dlps73

OK - I've just started navex's and was wondering if people still use the protractor and scale rule or one of the many software options available when they're flight planning. I understand the logic of learning to use the "mechanical" devices (changes en route etc. when the GPS is U/S) but is that basically all they are used for? My query is based on the fact that I am a lot more fallible than the software I use and whilst I started off using the protractor I now find it a lot easier (and certainly more reassuring) to just create the waypoints, plug them into the route editor and then plug those computations into the flight plan. Unfortunately I still feel like I'm "cheating" using this option......but I suppose that's balanced by the fact that I'm not allowed to use my GPS :) Thoughts? Cheers......Doug

Hi Nev25, Bought mine on ebay plus an assortment of clecos - paid around $60 from memory and they were delivered in a couple of days, I think the guy advertises there on a full time basis. Now all I need are the instructions on what to do with them....! Cheers.........Doug

Interesting Video....

Skyranger.....

Ian Uumh - it doesn't get any easier at the second glance either. It appears the ArcTangent function has gone and the ArcSine fuction added and a reduction in the brackets (I counted 9 in the first edition!) I'll wait for Jeremy to finish the book that explains it all...........got a horrible feeling I won't understand that either :confused: Talk about "Be careful what you wish for"........ Cheers........Doug (Not waving - drowning)

Jeremy kindly sent me a copy of this yesterday and here's the instructions he noted which gives you some idea of its versatility. The ground speed calculation is done using trig, so it is accurate for large drift angles. The EET column also adds a factor for time to altitude. It looks at the cruise altitude column and also the aircraft climb data down below to calculate this. In that aircraft data box you can fill in the aircraft's cruise and holding fuel flows, it's climb speed and the rate of climb you usually get for an en route climb. The fuel planner just adds up all the EETs and does all the other basic arithmetic for you. The whole thing is sized so when you hit print it fits neatly into the top half of an A4 page, so you can fold it in half and stick it on your kneeboard! I had a quick look at the wind drift formulas but they did my head in! Ian and Mike - I think we have a winner! Cheers.......Doug

I take it my suggestion of cutting a streamer across the runway at 10foot inverted is going to be frowned on then......? How about a mini navex - fly a certain time at a certain speed on a given heading and describe whats underneath and repeat for whatever time you like. Cheers........Doug

Bruce - do you still have the password for the macros? That flight planner is brilliant - far surpasses anything I had in mind! Why re-invent the wheel..........? Cheers.........Doug

Fair go Mike! I only started the process this week and you can't rush genius (or zimmer frames). Cheers.......Doug

Sadly Sam the reality with most of us was, when you threw it out of the window and turned the aircraft you never saw it again! Cheers.......Doug

Good grief Mike - that URL make it looks way too easy! And sadly the major reason I keep working (on the problem) is that I read somewhere this week that you can actually create new brain cells in old farts like me by doing work of this nature. What you'd call a win-win situation.... Cheers........Doug

Sorry - it does sound a lot more harrowing than it was.....! Our comp was held at Albury Airfield in Cherokee Warriors where ATC fitted us in with the regular traffic. We also carried a safety pilot who ensured our activities were in the correct area (we had to pick up the toilet rolls afterwards) and ceased before the nominated altitude (1000ft AGL from memory). The flour bombs were released via the storm window and aimed at witches hats next to the runway - again a minimum height was set. Hope that clarifies things a little.... Cheers........Doug

Mine's the same. Ian - the geocachingsite mentioned by Ultralights (http://www.geocaching.com) gives a wealth of information and it's free! Just put your postcode in and it will give you all the caches in your area in an expanding radial form. You can also download the cache waypoints straight to your GPS if you can't be bothered inputting them manually. Cheers......Doug

Ian - you appear to be further ahead than I am! I've got a pdf copy of the Dummies Book of Trignometry which I'm browsing through. Is the formula your using based on the "Law of Sines" and the "Law of Cosines"? Cheers......Doug

Hi Ultralights, Been geocaching for a couple of years now using a Garmin GPSMAP 60CS. Fantastic family pursuit given the requirements of the cache location (basically it should be historical in nature or an interesting/beautiful place the idea being that if you don't find it at least you get something out of the hunt). So - I'm with you mate! Don't think we could hide one in the Oaks Airfield though unless it was on outside of the acces fence ......hmmm. Cheers.....Doug

One competition we use to have was to get to 2-4000 ft, chuck a toilet roll out so that it unravels, then see how many times you could cut it with the prop, wing etc. And dont forget the flour bombs.... Cheers.......Doug

Hi Scott - I've just started using OziExplorer coupled with aviation maps from MapTrax - unfortunately whilst you can trial OziExplorer (for free) you will need to purchase both if you want to upload flight routes to your GPS. I've checked the configuration menu and whilst it doesn't have the 600C it does have a heap of other Lowrance models. It didn't have my Garmin 96C listed either but I used the 76C with no problems. I will state emphatically that it's a magnificient method for creating waypoints and building routes as opposed to doing it on the GPS. And once you've done that it automatically produces distances and bearings! It also prints the map (VTC, WAC - whatever) with the route and waypoints marked. You've got to love these technology toys Hope this helps. Cheers.......Doug

Hi Ian - I was working on a formula that probably paralleled yours and was having a few problems with the the square root of a cosine function when it was negative - it's certainly stirring up the grey matter! I'm at work tomorrow so I'll have more time to focus on it..... Cheers........Doug

Ian - thank you - I'm sure your program will be a lot neater that mine... Mike - my trig's very rusty - I didn't realise you could use sine/cosine in scalar triangles - thought it was only right angled ones - duh! Hopefully this should make it easier. Cheers........Doug

Thanks Mike - I was just browsing there and saw the table and my initial thought was "eek! Look-up tables" which was one area where I didn't want to go........:confused: Why is it that something that sounds so simple evolves into a huge time consuming problem? Not to worry - at least I know there is a solution somewhere. When I find it I'll let you know! Doug - If "Still waters run deep" what do Dark waters run - dirty maybe :big_grin: Cheers..........Doug

G'Day Doug - maybe we should have a forum just for Doug's - we obviously dominate!

Hi all, I've drawn up a basic Flight Plan using Excel and want to increase its functionality by inserting the wind speed and direction (obtained from the current AFORS, etc) and then, using embedded formulas within the spreadsheet, derive the actual heading and ETI. Unfortunately "googling" hasn't been forth coming with the mathematics required to enable me to accomplish this. Does anyone know (the formulae) or can point me in the direction of a site that has it? Cheers.........Doug

Good grief - that was fast! Thanks Ian - as you know I'm not in a rush. What price is the Garmin SL40? From my investigations it's going to be a bit more expensive....... Cheers......Doug

Thanks Ralph - kind of seals it - now I just need to convince Ian to add it to the shop inventory :) Cheers........Doug

Thanks Nelson - the A200 is on my shortlist!