Flight software is an extremely important aspect of flying for all pilots. It is vital that all flights are deemed to have a well-structured and well-organised flight plan which will maximise the safety of those on board as well as reduce costs where necessary.
As flight planning software effectively removes a lot of the margin for human error, flying is safer than it has been for many years. Reducing risk factors and successfully predicting weather patterns is only a part of what a good flight plan does, but even these aspects contribute hugely to the success of a flight. It was not so long ago that flight planning took days of calculations which were done by hand; this of course was not only very difficult but also open to error.
Today, thanks to sophisticated and advanced technology, this task is completed in a matter of hours. The aim of flight planning is to complete a recipe for the safest flight on a particular day and for a particular aircraft. As circumstances are never the same for any flight, the calculations must always be tailored to the flight in question. Weather patterns are closely observed in order to successfully predict how much fuel will be required; another aspect of any particular journey’s flight plan is that of airspace.
Close attention is paid to the necessary altitude at which the aircraft must fly to stay safe in flight so that collision with other crafts who may also be sharing airspace is to be avoided. The calculations needed to come up with only these aspects of a flight plan are many, but they are only the tip of the iceberg as many other aspects need to be taken into account; not least the issue of fuel consumption.
Flight planning software; fuel and flight
Fight planning software is of course vital to the issue of fuel consumption and working out how much fuel will be required is a big part of any plan. The necessary points that be considered during the calculation of fuel are many and diverse; one of the main issues though is that of the weather; unpredictable weather patterns can potentially play havoc with aircraft, and a sudden storm or high winds can cause the craft to be forced into a higher or lower altitude and the extra effort can use up more fuel than anticipated.
Equally wind direction plays a part in fuel usage; wind that pushes a craft from behind or front can help or hinder a pilot in making the journey with minimum necessary fuel consumption. Flight planning software keeps a pilot abreast of all relevant weather conditions as they change and develop within hours. Knowing in advance what weather an aircraft is heading into, can help a pilot to make calculated decisions with regards to the aircraft’s position and thus to conserve fuel. Planning software today has developed to an extraordinary level of sophistication and pilots and airlines alike enjoy new levels of safety thanks to the ease by which planning and navigation may be completed.
Flight Planning Software Today
Once upon a time before the advent of computers, it took many hundreds of careful calculations and estimations to come up with a good flight plan, all of this was done by hand and would take many hours which of course was neither cost-effective nor always accurate. Technology however has ensured that creating accurate and sensible flight plans is now achievable in a very short time. Flight planning software has made planning simpler and faster than could have been imagined in the not-so-distant past! No matter how simple or complex a proposed journey is, there will be suitable flight planning software out there to assist in the safe and accurate planning of it. Minimizing risks and maximizing savings, flight planning software today is at an all-time level of sophistication, and no matter how large or small a company is, the potential cost-cutting opportunities are vast.
Flight planning software capabilities
The main points to consider when looking at any flight planning software program for commercial or private use are those of fuel consumption and weather; as software is so sophisticated these days there is little work to do with regards to flight planning software and knowing just how reliable these programs are is a great source of comfort to those involved in flying.
Fuel conservation is always a big issue for large and small companies alike and with prices high, there are good reasons to try and use as little as possible. The successful prediction of fuel consumption along with the prediction of how much reserve fuel should be carried is a very important aspect of flight planning. By using the extremely accurate flight planning software now available, the margin for error is significantly narrowed. The weather and how changeable it can be, especially on long-haul flights is another important aspect of flight planning. As the weather is responsible for a large portion of difficult flying conditions, it is reasonable to bear this in mind and the knowledge that an accurate prediction will save in reserve fuel being over-loaded is a great thing.
Another big issue is that of alternative airports; high-quality software for flight planning can save on miles. And saving on miles means saving on cash! Finding the most suitable alternative airport in case of emergency re-routes is an important detail of any safe flight.
Flight planning software and fuel
Predicting what the weather will do on any particular day has been something of an obsession with modern man! It’s an almost impossible task as Mother Nature will always throw in a curve ball when we least expect it. With this in mind, good software can get as close as anything to knowing what the weather will be doing on any particular day. As the weather can seriously affect just how easily an aircraft can complete its flight and also how much fuel it will use, it is vital that the weather can be predicted to a close definite. In this way, the craft may avoid the extra weight of an over-estimated fuel load and so fly in a far more cash-friendly fashion!
