OnCourse Software

Hi,

I have a question. I am flying the classic DC3 so fly using ADF and VOR. I am not using the airways in my flightplan (Little navmap). The result is when Imake an IFR flightplan PF3 starts compaining enroute that I am off the airways.

I have found no means to stop those messages short of going VFR. Any tips?

If you increase the “Airway Deviation Distance” in the “Misc Options” section on the Options #1 Main Display this should fix it for you. As I use INS on trans Atlantic/Pacific flights, I have this set to 20 miles to stop getting these warnings because of INS drift.

Cheers

PF3 does not use navigational data and does not use airways in the usual sense. The 'airway' PF3 is referring to is simply the line connecting your waypoints. If you are using conventional radio navigation (kudos to you, as not many people fly that way nowadays) you may find yourself a bit off the line connecting your waypoints, and this is what PF3 is warning you about. The warning can be adjusted or disabled on the Options #1 screen, at right, Airway Deviation Distance. You can increase the distance at which PF3 alerts you, or disable the warning completely.

EDIT: Oops, I was typing as the above response was being posted

I do fly classic aircraft (exclusively!) and navigate using VOR and ADF.

I think the issue that Redeyestorm is experiencing is down to the flight plan that LittleNavMap is generating. I have never used that utility, I do my planning using the now discontinued FSNavigator which allows you to choose your way points and fly directly between them. If LNM is "too clever" to allow that, maybe there are other utilities out there that will. It may depend on which version of FS is in use, but I think FSTramp should do this for anything FSX upwards - it is an incredibly good utility but unfortunately works out quite expensive as it requires an annual subscription.

A typical flightplan I would create with FSN or FST for a two-hour flight in a DC-3 would be:
DEPARTURE AIRPORT - VOR (about half way) - TOP OF DESCENT (an inserted waypoint) - TRANSFER TO APPROACH (an inserted waypoint) - VOR (at destination airport) - DESTINATION AIRPORT.
The VOR at the destination airport has to be removed when exporting to PF3.

Once you have taken off you will be cleared to resume navigation to the first VOR, you do not have to be on the planned track and can make a bee-line for that VOR from your current position. After reaching the first VOR, tune to the second one and follow the needle until you get approach instructions.

One little trick I apply (when compiling in PF3) is to put my chosen FAF altitude at the point of transfer to approach - whilst in reality this is totally impossible to achieve (as that point will be close to the TOD) it convinces PF3 to keep you descending in ancient aircraft that descends at a slow rate, and avoids you arriving at the airport too high.

This gives me 99% successful flights, the other 1% are down to user error!

Hope this helps.

John

I use LittleNavMap for all my flight planning and am pretty sure that it can do what is required.
You have a choice between having it calculate a flight plan for you, with several different routing options, or selecting the individual waypoints yourself.
You can also modify a calculated flight plan at any time, adding and deleting waypoints, before finally saving it and exporting it.

It is a fairly complex bit of software but I believe that it should be capable of generating the required flight plan with use of the correct options.
If you can't find the necessary information in the manual then you may find your answer in the LittleNavMap support forum.

OK, I fired up my FS PC - here are a couple of screenshots for an IFR flight plan from CYHZ to CYYT routed by Navaids:
Hope this helps,
Martin

Hi guys thanks for the input.

I think I will follow “Airway Deviation Distance” option and set that one. I have no problem creating a VOR/ADF route so that is not the issue.

That's good news that LNM will do this.

My Airway Deviation Distance is set to 4 miles and I do not experience accusation of being off course, so maybe some other factor exists here too. The only one I can think of is Magnetic Deviation which can lure navigation instruments into inaccuracy on older aircraft (modern ones automatically compensate) which will drive you off course. There are settings in FS to turn off MD altogether, or you can reset it manually with the "D" key every now and again as the flight progresses.

But certainly increasing the Airway Deviation Distance will reduce the chances of being nagged.

Best regards,

John