Cheap Planning

By Nadav Eiron, ANN correspondent.

As pilots we know it's good to plan ahead, and with the plethora of computer based (standalone or on-line) planning tools available, there are many ways to get the job done. One software package that can help you get the job done (and a lot more) is AirPlan by Razor's Edge Software.

AirPlan is designed for worldwide preflight planning, but has interesting capabilities in the cockpit as well, if you care to run it on a tablet computer or EFB. One of the nicest features of AirPlan is its price - $99, which includes one year of support and updates (it is $30 a year after that).

Part of the reason for the low price can perhaps be attributed to the good integration the package offers with available on-line data sources. Rather then provide information such as weather, airport information, fuel prices, etc. through their own channels, Razor's Edge just downloads them from leading free (or cheap) on line sources.

AirPlan's main window shows a world wide base map. This map has all the necessary aviation features, such as airports, navaids, airways and airspace boundaries etc. The software also has worldwide terrain information, so it can tell when you're planning to fly through a mountain.

The user can select to display VFR sectional charts (covering the US only, obviously) as well. Outside the US, a utility is provided that allows users to scan their own charts and use them with AirPlan. The company has several non-US customers who use this feature successfully.

While AirPlan's primary focus is VFR flight planning, it does have a database of IFR airways with basic auto-routing functionality. It will also download digital approach plates. Dean Wilkinson's, Razor's Edge founder, promises improvements to the IFR auto-router in the coming months.

Performance calculations are another task the software shines at. It can maintain a database of airplane profiles, with multiple individual airplanes of each type (differing, for example, in empty weight, but not in other performance numbers). While a database of predefined airplane types is provided with the software, users can also create their own. The process is relatively simple, and involves providing some of the performance numbers from the POH.

The W&B envelope of the type is entered in a similar way. The software will then be able to calculate climb and cruise performance at any altitude.

AirPlan uses real time winds aloft data during flight planning. It can also download fuel prices to help you beat the $3/gallon AvGas epidemic. Once your flight is planned, AirPlan can file it through DUATS, and display a standard weather briefing for your route. Once the flight plan is filed and you're ready for takeoff, AirPlan can be used in flight, on a laptop or tablet computer, if GPS input is provided. In that mode it will also provide terrain warnings, based on GPS altitude.

Interestingly enough, it can also be used for simulated flight with either Microsoft's Flight Simulator or with X-Plane. Flight plans can be transferred between AirPlan and the simulator, and the simulator can be used to drive the moving map display on AirPlan the same way a GPS would in real flight.

FMI: www.razorsedgesoft.com/airplan/index.htm