flight planning software

[vortex]

What are you or your flight depts. using for flight planning software?
I have looked at Jetplan from Jepp, but is seems expensive for what we need.

We are a small flight dept with one light jet and one tp. 99% of operations are domestic.

Thanks

 

[doubtful]

once you play with the fuel burns after a trip or two duats.com is pretty good, especially for the price!

 

[2000flyer]

We use a combination of providers. Domestic trips are run either on Duats or GDC AFIS. I've noticed lately that Duat's wind forecast above FL390 seem more a wild guess than a forecast. The last 4-5 plans I've run on Duats I've backed up with a GDC AFIS plan. I've had winds aloft as much as 100 knots off (you read correctly!) on a Duats plan. This resulted in a several minute difference in ETA as well as fuel burn.

I've emailed Duats several times and have yet to get a reply from them as to the difference in forecast winds between the two providers.

Back to topic. For international planning we use one of the well known providers (JEPP, Universal, Air Routing).

Regards,
2000Flyer

 

[flywithruss]

www.duats.com

We use DUATS for flight planning for our 200 King Air. You can't beat the price (free), and web access makes it easy to get weather, flight plan, and file even from the road. I have tweaked my numbers in my performance profile, and my enroute times are always +/- 3 minutes of actual. The fuel burn isn't the greatest, since it won't compensate at all for altitude. At low alts, I'm burning 700PPH or so, but in the upper 20s I'm down around 500. Big difference. I keep my fuel numbers set to pessimistic values and always come in under planned fuel consumption, which is the way I like it.

DUATS will also let you file ICAO flight plans, which is nice. We go to the Bahamas and Canada occasionally, and DUATS does good work there.

I have tried out fltplan.com, and I think the performance numbers (especially if you customize them, but that is a lengthy process) are more accurate. However, its database seems more limited. I tried to run a Nassau flight plan on there recently and it doesnt recognize any of the BR routes, which DUATS does.

R

 

[banned username 2]

DUATS

I have to agree.. when I was flying Charter in Lears and Falcon 20's we used DUATS... After you got your profile entered in and "tweaked" it was very accurate...

At my current job we use GDC AFISCom... The only benefit is it has optimized and ATC Perferred routing... but as far as time & burns, not really any more accurate than DUATS (both are very accurate once you get the profile tweaked)...

Hope this helps...

Falcon Capt.

 

[JetPilot500]

I've gotta recommend FLTPLAN.COM.

Duats is good, don't get me wrong, but I like Fltplan.com much better. Once you get to see all the features, you'll like it even more. They actually file your flight plan through your duats account. So, if you are on the road and you don't have internet access, you can modify/cancel your flight plan with duats. The flight log is very informational. It also offers preferred routes, ATC and recommended routes from other pilots. If you know a route, email them and they'll add it for that city pair. Customer Support is excellent, they usually respond to a problem within minutes.

Give them a try,
JetPilot500

 

[vortex]

thanks!! fltplan.com, coupled with duats wins hands down.