I've just gotten comfortable withy VOR to VOR flying. I have been using the FSX flight planner to give me my headings and frequencies. I am really interested in doing my own flight planning without using FS: more realistic in other words. So I have some questions for everyone:
1) Do you use FS flight planning or do you use charts? Where did you get your charts from?
2) Do you use the GPS? I have used it to confirm my location and it felt like "cheating".
3) Do you use Auto Pilot or not? I don't use AP unless I have strong cross winds.
Look forward to hearing how you all fly.
1. I really don't use the flight planner very much because I don't fly many cross country flights, I like doing approaches and sight seeing flights. I have charts. Most people don't have charts because they don't want to spend the money. You can view and/or buy download charts at the link below, I've never used them. You would have to buy real paper charts and a plastic course plotter to plan a flight realistically, I have included a link to a location that you can buy real charts from also.
➡ http://www.sportys.com/acb/Category.cfm?&DID=19&CATID=92
2. Sure, it's not cheating it's called GPS navigation.
3. Normally no, I like to fly myself and I don't do long flights. There is nothing wrong with using the AP, it reduces the workload in flight
I downloaded super flight planner, I think it is the best flight planner for fs9, and it's free. Normally when I have a particular route in mind - currently I am flying in ga aircraft from london, england to fraser island, australia doing short hops (never more than 3hrs at around a true airspeed of 200kts.) - I find the destination by searching the name of the city in sfp, then plot waypoints every 50nm or so plus extra ones to set up the approach. I then save it to radar contact, and off I go.
Yes, I use gps, and also autopilot although I hand fly most of the approaches. In planes like the flight1 piper meridian, the autopilots can be just as hard as hand flying anyway, and the plane is designed to be flown with it.
If i have nothing particular in mind, I usually take off from my home field (elstree airdrome) and fly by hand most of the way.
I agree with Captain...
I use GPS regularly and have computer two keyed up with skyvectors charts and airnav airport info. Especially handy on cross country flights for me.
That is the beauty of having two computers on my desk... no need to alt tab.
For planning,I just use FS default flight planner. No need to get all into it for me, I am not a real pilot. Its just for fun.
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