]

Very Cool Dean!!! I'll check it out this week and plan a few flights.

Thanks for making it available!

- Peter

[N282S]

I've used AirPlan for several years and just really like it. Easy to set up your particular planes parameters and even easier to plan. Pick off airports, navaids etc. for checkpoints or create your own waypoint. When you're done, plug your gps into the pc and download the route. My 296 does not have the required cable to connect to the pc (it costs like $20 so I'll have to discuss that exhorbitance with wife) but does work great with my Pilot III (I then use Babel software to dump from Pilot III to 296). Shove it into the dash, spin the prop, couple the autopilot, eat sandwich. Did I mention you can print sectional tripticks? Or WAC charts? High or Low enroutes? Only slightly fuzzy, but very readable. Plus, if you have a weathertap subscription ($7/mo - another discussion with wife due) you get weather overlays. High end, full function software. Plus, it free - no conversation with wife required!! Check it out. It's all good.

[ddurakovich]

I also used AirPlan for many years as a paid subscriber, and all I can say is it was a sad day when Dean pulled the plug

While it didn't do what a lot of the big box programs did, it was fast, and useful in many more ways. I can't begin to tell you how much I miss it.

Glad to see it's back, even without updates. I'll run it along side of my "other" program, and use it more often than not.

[Dean_aeroleds]

Regarding the updates, I should have them availalble in September/October of this year. Once I have a utility written to mine the NACO database CDs, it won't take much of my time to post them. I will set it up so that update utility that is available for download will retrieve and install them for you.

If anyone wants to use current sectional charts with it, I can post the chart ripper software on the site. You will have to buy the charts from AeroPlanner (smart charts), but once you have them, you can use the ripper to convert them to the chart chunk format that AirPlan uses. Let me know if anyone is interested.

Dean Wilkinson

[Dean_aeroleds]

One more note for Windows Vista users: Run AirPlan as administrator (right click on AirPlan.exe and check the Run as administrator box) to avoid problems with database accesses while using it. You don't have to run in any compatibility mode, but it needs administrator access for the database engine to work correctly.

Dean Wilkinson

[ao.frog]

Hi.

I'm trying the Airplan program for the first time and so far it looks good, even for use in Scandinavian airspace :-)

It looks like I need to doublecheck some data (frequencies etc) but as a planner it sees to be very good.

I've one question though: how do I enter my plane-data? So far, I've able to find the default planes (Cessna, Cherokee etc) but I cannot find how to enter my RV-7 data somewhere?

I've found the tab how to set my home airport (ENRY) but on that dropdown menu, there isn't any place to enter plane-data...?

Sorry for the possibly dumb question folks....

[Dean_aeroleds]

Originally Posted by ao.frog

Hi.

I'm trying the Airplan program for the first time and so far it looks good, even for use in Scandinavian airspace :-)

It looks like I need to doublecheck some data (frequencies etc) but as a planner it sees to be very good.

I've one question though: how do I enter my plane-data? So far, I've able to find the default planes (Cessna, Cherokee etc) but I cannot find how to enter my RV-7 data somewhere?

I've found the tab how to set my home airport (ENRY) but on that dropdown menu, there isn't any place to enter plane-data...?

Sorry for the possibly dumb question folks....

Go to the help menu and you will find the manual that tells you how to create airplane models and tailnumbers...

Dean

[kbmannon]

Hi Dean,

From the look of the toolbar panel and the folder path shown at the bottom of the screen shot, it looks like it might be a Delphi app. When I was freelancing back in the late 90s, I did the majority of my work in Delphi and absolutely loved it. Fastest dev cycles I've ever had, with the lowest defects/kloc.

I'm looking forward to trying AirPlan out soon, I just need to install Windows somewhere (then again, maybe it will run in Wine )

Thanks for making it available as freeware.

[Dean_aeroleds]

Originally Posted by kbmannon

Hi Dean,

From the look of the toolbar panel and the folder path shown at the bottom of the screen shot, it looks like it might be a Delphi app. When I was freelancing back in the late 90s, I did the majority of my work in Delphi and absolutely loved it. Fastest dev cycles I've ever had, with the lowest defects/kloc.

I'm looking forward to trying AirPlan out soon, I just need to install Windows somewhere (then again, maybe it will run in Wine )

Thanks for making it available as freeware.

Hi Kevin,

Yes, I did it with Delphi 4. I think it may run under Wine.

You are welcome.

Dean Wilkinson