ROUTENAV FOR WINDOWS - ver. 4.2 VFR FLIGHT PLANNER INTRODUCTION ROUTENAV For Windows is a very flexible Windows VFR flight planning program for private pilots and computer pilots. Listed below are only a few of the many features: NOTE: When this manual refers to a navaid, it is referring to an airport, VOR, NDB, or any combination of these. A waypoint is a navaid that has been selected as part of your route. * Flight Plans: You may create flight plans by select starting and ending airports (and an optional waypoint to overfly), and the computer will select the waypoints along the way. The flight planning process is very flexible in that the computer displays all of the navaids along the route and selects the recommended waypoints. If you want to change the route, a navaid may be selected or deselected while viewing the route. Specific information about a navaid (latitude, longitude, frequencies, runways, and distances from/to the previous/next waypoint,etc.) can also be displayed by selecting the navaid. Once you are satisfied with the route, you then enter wind and altitude information for the route. The program uses that information to calculate magnetic heading, distance, time, fuel, groundspeed, and descent information for the route. You may then save the route to be recalled later, print it, and/or save it to disk as an ASCII file. * PREVIOUS ROUTES: Previously saved routes may be easily recalled, viewed, or deleted. When a route is recalled, the actual route is displayed along with the other navaids along the route. You may edit the route by selecting or deselecting navaids as previously described. * NAVAID SELECTION: Finding the navaid you want is very easy. If you know the id of the navaid, you may enter it directly and the computer will search the database for it. Selection may also be made by entering the two letter postal code for the state. In this case, you would select the navaid from a list of all navaids from that state. Selecting the navaid from a list of the entire database is another option for selection. * NAVAID DATABASE: RTNAVWIN allows new navaids to be added, and existing navaids to be edited or deleted. The navaid to be edited or deleted can be selected by id, state, or from the entire database. The size of the database (number of navaids) is limited only by the amount of disk space available. * AIRCRAFT DATABASE: Aircraft information used during flight planning may be added or edited in the same manner as the navaids. Again, with this database, the size (number of aircraft) is limited only by disk space available. REQUIREMENTS CPU: IBM 386 or better Monitor: EGA or VGA Monitor with graphics card. Hard Drive: Approximately 1.5 MBs of disk space is required. Mouse: Required. Memory: 4 MB INSTALLATION To install RTNVWN42, unzip the RTNVWN42.ZIP file to the directory of your choice. To run RTNVWN42, select the windows "FILES:RUN" menu item and browse for the RTNVWN42.EXE file. OPERATION SETUP: When the SETUP menu is selected, the SETUP screen is displayed. Press the TAB key to move among the entry items (fields). The fields may also be selected by moving the mouse cursor to the entry item, and pressing the left mouse button. Various Distance and Fuel measurements may be selected from this screen. AIRCRAFT DATABASE: The aircraft database menu allows you to add, edit, or delete aircraft. ADD: To add an aircraft to the database, select the ADD from the AIRCRAFT Menu item. You will be presented with the Aircraft Input screen. Pressing the TAB key will scroll you through the various entry fields. To enter the Cruise Indicated Airspeed (IAS) for the aircraft, select the CRUISE INDICATED AIRSPEED button by clicking on it with the mouse. The Cruise IAS input screen will be shown. Enter the IAS at different altitudes for the Aircraft. For example, if the IAS up to 5,000 ft. is 115 Kts., the IAS at 5,000 ft. is 120 Kts., and the IAS at 10,000 ft. is 135 Kts., you would enter 1000 for the altitude and 115 for the IAS, 5000 and 120, and 10000 and 135. RTNAVWIN will make the cruise ias 115 KTS/MPH from 1000 to 4000 ft., 120 KTS/MPH from 5,000 to 9,000 ft., and 135 KTS/MPH from 10,000 ft. and above. Select OK when you are finished. AIRCRAFT ENTRY FIELDS: N Number: The N Number of the aircraft Description: A description (make and model) of the aircraft (20 characters maximum) Climb Rate: The takeoff climb rate in FPM Descent Rate: The rate of descent in FPM KTS/MPH: The speed measurement you wish to use Takeoff IAS: The takeoff IAS in KTS or MPH (whichever you selected above) Descent IAS: The descent IAS (when landing) for the aircraft Cruise IAS: The IAS at