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Tank Dec 10, 2017 @ 2:55pm
What do you use for flight planning?
Because it seems I can NEVER get SIDS/STAR to work.
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Originally posted by opjose:
Navigraph is a "database" containing current worldwide airports, approaches and many other navigational items that X-plane and aircraft within X-plane can use when planning.

Little Nav Map and SImbrief can take that data and generate a full flight plan.

However Simbrief creates files which do not include SIDs and Stars though it does include them in what you see via the web page. It needs to be updated to the new FMS file format of Xplane 11.10 and above.

So with Simbrief you must export the file to X-plane 11, enter the sim, fire up the FMS and load the flight plan. That plan will be incomplete. You then must finish the plan in the plane's FMS.

Little Nav Map will generate an Xplane 11 (requires 11.10 and above) plan that includes Sids and Stars as well as approaches and departures.

You load the LittleNavMap plan into the FMS then add fuel and weight calculators and "Exec" (or activate) the plan, then turn on the autopilot and fly.

Waypoints can be generated for you by the flight planners or you can add them yourself.

It pays to follow the tutorials on how to generate FMS flight plans.

One of the things I did not understand at first, was you must treat the flight plans as four separate things you must link together.

1 You generate an overal plan with your waypoints. This is like a plan to ride on a highway but with no starting street nor destination address.

2 You generate a departure, what runway, what SID, etc... you will be using.

3 You generate an approach, including runway, instrument or not, STAR, etc.

4 You add fuels, altitudes enroute and weights.

And you take those four things and edit or add them into the FMS to creat a single overall "plan".

All four require separate steps, and certain things must be defined in a specific sequence.

Try creating a short flight plan in LittleNav Map.

Choose a departure airport, right click on the airport and add the SID you will be using.
Choose a destination airport, right click on that airport and add the STAR you wish to use.

LittleNav Map will then generate a "direct" flight plan between the SID and STAR.

Now edit the blue line line between those airports and add VOR as waypoints.

Set your enroute altitudes, and print that plan.

Then go enter it MANUALLY in the FMS. This will teach you how it all works.
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Showing 1-15 of 29 comments
🐉 Ðŗąçø 🐉 Dec 10, 2017 @ 3:05pm 
SimBrief. Every time.
#1
Cruzurro Dec 10, 2017 @ 5:23pm 
Well,if you are flying in Brazil,you can use the RPL from CGNA site,it gives you all the real domestic routes inside brazilian airports,if you are flying intl routes,you can use onlineflightplanner,simbrief or search the flight you want to do on flightaware,and copy the route.
#2
Babe Dino Dec 10, 2017 @ 5:27pm 
sinbrief, flightaware, skyvector :)
#3
Grokthol Dec 12, 2017 @ 4:43am 
Skyvector for routes, aviationweather.gov for weather, just like I do IRL! For SIDs/STARs/IAPs/etc and any other instrument plates I used to use foreflight, but I'm not flying much IRL anymore so I can't justify the cost. If you find something similar to foreflight that's free that'd work.
#4
opjose Dec 12, 2017 @ 11:47am 
Little Nav Map, actually displays SID/STAR choices on your map with entry and exit points.
You can then merely attach the "ends" of your flight plan to the SID and STARs you have selected.

I haven't seen another planner do that.
#5
John W Dec 12, 2017 @ 3:15pm 
I use Little Nave Map, while it shows SIDS and STARS apparently it cannot save them in an FMS format that XP11 will be able to read. I have asked about that before and was told that I would just need to add the SID/STAR to the flight plan once it has been loaded into the FMS. Now I don't use the FMS I use the GNS 530. But Little Nav Map is great and easy to use.

Update: I just checked and the latest version of Little Nav Map has been updated to save in FMS format for XP11.10.
Last edited by John W; Dec 12, 2017 @ 3:26pm
#6
Tank Dec 12, 2017 @ 3:36pm 
Appreciate all the replies guys, personally I use SimBrief and SkyVector, SIDS and STARs are usually a problem but I really appreciate the help. Further replies also appreciated!
#7
andrew.bernard Dec 30, 2017 @ 6:31pm 
Little Navmap is just excellent, and undergoing continous improvement in development. Highly recommended. Works fine for X-Plane 11.11 now.
#8
Araripe Dec 30, 2017 @ 6:44pm 
I use Little Navmap as well. It's fantastic.
#9
icklejitta Dec 31, 2017 @ 8:15am 
I use Little Navmap.
#10
escetic Dec 31, 2017 @ 10:42am 
Nobody uses Plan-G? You can connect it to the X-Plane while it's running, it'll update in real time. You can see where other sim planes are, also which areas have a live ATC contoller. The airport/VOR/NDB database is generated from the X-Plane files so may be different from real life, but I think X-Plane is different from real life. :)
#11
opjose Dec 31, 2017 @ 12:49pm 
I use both, and while I like Plan-G too, But it has issues.

Not the least of which is the problem generating waypoints from the X-plane database... seen as a database size error during generation.

I've posted to the Plan-G forum about this many times and it looks like the problem is still there for many people though I solved it on my system.

Plan-G also does not have the elegant Sid/Star handling that LittleNav Map has.

It has problems displaying airports as you zoom in and out.

It does not have Navigraph support.

Little Nav Map lets you choose from either the Airac data it gets directly during an update, or it can read and generate plans from the local database it generates from Xplane (as PlanG does).

So you get the best of both worlds.

It also "connects to X-plane while it is running" if you wish, either locally or from a different computer.

Both are excellent efforts and programs put out by individual programmers who deserve a lot of credit for what they have done for the community.

IMHO LittleNav Map is more error free, provides more features, runs faster, supports X-Plane FMS data files with Sid/Star and makes flight planning easier.
Last edited by opjose; Dec 31, 2017 @ 12:49pm
#12
🐉 Ðŗąçø 🐉 Dec 31, 2017 @ 2:35pm 
Well I've just given in to Little Navmap after all this time! I mean, it does everything!
#13
Araripe Dec 31, 2017 @ 2:53pm 
Little Navmap is simply the best flight planning tool out there, given the fact that it is freeware.
#14
🐉 Ðŗąçø 🐉 Dec 31, 2017 @ 3:09pm 
Originally posted by Araripe:
Little Navmap is simply the best flight planning tool out there, given the fact that it is freeware.
Just realised it doesn't do fuel planning, so I'll need Simbrief for that.
#15
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X-Plane 11 > General Discussions > Topic Details
Date Posted: Dec 10, 2017 @ 2:55pm
Posts: 29

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