How to change flight plan (without returning to main menu)

[tripecac]

I like to explore counties by flying from airport to airport, saving at each one so that I can resume exactly where I left off.

Is there any way to change the flight plan while the game is running (e.g., idling at an airport), without going back to the main menu and creating a brand new flight?

[ApeLikeJay]

Yes. I started to type out the answer when it became apparent that what I was typing was going to open up a ton of new questions...

In short: it varies for different models and some might not even have this functionality but it's done on the computer. Google search "garmin auto pilot".

I know in the plane I like to fly, the xcub, you can simply click "create flight plan" and then add an origin and destination... then put the AI on NAV mode...

[tripecac]

I've been playing off and on for 2 months now and still haven't found a way to change the flight plan without returning to the main menu.

What I'd like to do is something like this:

Day 1 - fly from airport A to airport B, save
Day 2 - load the saved game, pick the next destination (C), fly there, save
Day 3 - load the saved game, pick the next destination (D), fly there, save
...

Each time I play I want to pick a new airport to fly to, and then set the GPS and radios to that destination, so that I don't get lost.

Is there a way to do this?

If it helps, I've been using the Cessna 172 or 182, and have tried both the glass and old-school versions.

[badasscat2000]

You should be able to do this but last I tried it in the G1000/G3000 in the game (which was before the latest update), it was just broken. So unless they fixed it - which I haven't heard anyone say they did - the functionality is apparently there but it just doesn't work.

The basic process for the G1000/G3000, which is the avionics package used in most of the glass cockpits in MSFS, is this. (I don't often have to describe this so I hope I don't get anything wrong. I normally just do it by muscle memory.) On the MFD, you push the FPL button. Then push in the little knob on the bottom right that's labeled FMS. Then you're going to turn the little knob to scroll through the letters and the big knob to go to the next letter until you find the location you want. Press ENT. Do that with all your waypoints until you have a completed flight plan.

You can change anything as well, so if you want to delete a waypoint or add another one, activate a different leg, or anything else, you can just push the little knob to get the cursor in your flight plan, then use the big knob to move around, and use the softkeys or MENU key to do various things, including deleting your entire flight plan and making a new one. Basically none of that worked when I tried it. It looked like it should work, but none of the softkeys showed up and the MENU items didn't do what they're supposed to.

But I think it's just very buggy, so hopefully after one of these updates, it'll start working. I'd just try it again after every update and see what changes there have been.

[Migalouch]

If you have the G1000 in your plane you can manually input your flight plan on the MFD (screen to the right). You WILL need to know your airport identifier codes though. If you're flying through the US you can use VFRMap.com to help out quite a bit in that regard.

[HoloByteus]

I wouldn't mind a mod that would wipe the current flight plan and allow you to load a new .pln after landing at an airport simulating a flash drive plan load. You could use NavMap to create the new .pln or have already created it with the intent of creating hops. I've suggested it to the G1000 mod author.

[tc04]

In MSFS Garmin 430 you are able to manually create a flight plan, activate legs etc

[banzai]

the only way i can imagin is to enter manualy in the g1000/3000 or fms the flight plan, for the cesna you can do it old school by radio navigation from beacon to beacon of course you must prpare your route outside the sim. sadly at this point you can not go back to the fs planner and back without closing the sesion.

[tripecac]

I see... So the idea is to use the GPS, like you would in real life? I guess that's a realistic touch, but it is not very friendly to those of us who just want to select a new city to fly to.

I wish I could just search for an airport, and then have the GPS direct me to that airport, with the airport's ATC kicking in automatically when I get close enough. And then, once I've landed at that airport, I'd like to refuel and then select a different airport and continue the adventure...

I think I used to do that in FSX. Or am I mis-remembering?

[HungryVessel]

"I wish I could just search for an airport, and then have the GPS direct me to that airport, with the airport's ATC kicking in automatically when I get close enough. And then, once I've landed at that airport, I'd like to refuel and then select a different airport and continue the adventure...'

But this is how it actually works. You punch the departure airport, then arrival airport. Follow ATC instructions... I don't understand the complaint. Just spend an hour watching on youtube video How Garmin1000 works and you would not have any problem.

[badasscat2000]

İlk olarak tripecac tarafından gönderildi:

I see... So the idea is to use the GPS, like you would in real life? I guess that's a realistic touch, but it is not very friendly to those of us who just want to select a new city to fly to.