various altitudes Fuel Capacity: The amount of useable fuel (using the fuel measure you selected from the SETUP screen Startup Fuel: The amount of fuel burned during startup of the aircraft Takeoff Fuel: The amount of fuel burned during takeoff Cruise Fuel: The amount of fuel burned (per hour) during normal cruise flight Empty Weight: The empty weight of the aircraft Max Weight: The maximum fully loaded weight for the aircraft Aircraft Moment: The moment of the aircraft Forward Limit: The forward center of gravity (CG) limit (INCH/MM) for the aircraft Aft Limit: The aft CG limit for the aircraft INCH/MM: Selects whether the Weight and Balance Arms are in inches or millimeters Row 1 Arm: The distance aft of the DATUM (INCH/MM) for the first row of seats Row 2 Arm: The distance aft of the DATUM (INCH/MM) for the second row of seats Row 3 Arm: The distance aft of the DATUM (INCH/MM) for the third row of seats Row 4 Arm: The distance aft of the DATUM (INCH/MM) for the fourth row of seats Forward Arm: The distance aft of the DATUM (INCH/MM) for the forward baggage compartment Aft Arm: The distance aft of the DATUM (INCH/MM) for the aft baggage compartment Fuel Arm: The distance aft of the DATUM (INCH/MM) for the fuel Required Aircraft Inputs: Flight Planning: N Number and/or Description, all airspeeds, all FPM rates,and Fuel inputs (for fuel calculations) Edit: To edit an aircraft record, select EDIT from the aircraft menu. You will be shown a list containing the N-Number and description of each aircraft and may then select one to edit by clicking on it, or select "CANCEL" to exit. When in the Aircraft Edit screen, you may change any or all information for the aircraft as you would when entering a new aircraft. NAVAID DATABASE: Add: To add a navaid to the Navaid Database, Select ADD from the Navaid Database menu. NOTE: The program does not check to see if a duplicate navaid exists, so a suggestion would be to select EDIT, then DATABASE to see a list of all navaids in the database. You can then search the list for the navaid you want to add. Select CANCEL from the selection list to return to the NAVAID DATABASE select menu. If you DO add a duplicate navaid, then every time you search for the navaid for flight planning or editing, you will have to select the one you wish to use. Once you decide you want to add a navaid to the database, select ADD from the Navaid Database menu. You can select the various entry fields on the screen by pressing the TAB key. NAVAID ENTRY FIELDS (* = required entries) : * ID: A three letter/number combination to identify the navaid. * Name: The name of the navaid (30 characters max) * State: The two letter state postal identifier. Elevation: The elevation (in ft. Mean Sea Level) of the navaid. Mag. Var.: The magnetic variation of the navaid. If you do not enter a magnetic variation, 0E is assumed. If you are using Flight Simulator (tm) 4.0 or earlier, and are not sure of the magnetic variation, then you should use the offset number shown on each chart (the North and East coordinates are canted clockwise or counterclockwise to compensate for Orthagonal coordinate grid overlaid on Lambert conformal conic projection). If the number is positive, then the direction is West. If it is negative then the direction is East. For example, the offset for the default scenery for NY is +13. This indicates 13W. Type: The type of navaid. The program uses the following codes for the navaids: * = VOR and Airport or NDB and Airport V = VOR Only N = NDB Only A = Airport Only Description: The description of the navaid (VOR/Airprt, NDB/Airprt, VOR, NDB, Airport). You may enter any description you wish (10 characters max). Scenery: If you intend to use this navaid for Flight Simulator (tm), you may enter the scenery description (Disk number, file name, etc.). * Latitude: The Latitude in degrees and minutes for the navaid. * Longitude: The Longitude in degrees and minutes for the navaid. Comments: Here you may add any comments you wish about the navaid. Frequencies: Select the FREQUENCIES button to enter the frequencies for the navaid. A suggested ILS frequency sequence is Runway Number/Runway Direction /Frequency (ex. 24/243/109.2). Runways: Select RUNWAYS to enter the runway numbers for the navaid. A suggested sequence is Runway Number/ Runway Length (Ex. 10L-28R/9500 X 150). OK: Select OK to save the navaid information and exit. EXIT: Selecting EXIT will abort the procedure and exit without saving. FLIGHT PLANNING The flight planner is the heart of RTNAVWIN. As you will see, it is extremely versatile and informative. The first step to creating a flight plan is to select