Question/Suggestions

[flyer605]

Hi there,

I purchased myself a license and I am impressed with what IF can do!

I have a couple of questions and suggestions for added features.

My first question is regarding the flight altitude. I cannot find a way to set my own cruise altitude for the flight, is this possible? If not I think this would be a good feature to add in, because there could be many reasons why the flight would not be flown at the 'optimum' cruise level. Is it possible to add in support for cruise climbs? My guess is this would be very complicated but I thought I would ask!

The second request is regarding passenger weights. Would it be possible to add the functionality for simply saying X number of passengers and then allow the user to configure a passenger weight themselves. Possibly the same for baggage weights? This would be useful when the user already has a pax list and baggage list with standard weights.

My third request is regarding airport charts. Do you think a function that would allow the user to provide a folder with charts to be included onto the kneeboard/briefing, or even if the folder is named with the icao code of the dep/dest/alt airport that it would be included automatically? I guess this can be done manually, but I thought it would be cool to add an automatic function. Then the updating/inclusion of the charts is at the discretion of the user...

Thanks for the program, it is a nice idea and it simplifies the whole pre-flight process greatly!

Cheers,


Steve

[Steve Waite]

Hi Steve

You'll find it does most of what you ask, there will be a little while coming to terms with all the features. Read through the Help Index and also take a look at the Mission Page items.

Flight Altitude, Climb Rates, Cruise Speed, Runway Length:
In the Aircraft Flight Parameters Page - from Aircraft Selection, or from Flight Generation,
Set Max Alt to what the plan should allow, then percent of alt. e.g set a Baron for 16,000 ft and 50% preferred, now the plan gives you around 8,000ft most of the time, but will go up to 16,000 if required.
Set Climb Rates for initial, mid and high alt rates in fpm. A small prop aircraft may get lower altitudes and speeds than you ask for if it is heavily loaded.

Set the Range, see the end of the assessment, the fuel report tells you how far you can go on a full tank. A fuel report can be run in sim from the IF: Main Menu. Get set into cruise speed and alt, with average load and fuel, let it settle into its cruise then run the fuel report. You can recheck the figures in the flight log file, see the popup menu.

There is varying pasenger weights, but the standard in FSX/A is 170Lb per seat, but that is arbitrary. Instead set the weight in the Flight Generator screen, Lbs, Kg, % of Max. Then if your addon plane has a special loading program, use that to set the weight shown in the briefing.

An airport chart automation system is planned.

Thanks for your support.
Steve

[flyer605]

Set Max Alt to what the plan should allow, then percent of alt. e.g set a Baron for 16,000 ft and 50% preferred, now the plan gives you around 8,000ft most of the time, but will go up to 16,000 if required.

Is it possible to make it so I can set the altitude to a value I specify? Then maybe if the system disagrees it can produce a warning message? As I said before, there could be many reasons why a specific altitude is required. I like the fact that terrain is considered automatically by the system, but would it be quite simple to add a user specified altitude?

The reason I say this is because I recently did a flight from Liverpool to London Stansted and after dropping in a fsx plan file, IF decided that my planned altitude should be 9000 feet. This is way too low and the specified altitude (by the VA I started flying for) was 17000 feet. The problem then is that IF will generate a fuel plan based on cruising at 9000 feet, which is not practical. I have played with the settings you mentioned above but even setting 41000 feet and 90% makes no difference, I still get 9000 feet planned cruise altitude.

I'm glad to hear about the airport chart automation service, that sounds very nice!

Cheers,

Steve

[Steve Waite]

Hi Steve,

There will be a time of familiarisation with the way plans are built properly with IF.

For short routes you need steeper climbs and descents to achieve higher altitudes.

If you set 40,000ft and a long enough route you can always achieve the altitudes you desire.

Altitudes are finally adjusted for east-west and VFR.

regards