FSX and FSXPilot flightplans are different. In FSX, a flightplan is just a selection of waypoints to be loaded into the simulator.
In FSXPilot, a flightplan is a complex program for actually flying your aircraft from A to B taking into account:
- switching on nav and landing lights
- takeoff routine
- setting departure and destination display
- operation of flaps
- operation of gear
- following the waypoints
- ILS or GPS autolanding
- brakes and reverse thrust
- if you want: taxi procedures
To create a FSXPilot flightplan, you can actually import an FSX flightplan into FSXPilot. This manual describes how.
Let us assume you want to fly from Munich to Venice with an ATR aircraft. The first step you have to do is startup FSX, load your aircraft and position the aircraft on the active runway in Munich (EDDM). Please create your FSX flightplan and save the flightplan to your harddisk. Please select the flightplanner in FSX, use "IFR" and "high altitude waypoints". Save the plan. In my case, FSX suggests a flighplan name 'IFR Munich to Tessera.PLN'. Use that name.
Then, start FSXPilot and select "Import flightplan" from the AP main panel's menu. In the file selector box select 'IFR Munich to Tessera.PLN' you have created previously. After the import, answer the question wether FSXPilot should add takeoff and landing routines for fixed wing aircraft with "Yes".Save the new FSXPilot "flightplan" to disk. FSXPilot suggests 'EDDM_LIPZ.txt' as a file name. Use that name.
You can open and edit the FSXPilot flightplan 'EDDM_LIPZ.txt' with any conventional text editor. This is what you get:
// ----------------------------------------------------------- // Flightplan for FSX // for use with FSXPilot // // FSXPilot (c) 2005-2012 by Scientific Networks Munich // ----------------------------------------------------------- // add your comment here // and here // // set origin EDDM set destination LIPZ set speedunits knots set distanceunits miles set apcontrol plane set userinput on autorudder on run takeoff set alt 27000.0 waypoint 27000.0 300.0 EUR 47.73499167 11.24940278 waypoint 27000.0 300.0 OBAGA 47.59861111 11.25000000 waypoint 27000.0 300.0 NORTO 47.26635278 11.25182222 waypoint 27000.0 300.0 MATAR 46.97493889 11.25330556 waypoint 27000.0 300.0 BZO 46.46363889 11.32188889 waypoint 27000.0 300.0 ALESE 46.27499722 11.40388889 waypoint 27000.0 300.0 VIC 45.63730556 11.67635278 find bestrunway LIPZ select approachentry flaps 1. wait distin 2. select ilsentry wait distin 2. select bestrunway set ils stop aph stop apv end
Feel free to make changes. For example: If you use
set userinput on
the plane will ignore altitude and speed settings in the flightplan and rather use the altitude and speed settings of the pilot, but still follow the waypoints.
Change to
set userinput off
for a fully automatic flight with cruising altitude and airspeed defitions.
In the line
waypoint 27000.0 300.0 EUR 47.73499167 11.24940278
change '27000' to a new value like '29000' for a different cruising altitude, or change 300. to 250, for a more realistic ATR airspeed. Additionally, you might want to fly a short GPS landing, which looks a bit more realistic, at the destination instead of an ILS landing.
So with one ore two other tweaks our final flightplan would look like this:
// ----------------------------------------------------------- // Flightplan for FSX // for use with FSXPilot // // FSXPilot (c) 2005-2012 by Scientific Networks Munich // ----------------------------------------------------------- // add your comment here // and here // // set origin EDDM set destination LIPZ set speedunits knots set distanceunits miles set apcontrol plane set userinput off autorudder on run takeoff set alt 15000.0 waypoint 15000.0 250.0 EUR 47.73499167 11.24940278 waypoint 20000.0 250.0 OBAGA 47.59861111 11.25000000 waypoint 25000.0 250.0 NORTO 47.26635278 11.25182222 waypoint 25000.0 250.0 MATAR 46.97493889 11.25330556 waypoint 25000.0 250.0 BZO 46.46363889 11.32188889 waypoint 20000.0 240.0 ALESE 46.27499722 11.40388889 waypoint 10000.0 200.0 VIC 45.63730556 11.67635278 fly short autolanding LIPZ end
Save the changes in your text editor.
Finally, "load" your FSXPilot flightplan via the flightplan menu and select "run flightplan" from the menu.
FSXPilot should now fly your ATR plane safely to Venice from takeoff to autolanding.
Have a nice flight across the alpes.
PS:
The way back to Munich (ATR turboprop, with short landing on runway 26L) is for example:
// ----------------------------------------------------------- // Flightplan for FSX // for use with FSXPilot // // FSXPilot (c) 2005-2012 by Scientific Networks Munich // ----------------------------------------------------------- // add your comment here // and here // // set origin LIPZ set destination EDDM set speedunits knots set distanceunits miles set apcontrol plane set userinput off autorudder on run takeoff set alt 15000.0 waypoint 15000.0 250.0 VIC 45.63730556 11.67635278 waypoint 25000.0 250.0 LIZUM 47.11507222 11.75603611 waypoint 15000.0 230.0 TULSI 47.70160556 11.78875833 waypoint 10000.0 230.0 MANAL 47.89935556 11.79995556 fly short autolanding EDDM 26L end