the aircraft you will be flying. When you select New Route from the Main Screen, you will be asked to choose the aircraft. If no aircraft exist (or the program cannot find any) then either there are no aircraft entered in the Aircraft Database, or the directory defined on the SETUP screen is not where the "AIRCRAFT.DAT" file is located. You are given a list of the aircraft from which to choose. The Flight Planning process allows you to select the starting airport, ending airport, and an optional waypoint (Airport, VOR, or NDB) to fly over. Once you have selected these two (or three), then the computer will find ALL of the navaids along your route. It will also select waypoints from these navaids for you to fly over. If you select the VOR Only check box, the program will only select the VORs along your route. Once you have selected an aircraft, you will be asked to select the waypoints for your route. There are three ways to select the waypoints: ID: If you select ID, you are asked for the 3-characters of the ID. The characters can be letters, numbers, or a combination. When you select OK, the computer will search for the ID. If more than one is found, you will be given a list from which to choose. Selecting CANCEL will return you to the Main Menu. STATE: Selecting STATE allows you to search the database for all navaids found within a certain state. When you select STATE, you are asked to enter the 2-letter postal code for the state. If you select CANCEL, you will return to the Main Screen. If you enter the 2 letter code, the program will search the database for all navaids in the state you selected. You will be given a list from which to select the navaid. To select the navaid, move the cursor to the navaid on the list and press the left mouse button. Select OK once you have selected the navaid. If you decide not to select one of the navaids, selecting CANCEL will cancel the operation and return you to the Navaid Selection screen. DATABASE: The DATABASE selection will give a list (after the program generates the list) of all navaids in the database. The list will not display all of the navaids at once, so the first fifteen or so will be displayed. Along the side of the list is a scroll bar. Selecting the UP or DOWN arrow on the bar will scroll the list up or down. You can manually (and quickly) move through the list by selecting and holding the small box between the arrows, and moving it (using the mouse) up or down. When you release the box, the list will display the navaids for that section of the list. To select the navaid, move the cursor to the navaid on the list and press the left mouse button and select OK. If you decide not to select one of the navaids, selecting CANCEL will cancel the operation and return you to the Navaid Selection Screen. Once you are finished selecting the navaids, select OK from the menu to continue with the flight planning. PREVIOUS: The PREVIOUS option allows you to work with previously saved routes. A list of previously saved routes will be displayed in a selection box. Selecting one of the routes will show the route in the View selection box. You may then select the route by pressing the OK button. You may also delete the route by pressing the Delete button. Selecting Cancel will cancel the operation and return you to the Main Menu. Once you have selected the navaids from the New Route menu or have selected a previous route, the navaid search screen is displayed. Select OK to begin the search or cancel to cancel the operation. When all of the navaids have been found, the screen will display the Route Selection Screen. This screen shows all of the navaids that were found along your route. The waypoints for the route will be automatically selected. If you have recalled a previously saved route, the selected waypoints will be those that were selected when the route was saved. The colors of the navaids will tell you what type of navaid it is. Blue is a Navaid (VOR or NDB) with an Airport, Green is a VOR only, Red is an Airport only, and Purple is an NDB only. The three character ID of the navaid is also shown. SELECTING A NAVAID FOR THE ROUTE: If a navaid is not selected as part of the route, you may include it in the route by moving the cursor to it and pressing the left mouse button. If you press the left button again, the navaid will be deselected. Getting information about any navaid on the screen is quite easy. You simply move the cursor to the navaid and press the RIGHT mouse button. The information you are given depends on the type of navaid it is. If the navaid contains an airport, you will be shown information (ID, Name, State, Elevation, Latitude, Longitude, etc.) about the airport. If you select the FREQUENCIES button, you will be shown the frequency information about the airport. Select the RUNWAYS button to see the runways for the airport. If the Navaid is a VOR or NDB only, you will be shown only the navaid information (ID, Name, State, Elevation, Latitude, Longitude, etc.) and the frequency. Additionally, if the navaid you have selected is a waypoint (part of the route), you will be shown the distance and true course to/from the next/previous waypoint. To return to the Route Selection Screen, select the OK button. When you are satisfied with the route, select the CONTINUE menu option to continue the flight planning process. If you want to abort the flight plan and return to the Main Screen, select EXIT. The next step for flight planning is entering the altitude and wind information: VFR Flight: If you are flying a VFR Flight, the altitude you fly is determined by the direction you are flying. If your direction is between 000 and 179 degrees, you must fly an ODD altitude + 500 ft. If the direction is between 180 and 359 degrees, the altitude must be an EVEN altitude + 500 ft. If you select this item, then the computer will automatically change the altitude if you change directions. For example: Your true course is 200 degrees, and you select an altitude of 4,500 degrees. Along the route, your true course becomes 165 degrees. The computer will change your altitude to 5,500 ft. If your course then changes to 195 degrees, the computer will change the altitude back to 4,500 ft. ALTITUDE: This is where you enter the altitude you wish to fly. NOTE: If you select VFR Flight, the computer will NOT check to ensure you enter a proper altitude. Select MANUAL to enter the altitude you wish to fly for each leg of the flight. If you do not select MANUAL, the altitude is selected from the altitude you enter in the AUTOMATIC position. WIND: Enter the Wind Direction and speed for all waypoints along your route. The computer will calculate the wind correction angle for each leg of the flight. The winds aloft information can be entered for each leg by selecting the WINDS ALOFT button. DESCENT: If you wish to descend to a particular altitude, enter it here. If you select the Pattern Altitude check box, the program calculate the descent to 800 ft AGL of the destination airport. OK: Select OK to display the Flight Plan Menu. CANCEL: Select Cancel to abort the flight plan and return to the Route Selection Screen. The Flight Plan Menu allows you to save the route to be recalled later, print the route, and/or save the route to your hard drive as an ascii file. NOTE: The file name for the saved route will be the ID of the starting airport, 2, the ID of the destination airport, and a number 1 through 9 depending if there are already routes saved with the same starting and destination airports. For example, a flight from JFK to ORD would be saved as "JFK2ORD1.RTE". ADD_NAV ROUTENAV Airport Database Update Utility Description: Add_Nav will allow you to update you existing ROUTENAV Airport Database without losing any of the navaids you have already entered. * WARNING* Make sure the database you are using to update your database is in a different directory than your existing database. Make a backup copy of your database by copying the *.IDX files to a different directory. Once you have updated your database and are satisfied that it was updated correctly, you can delete the *.idx files you copied. Operation: 1. Select ADD NAV from the Utilities Menu 2. Enter the directory of your existing database. 3. Enter the directory of the new database you would like to scan. 4. Select OK to compare your existing database with the new database, or select CANCEL to return to the ROUTENAV main screen. ADD_NAV will compare the new *.idx file with the old *.IDX file. If it finds an airport that has changed, you will be prompted whether the aiport should be updated, added, or skipped (you will also be shown the airport data in order for you to compare for yourself). If the program finds that an airport doesn't exist, it will prompt you for permission to add the airport to your database. DISCLAIMER The author is not liable for any damage or injury resulting from the use of this product You, as pilot, should always double check the resultant flight plan against your charts for accuracy. RTNAVWIN will not account for minimum heights along your route. CREDITS: Flight Simulator (tm) is a product of Microsoft Corporation. Help or Information: To get help or information on any question concerning RTNAVWIN, please call me at (716) 594-5898.