SkyDemon Plan: Ready to Fly

Print a PLOG

The last step in route planning is to print a copy of your route. SkyDemon produces a pilot's log showing all the calculated variables of the flight, including the results of fuel calculations, along with spaces to write common details such as times of the flight and ETA and ATA for waypoints. The log can be printed as-is or saved in HTML format for further modification in any editor.

The output of the log can be customised. RNav vectors can be calculated if that navigation system is to be used. The scope of which radio aids and ATS communications facilities en-route are included can be specified. Where radio aids are included their identifiers and morse code are printed. If your route takes you through airspace where permission is required to enter, the relevant ATS unit and callsign is included.

Export to GPS

When your preparations are finished you can export your route to many GPS systems at the click of a button. SkyDemon supports automatic route transfer to most Garmin, Megallan and SkyMap handheld GPS devices. It can also export your route to .RTE or .GPX format suitable for import into other systems.

If you use SkyDemon Mobile as your handheld GPS device your entire route library is quickly synchronised with the device. At the same time the latest charts, your user waypoints, and current NOTAMs are also transferred so while flying you will have an unprecedented level of situational awareness.

Flight Log Analysis

Many GPS units automatically record logs of each flight undertaken. While the details recorded may vary, at the very least position and altitude information should be available. SkyDemon maintains a library of flight logs and it is easy to automatically import logs from the devices mentioned above and save them in the library.

When a flight log is opened it is plotted on the main map and also displayed in detailed profile view in a dedicated window below, much like the enroute features view. The profile view makes it very easy to determine the trajectory of the flight with respect to surrounding terrain, airspace and ground-based features.

Shown here is an example of a route we flew that involved ducking under and hopping over various pieces of controlled airspace on an interesting weather day, mainly to avoid storm cells. Everything is recorded, right down to our rather turbulent circuits. As the mouse is moved around the detailed profile view the parameters of the flight at that exact point are displayed.

Next: In-Flight Navigation