33. Flight Plan Tab Flight Planning

The flight planning Dock Window contains the four tabs: Flight Plan, Flight Plan Remarks, Fuel Report ( Aircraft Performance) and Current Performance (Aircraft Performance Collection).

See chapter Flight Plan Calculation for more information about automatic calculation of flight plans.

33.1. Flight Plans

Little Navmap allows to build flight plans or flight plan snippets using arbitrary start positions by using Append Position to Flight Plan or Add Position to Flight Plan in the map and other context menus.

Note that not all simulators or add-ons support this kind of flight plans.

You need to have the GLOBE elevation data installed to get the correct altitudes for arbitrary start or departure points. See Install GLOBE elevation data for installation instructions.

33.2. Automatic Initialization

Little Navmap automatically adds your current position to the flight plan if your plan is empty after connecting to the simulator. The flight plan is initialized with the nearest airport, a parking position or a runway close to your aircraft position.

This is the same as selecting a departure airport and then using the function Select a Start Position in menu Flight Plan.

This function can be disabled in options on page Files.

33.4. Flight Plan Table

The table view allows the same operations as the search table view except sorting. See Tables for more information.

All selected elements in the flight plan table view will be highlighted on the map using a black/green circle. See Highlights for more information. Use Shift+Click or Ctrl+Click to select two or more elements (multi-selection).

The active flight plan leg is highlighted in magenta when Little Navmap is connected to a simulator, the user aircraft is airborne and user aircraft is closer than 40 NM to the flight plan.

Procedure legs have dark blue color and legs of a missed approach have a dark red color.

Alternate airports are shown at the end of the list using gray text. Note that more than one alternate can be added to the flight plan. Legs to the alternate airports originate all from the destination.

33.4.1. Settings Flight Plan Table Display Options

Choose Flight Plan Table Display Options from the flight plan table context menu to customize the table columns, header and footer line content.

The changes to the table can be undone by selecting Reset View in the context menu.

The dialog uses a tree. See Trees for more information about this type of input element.

Same as main menu Tools -> Flight Plan Table Display Options.

_images/flightplan_columns.jpg

The flight plan display options dialog window.

33.4.2. Table Columns

Hovering the mouse over the table header shows more information about the columns in a tooltip. Note that the shown units will differ if changed in options on page Units. You can show or hide the columns from main menu Tools -> Flight Plan Table Display Options.

  • Ident: ICAO ident of the navaid or airport. The ident can be suffixed as shown below:

    • + or - and a distance value: Shows fixes in procedures that are relative to a navaid or waypoint plus the distance in NM to the waypoint.

    • (IAF): Initial fix of a procedure or transition.

    • (FAF): Final approach fix. Depending on procedure either the FAF or FACF are shown with a Maltese cross on the map and in the elevation profile.

    • (FACF): Final approach course fix.

    • (MAP): Missed approach point.

  • Region: Two letter region code of a navaid.

  • Name: Name of airport or radio navaid if available.

  • Procedure: Either SID, SID Transition, STAR, STAR Transition, Transition, Approach or Missed plus the name of the procedure. Contains the text Alternate for alternate airports at the end of the list or Departure or Destination.

  • Airway or Procedure: Contains the airway name for en-route legs or procedure instructions. This field also shows track names if NAT, PACOTS or AUSOTS tracks are used. Airways are suffixed with the airway type like N601 / L:

    • L Low altitude airway or Victor

    • H High altitude airway or Jet

    • B Both high and low

  • Restriction ft/kts/angle:

    • For airways:

      • Example 10,000: Minimum altitude for airway segment.

      • Example 0-20,000: Maximum airway altitude. Minimum does not apply.

      • Example 10,000-20,000: Minimum and maximum airway altitude.

    • For procedures: Altitude restriction or speed limit. A / separates altitude and speed restriction. The following altitude restrictions exist for procedures:

      • Number only: Fly at altitude or speed. Example: 5,400 or 210.

      • Prefix A: Fly at or above altitude or speed. Example: A 1,800.

      • Prefix B: Fly at or below altitude or speed. Example: B 10,000 or B 220.

      • Range: Fly at or above altitude one and at or below altitude two. Example: A 8,000, B 10,000.

      • Altitude and speed limit: Values separated by /. Example: A 8,000, B 10,000/B220.

      • Speed limit only: Speed restriction. Example: B 250.

      • Required vertical path angle: Example: -3.1°.

  • Type: Type of a radio navaid. Shows ILS or LOC for ILS or localizer approaches on the last runway leg.

  • Freq. MHz/kHz/Cha.: Frequency or channel of a radio navaid. Also shows ILS or localizer frequency for corresponding approaches on the last runway leg.

  • Range NM: Range of a radio navaid if available.

