How to Use Flight Planner

This guide will walk you through the process of creating, saving, and managing your flight plans using this Flight Planner tool.

Getting Started

Select Your Aircraft

Begin by selecting your aircraft from the dropdown menu. Different aircraft have different performance characteristics that will affect your flight estimates and fuel consumption.

The default option is the: Shamal (Luxury Helicopter) is selected.

Choose Your Input Method

Flight Planner offers three ways to add waypoints to your route:

Waypoint Mode

Airport Mode

Coordinates Mode

Waypoint Mode: Allows you to click directly on the map to add waypoints.

Airport Mode: Lets you select from predefined airports and airfields (like Sandy Shores Airfield).

Coordinates Mode: Enables entering exact X/Y coordinates for precise waypoint placement.

Adding Waypoints

Based on your selected mode:

In Waypoint Mode: Simply click on the map where you want to add a waypoint.
In Airport Mode: Select departure and arrival airports from the dropdown menus (e.g., Sandy Shores Airfield and Maze Bank Helipad).
In Coordinates Mode: Enter the X and Y coordinates manually.

Your waypoints will appear on the map, and your route will be drawn connecting them.

Generating a Route

Once you've selected your departure and arrival points:

Generate Route

Click the "Generate Route" button to create an optimal flight path between your selected points. This will calculate the most efficient route between your waypoints.

Managing Your Route

You can modify your route using these options:

Delete Waypoint

Clear All

Delete Waypoint: Select a waypoint and click this button to remove it from your route.

Clear All: Removes all waypoints and resets your flight plan.

Saving and Loading Plans

To save your current flight plan or load a previously saved one:

Save Plan

Load Plan

Save Plan: Saves your current flight plan for future use.

Load Plan: Opens a previously saved flight plan.

Understanding Flight Information

The Flight Information panel on the right side of the screen provides important details about your planned route:

Metric	Description	Example
Total Distance	The complete length of your planned route in nautical miles	1.86 nm
Waypoints	The number of waypoints in your route	1
Aircraft	The selected aircraft for the flight	Volatus
Cruise Speed	The average speed of your aircraft in knots	155 knots
Fuel Consumption	The rate at which your aircraft uses fuel	16 gal/hr
Est. Time	Estimated flight duration	3 min
Fuel Required	Total fuel needed for the journey	1 gal

Pro Tips

Plan with altitude in mind: Remember that the map is 2D but your actual flight will be in 3D. Plan for terrain elevation.
Consider weather conditions: Weather can affect your flight performance, check the METAR section for weather info.
Check coordinates: Use the coordinates display (X: 3572, Y: 3494) at the bottom of the screen to note specific locations.
Use landmarks: The detailed satellite imagery helps you identify landmarks for visual navigation.
Add buffer to fuel estimates: Always plan for slightly more fuel than the estimate suggests. All information is a very rough estimate.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Key Combination	Function
Ctrl+S	Save current flight plan
Ctrl+O	Open/load a flight plan
Delete	Remove selected waypoint
+/-	Zoom in/out on map

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