QSimPlanner Manual
Aircraft
From the aircraft configuration menu, you can add/edit/delete a profile.
After clicking "edit", various properties can be set. Fuel consumption, takeoff and landing profiles can be set to "None". However, if the fuel consumption profile is "None", that aircraft will not appear in fuel planning page. Takeoff/landing profiles are similar.
Fuel
This is where the route planning and fuel calculation is done.
SID/STAR filter, route options
The route finder comes with a SID/STAR filter. There are 2 modes, blacklist and whitelist.
It's possible to avoid finding a route passing through certain countries.
Route actions
The actions menu contains 4 items:
Find route
Automatically finds the shortest route between the two airports. The SID/STAR filters, avoided countries, and current oceanic tracks are taken into consideration.
Analyze route
Read the route text and analyze it. The allowed format is SID Waypoint Airway Waypoint ... Waypoint STAR.
The SID and STAR are optional. Any SID/STAR/Airway can be replaced with DCT(direct), AUTO(finds the route between the two waypoints automatically) or RAND(find a random track between the two waypoints). Any waypoint can be replaced with a coordinate, for example, 50E30, N30W070, or S20.35E12.335. Note that the departure and arrival airports/runways need to be entered correctly. Also all DCT can be omitted.
For example, this route (from KLAS to KLAX) has correct format:
MCCRN4 WHIGG V21 HEC BASET3.HEC
We can let the route finder get the shortest path from WHIGG to HEC by replacing the airway with AUTO:
MCCRN4 WHIGG AUTO HEC BASET3.HEC
Or even let it find the SID for us:
AUTO HEC BASET3.HEC
Another example is a route from PANC to PHNL. We can use RAND to find a random track between waypoints, i.e. a series of latitude/longitude coordinates or waypoints.
ANCHO8 TED RAND ZIGIE KAENA2.ZIGIE
Or, if we do not know the SID and STAR to use, simply enter:
RAND
Click "Analyze Route" and then we get:
ANCHO8 TED 61N50 50N50 39N50 29N55 ZIGIE KAENA2.ZIGIE
Show map
Plot the route found or analyzed with Google Map.
Export
Export the route found or analyzed as a flight plan file, as set in options.
Advanced tool
The advanced tool can find or analyze routes which are:
- From airport to airport
- From airport to waypoint
- From waypoint to airport
- From waypoint to waypoint
Fuel Parameters
- Contingency: A fixed percentage of the trip fuel. This is required by regulations.
- Holding: Estimated holding time at destination airport. This may be due to bad weather, heavy traffic, or any other factors.
- Extra: Fuel added at your (captain's) discretion. This may include fuel required due to expected delays, and additional missed approaches due to marginal weather, etc.
- APU: Estimated APU time.
- Taxi: Enter the estimated taxi time.
- Final reserve: Time to hold 1500 feet above alternate airport. This is not used unless in an emergency. Usually 30 or 45 minutes, depending on the policy.
Fuel report
An example of fuel report:
ALL WEIGHTS IN KG FUEL TIME TRIP 54873 0723 CONTINGENCY 2743 0022 HOLD 0 0000 EXTRA 0 0000 ALTERNATE 3632 0028 FINAL RSV 3000 0030 AT T/O 64249 0843 APU 120 0030 TAXI 720 0020 TOTAL 65089 0933 FMC RSV 6.0
The items in the report are:
- Trip: Estimated fuel consumption from origin to destination
- Contingency: Amount of contingency fuel
- Holding: Amount of holding fuel
- Extra: Amount of extra fuel
- Alternate: Estimated fuel consumption from destination to alternate
- Final RSV: Amount of final reserve fuel
- APU: Estimated APU time.
- Taxi: Enter the estimated taxi time
- Total: Total fuel to add into fuel tanks
- FMC RSV: Value to enter into "RESERVES" in FMC.
Takeoff
In this page takeoff performance can be computed.
Runway info
This is where runway infomation is entered. By enter the ICAO code of airport and selecting the departure runway, correct infomation will show automatically. It's possible to enter the parameters manually as well. On the top-left there is a "Req" button, when clicked the departure airport and runway in fuel planning page will be used.
Weather info
This is where airport weather infomation is entered. It can be either filled in manually, or automatically by clicking "Import Metar". The current metar will be downloaded and filled in. Click "View" to see the metar message.
Aircraft configuration
You can enter the aircraft weight, takeoff flaps, etc. Note that some parameters are not applicable for all aircrafts. For example, currently the 737-800 does not have "THR rating" option (which allows derate takeoff TO1 and TO2). Also, due to the limited data available for many aircraft types, often there is only one flaps setting to choose from.
If the fuel report was generated in fuel planning page already, there will be a "Request" button. Click it and the aircraft and takeoff weight will be set automatically.
Takeoff report
The required takeoff distance is computed and climb performance is verified. The possible assumed temperature(s) are also listed.
( OAT 40°C ) Required distance 2683 M Runway remaining 548 M -------------------------------------------------- ( ASSUMED TEMPERATURE ) Temp(°C) Required distance Runway remaining 41 2718 M 513 M 42 2756 M 475 M 43 2797 M 434 M 44 2838 M 393 M 45 2884 M 347 M 46 2929 M 302 M
Landing
In this page landing performance is computed. This is similar to the takeoff performance page.
Miscellaneous infomation
Airport Data tab
By entering the ICAO code, you can view:
- Metar
- Transition altitude/level
- Basic information of each runway.
- Map of the airport
Metar/TAF tab
You can search for the Metar/TAF of any airport.
Also you can monitor the weather of the departure, arrival and alternate airports.
Upper wind tab
The wind aloft for the destination airport is shown here.
Options
Nav Data location
Location of either Aerosoft's NavDataPro or Navigraph's FMS Data (both are payware). Use the version of Aerosoft Airbus A318/A319/A320/A321.
Then select the folder which contains Airports.txt, which may be located at [FSX or P3D folder]\aerosoft\Airbus_Fallback\Navigraph (if using Navigraph) or [FSX or P3D folder]\aerosoft\Airbus_Fallback\NavDataPro (if using NavDataPro).
Flight plan export
You can set the folder which the flight plan file exports to. If the checkbox on the left indicates whether that item is export when "Export" is click in Route Actions.
Route
- Use wind-optimized route: Enable route finder uses wind aloft to determine the shortest route.
- Hide 'DCT' in route output: Omit all 'DCT'.
- Show track ident only: The route shows only name of the oceanic track instead of all waypoints of that track.
Track Manager
Track manager is opened by clicking on the track status bar, as shown in the picture below.
Tracks can be downloaded, saved to file, or loaded from file. Each track system (AUSOTS, NATs, PACOTs) comes with a text message, which can be viewed by clicking "View Text". It's important to know that these oceanic tracks are updated every a few hours, and if you are not using the lastest AIRAC, some tracks may not be parsed successfully. If you see errors, updating the AIRAC may fix them.
Each track system can be disabled/enabled individually. When a track system is disabled, they will not be available in route finder or route analyzer.
Wind Aloft Manager
Wind aloft manager is opened by clicking on the wind status bar, as shown in the picture below.
Wind aloft can be downloaded, saved to file, or loaded from file (in .grib2 format).