  • Course °M: This is the start course of the great circle route connecting the two waypoints of the leg. Use this course at departure if you travel long distances without navaids. Be aware that you have to change you course constantly when traveling along a great circle line. See also Magnetic Declination for more information.

  • Course °T: The same as the field above but using true course. Use this in areas with high magnetic declination.

  • Distance NM: Distance of the flight plan leg.

  • Remaining NM: Remaining distance to destination airport or procedure end point (usually the runway).

  • Leg Time hh:mm: Flying time for this leg. Calculated based on the selected aircraft performance profile (see Aircraft Performance). This is a static value and not updated while flying. Empty if performance calculation failed.

  • ETA hh:mm: Estimated time of arrival. This is a static value and not updated while flying. Calculated based on the selected aircraft performance profile. Empty if performance calculation failed.

  • Fuel Rem. lbs and Fuel Rem. gal: Fuel remaining at waypoint, once for volume and once for weight. This is a static value and not updated while flying. Calculated based on the selected aircraft performance profile. Empty if aircraft performance profile has no fuel consumption numbers set.

  • Wind °M/kts: Magnetic wind direction and speed at the waypoint.

  • Head- or Tailwind kts: Wind at waypoint. Headwind is indicated by arrow down ▼ and tailwind by an up arrow ▲.

  • Altitude ft: Calculated altitude at waypoint. Uses aircraft performance to determine altitude.

  • Leg Safe Alt. ft: Leg safe altitude. Same as in Elevation Profile.

  • Latitude and Longitude: Coordinates in selected format from options on page Units.

  • Mag. Decl.°: Calibrated magnetic declination at a VOR or real magnetic declination at a waypoint. See Magnetic Declination for more information.

  • Related Ident/Freq./Dist./Bearing: Related navaid needed for procedures. Shows ident, frequency, distance and bearing as radial.

  • Remarks: Turn instructions, flyover or related navaid for procedure legs. Also shows user remarks that can be edited with Edit Flight Plan Position or Edit Flight Plan Position Remarks. See Map Flight Plan Editing for more information.

_images/flightplan.jpg

The Flight Planning dock window. The flight plan uses a SID for departure and a STAR, a transition and an approach for arrival. Click image to enlarge.

Note

The flight plan table is static and does not update except when changing wind or aircraft performance. Look at the tab Tab Progress to see current information.

33.7. Mouse Clicks

A double-click on an entry in the table view shows either the airport diagram or zooms to the navaid. Additionally, details are shown in the Information dock window as well. A single click selects an object and highlights it on the map using a black/green circle.

33.8. Top Buttons and Input Fields

33.8.1. Cruise altitude

This value is saved with the flight plan.

Changing this field updates the cruise altitude in the window Flight Plan Calculation.

Changing the cruise altitude of a flight plan using airways might result in errors (Error Messages Footer). This can happen if the cruise altitude violates airway altitude restrictions. Calculate the flight plan again to remove the errors.

Setting a too low cruise altitude might also violate procedure restrictions. See Altitude and Speed Restrictions.

Note

Note that Little Navmap does not support step climb or different altitudes for each waypoint.

33.8.2. Flight Plan Type

Either IFR or VFR.

This is saved with the flight plan and is only relevant for FSX, Prepar3D or MSFS.

Note

Note that the VFR/IFR selection affects flight plan loading in MSFS. You cannot load a VFR flight plan in MSFS which uses procedures, for example.

33.8.3. Clear Selection Clear Selection

Deselect all entries in the table and remove any highlight circles from the map.

33.8.4. Flight Plan Table Display Options Flight Plan Table Display Options

See chapter Flight Plan Table Display Options below.

33.9. Context Menu Flight Plan

33.9.1. Show Information Show Information

Same as Show Information in the map context menu.

33.9.2. Show on Map Show on Map

Show either the airport diagram or zooms to the navaid on the map. The zoom distance can be changed in the options dialog on the page Map Navigation.

33.9.3. Departure Runway Set Departure Runway

Same as Set Departure Runway in the map context menu.

33.9.4. Destination Runway Set Destination Runway

Same as Set Destination Runway in the map context menu.

33.9.5. Show Procedures Show Procedures

Same as Show Procedures in the map context menu. Only enabled for airports having procedures.

33.9.6. Activate Flight Plan Leg Activate Flight Plan Leg

Makes the selected leg the active (magenta) flight plan leg. The active leg might change if Little Navmap is connected to the simulator and the user aircraft is moving.

You have to activate the leg manually if you would like to fly to an alternate airport.

Legs of a missed approach procedure are activated automatically if the procedure is shown on the map.

33.9.6.1. Undo Redo Undo and Redo Flight Plan

Allows undo and redo of all flight plan changes. The last action is shown in the menu item like Add Waypoint, for example. Also in main menu Flight Plan -> Undo and Redo.