I wish I could just search for an airport, and then have the GPS direct me to that airport, with the airport's ATC kicking in automatically when I get close enough. And then, once I've landed at that airport, I'd like to refuel and then select a different airport and continue the adventure...

I think I used to do that in FSX. Or am I mis-remembering?

I don't know, maybe FSX had some mode for that. That's not what it sounded like you were asking about originally, though. That's not what a "flight plan" is; that's kind of just a game tour mode.

You can theoretically just enter an airport and have that be your whole flight plan. It's not very realistic for long trips but if you just want directions to an airport, that would be a way to do it. We do that in real life all the time for *short* legs, usually when we're already in the air. I don't think this method technically works in MSFS either but you should be able to hit the "D->" button, find the airport you want in there, then hit enter twice to have the GPS take you there from your current position.

The other way to do it if that doesn't work is to just clear your flight plan on the MFD (Menu, then Delete Flight Plan), then enter a new airport there as your sole waypoint. Takes a bit longer but should work the same way, except that again this is the same functionality that was broken in the game when I tried it. I couldn't get the in-game G1000 to delete and then accept a new manually-entered flight plan... at least not the way it's done in real life. Maybe there is some simplified, less realistic way to do it but I don't know what it is if so.

For ATC, try turning on some of the stuff in the Assistance menu. I'm pretty sure you can have the AI handle the radios or just have them auto-tune to the local frequencies. (Unless I'm confusing MSFS with X-Plane.)

[HoloByteus]

FYI from the author of working-G1000 mod regarding adding an option to the G1000 to load saved flight plan files.

Hmm. Interesting. That would be doable, yes. We're already working on adding load from Simbrief (piggybacking from the work done for C4) and we already have support for reading any arbitrary file from a file system. We'd need to write a parser for .pln files but it's totally doable. Neat idea, thanks!

[tripecac]

İlk olarak HungryVessel tarafından gönderildi:

But this is how it actually works. You punch the departure airport, then arrival airport. Follow ATC instructions... I don't understand the complaint. Just spend an hour watching on youtube video How Garmin1000 works and you would not have any problem.

This means using the in-game GPS, which I find hard to use. The controls are cryptic and I find clicking with the mouse very tricky, especially when using the Track IR (which causes the GPS to be a moving target). In terms of UI experience I find the GPS to be rock-bottom. The only thing I use it for is the map (and I find zooming the map to be a pain when using the mouse). I haven't invested time in learning how to make the GPS easier to use due to reported problems like this:

İlk olarak badasscat2000 tarafından gönderildi:

I couldn't get the in-game G1000 to delete and then accept a new manually-entered flight plan... at least not the way it's done in real life.

If experienced simmers are finding the GPS buggy or hard to use, then I'd rather not invest time in learning the details in how to best use the GPS. I have other games to play!

İlk olarak badasscat2000 tarafından gönderildi:

I don't know, maybe FSX had some mode for that. That's not what it sounded like you were asking about originally, though. That's not what a "flight plan" is; that's kind of just a game tour mode.

Yeah, I didn't mean an official "flight plan" but rather one of the easy "point a to point b" things that is created for us when we select takeoff and landing airports via the main menu.

[HungryVessel]

Hmm dunno, i don't have problems in garmin entering a flight plan if we are speaking of flying VFR its working fine. Instrument approach ILS is different, sometimes it's ignoring waypoints or you cannot enter approach/arrival procedures.
Yeah i agree using instruments in plane with track IR is a bit tricky specialy if you need to manualy control plane and enter some new information in autopilot. Thats why im not using it anymore. Anyway im not a pilot, and even this flying sim is new to me, im flying since the release. No previous experience.

[stuart]

İlk olarak tripecac tarafından gönderildi:

I like to explore counties by flying from airport to airport, saving at each one so that I can resume exactly where I left off.
Is there any way to change the flight plan while the game is running (e.g., idling at an airport), without going back to the main menu and creating a brand new flight?

i've started using "littleNavMap" that someone mentioned on here, Gives me all the info i need from flying airport to airport, and its free.

[Vonjose]

I did Los Cerros to Cochrane (Patagonia) on my own with the Cesna 172. I used Littlenavmap with the full itinerary first and that was the beginning of it all. I planned a few daily trips from airport to airport. The next day I put the airport where I landed as the departure airport in Littlenavmap and so on until it was finished. Incredibly impressive experience. In each route or section, it would overwrite the same flight plan to export to MSFS.
When the day will come that it works save in the simulator to continue where you left off. I have not found the way and hopefully they fix it with an update.