33.9.7. Move Selected Legs up Move Selected Legs down Move Selected Legs up or down

Move all selected flight plan legs up or down in the list. This works also if multiple legs are selected.

Airway names will be removed when waypoints in the flight plan are moved or deleted because the new flight plan legs will not follow any airway but rather use direct connections.

Procedures or procedure legs cannot be moved and waypoints cannot be moved into or across procedures.

33.9.8. Delete Selected Legs or Procedure Delete Selected Legs or Procedure

Delete all selected flight plan legs. Use Undo if you deleted legs accidentally.

The whole procedure is deleted if the selected flight plan leg is a part of a procedure. Deleting a procedure deletes its transition too.

33.9.9. Edit Flight Plan Position Edit Flight Plan Position or Edit Flight Plan Position Remarks

Allows to change the name or coordinates of a user defined waypoint in the flight plan. See Edit Flight Plan Position.

Also allows to add a remark to any flight plan waypoint which is not an alternate and not a part of a procedure. See Edit Flight Plan Remarks.

33.9.10. Insert Flight Plan before Insert Flight Plan before

Inserts a flight plan before the selected leg into the current plan.

Using Insert Flight Plan before or Append Flight Plan allows to load or merge complete flight plans or flight plan snippets into a new plan.

Procedures are inserted from the loaded flight plan and dropped from the current one depending on insert position.

If you insert a flight plan after departure all procedures from the loaded plan are used and current procedures are kept.

Inserting before departure takes the departure procedures from the loaded flight plan and drops the current departure procedures.

The inserted legs are selected after loading the flight plan.

33.9.11. Append Flight Plan Append Flight Plan

Adds departure, destination and all waypoints of another flight plan to the end of the current plan.

All currently selected arrival procedures will be removed when appending a flight plan. Arrival and approach procedures from the appended flight plan are added to the current one, if any.

The appended legs are selected after loading the flight plan.

33.9.12. Save selected range as Flight Plan Save selected range as Flight Plan

Extracts a part of the current flight plan and saves a new flight plan file which contains all legs between the first and last selected including.

The currently loaded flight plan is not changed.

This menu item is disabled if the selected range contains legs which are alternates or part of a procedure.

33.9.13. Calculate Flight Plan for selected Range Calculate Flight Plan for selected Range

Opens the flight plan calculation dock window which allows to automatically generate a flight plan by various criteria between the first and last selected flight plan leg.

This menu item is disabled if the selected range contains legs which are alternates or part of a procedure. See chapter Flight Plan Calculation for more information.

33.9.14. Add Range Rings Add Range Rings

Same as Context Menu Map.

33.9.15. Add Navaid Range Ring Add Navaid Range Ring

Show the range rings for all selected radio navaids in the flight plan. Simply select all legs of the flight plan and use this function to display a range circle for each radio navaid in the flight plan.

Otherwise, the same as Context Menu Map.

33.9.16. Add Airport Traffic Pattern Add Airport Traffic Pattern

Same as Add Traffic Pattern. This menu item is enabled if clicked on an airport. Shows a dialog that allows to customize and display an airport traffic pattern on the map. See Traffic Patterns.

33.9.17. Add Holding Add Holding

Same as Add Holding. See also Holdings.

33.9.18. Add MSA Diagram Add MSA Diagram

Same as Add MSA Diagram. Only enabled if the navaid or airport have MSA information. See also Minimum Sector Altitude.

33.9.19. Mark Airport as addon Mark Airport as Add-on

Marks an airport with a yellow circle as add-on. Same as Mark Airport as Add-on. Enabled for all airports at the clicked position.

33.9.20. Follow Selection

The map view will be centered - not zoomed in - on the selected airport or navaid when this function is enabled.

33.9.21. Copy Copy

Copy the selected entries in CSV format to the clipboard. The CSV will include a header. This will reflect changes of the table view like column order. Columns which are hidden or shrunk to minimum width are excluded.

Import the CSV text into spreadsheet programs using UTF-8 encoding and a semicolon as a separator.

33.9.22. Select All

Select all flight plan legs.

33.9.23. Clear Selection Clear Selection

Deselect all currently selected flight plan legs and remove any highlight circles from the map.

33.9.24. Reset View Reset View

Reset the column order, visibility and widths if the table back to default.

33.9.26. Flight Plan Table Display Options Flight Plan Table Display Options

See chapter Flight Plan Table Display Options above.

33.10. Flight Plan Remarks

Adds a free text remarks field for the flight plan.

Shows the loaded performance file and selected scenery data that was used when saving the flight plan file.

Note that this field saved is saved only when using the Little Navmap LNMPLN format (Little Navmap LNMPLN Format).

The text size can be changed in options on page Display and Text.

See also chapter Remarks for more information.