Type an airport ID, or tap the sectional to drop a checkpoint. For a checkpoint you add by name only, measure the true course and distance on your sectional and enter them in the nav log.
Take true airspeed and fuel flow from the cruise performance table in your POH for your altitude and temperature.
Gets the forecast wind and temperature at your cruise altitude over the middle of each leg, from NOAA's GFS model. Works anywhere in the US, up to 5 days ahead.
Winds aloft are in degrees true. Compare with the winds in your official briefing at 1800wxbrief.com.
Saved in this browser only.
FAA VFR sectional. Tap the chart to add a checkpoint where it fits best on your route. Not for navigation.
| Checkpoint | Wind | TC | WCA | TH | Var | MH | Dist | GS | ETE | Fuel | Rem |
|---|
Fly the magnetic heading (MH, highlighted). Wind is in degrees true and knots, with the forecast temperature when loaded. Fuel remaining starts at usable fuel minus start and taxi fuel.
Frequencies and runways come from community airport data and may be out of date. Check the Chart Supplement before you fly.
Training aid only. Not an FAA-approved flight planning tool. Verify every number against current charts, the POH and an official weather briefing, and review your plan with your instructor before flight.
Learn to fly in Emmett, Idaho
Good Times Aviation trains private, instrument and commercial pilots at Emmett Municipal Airport (S78), a short drive from Boise and the Treasure Valley.
How the planner works
The planner does the same math you learn in ground school, leg by leg, from any airport in the US. Use it to check your own work, not to replace it.
For each leg the planner finds the true course and distance between airports, then solves the wind triangle with the wind at your cruise altitude to get the wind correction angle, true heading and ground speed. It applies the magnetic variation for that leg (east is least: subtract east variation) to give the magnetic heading you fly. Variation comes from the World Magnetic Model for each airport.
Pick your departure time and the planner loads the forecast wind and temperature at your cruise altitude over the middle of every leg, from NOAA's GFS weather model. It works anywhere in the US, up to five days ahead. You can also type in one wind from your briefing for the whole trip.
The first leg includes the climb from field elevation to cruise altitude, using the time, fuel and distance-to-climb table in the N6486J POH (Figure 5-6). After that, each leg's time comes from distance and ground speed, and fuel from your cruise fuel flow. Fuel remaining starts at usable fuel minus 1.1 gallons for start, taxi and runup.
FAR 91.151 requires enough fuel to reach your first point of intended landing plus 30 minutes at normal cruise for day VFR, or 45 minutes at night. The planner warns you if your fuel at landing falls below that reserve at the fuel flow you entered.
N6486J, Good Times Aviation's Cessna 172N, is built in with its own empty weight of 1,474.5 lb at 39.19 in. For a Cessna 152, 172N, 172S, Piper Warrior or any other airplane, enter its empty weight and CG from the weight & balance record. Typical POH stations and limits are filled in for you to check, and you can save the airplane for next time. The planner checks maximum weights, baggage limits and the CG envelope at takeoff and landing.
Turn on "Check my math," work each leg with your E6B, and type in your own wind correction, headings, ground speed, time and fuel. The planner marks every answer and explains common mistakes, like a reversed wind correction or adding east variation instead of subtracting it.
Your route is drawn on the FAA VFR sectional chart. Tap the chart to drop a checkpoint and the planner fits it into the nearest leg and works out the course, distance and variation. Each airport on the trip shows its runways, frequencies and current METAR.
About 16,000 public and private airports and seaplane bases are built in, in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the US territories. Type the FAA identifier, like S78 or KBOI. For a town, dam, lake or highway junction, add a visual checkpoint and enter the true course and distance you measure on the sectional with your plotter. The planner does the rest.
The last leg includes a top of descent at the descent rate you choose, down to pattern altitude at your destination. Add an alternate airport and the planner works out the leg to it and checks that your fuel reserve still holds after flying there. If you enter a departure time, it warns you if you'll land after sunset.
Export your route as a .fpl file for ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot and Garmin avionics. Share a link to your trip and the preview shows your route, distance, time and fuel. The planner also works offline once you've opened it, so you can pull it up at the airport.
The print-friendly nav log fits on one landscape letter page. It has blank columns for deviation, compass heading, actual ground speed, ATE, ETA and ATA, plus boxes for frequencies, weather notes, a fuel summary and weight & balance.
Yes. It's free for anyone to use, and there's nothing to sign up for. Trips you save stay in your own browser, and you can copy a link to share a trip with your instructor.
Yes. Pick a Cessna 152, 172N, 172S or Piper PA-28-161 Warrior, or set up a custom airplane, and enter its empty weight and CG from its weight & balance record. Check the filled-in limits against your own POH. You can save your airplanes in your browser for next time.
Yes. "Export to ForeFlight / Garmin" downloads a .fpl flight plan file with your airports and checkpoints. Open it with ForeFlight or Garmin Pilot to load the route.
Yes. Turn on "Check my math," enter your own wind correction, headings, ground speed, time and fuel for each leg, and the planner marks each answer and explains what went wrong.
Press "Load forecast winds for each leg" and the planner gets the forecast wind and temperature at your cruise altitude from NOAA's GFS model for your departure time. Always compare them with the winds in your official briefing, such as 1800wxbrief.com. Winds aloft are in degrees true.
Yes. It includes about 16,000 airports and seaplane bases across the United States, Puerto Rico and the US territories, and the forecast winds cover the whole country.
No. It's a training aid. Check every number against current charts, the POH and an official weather briefing, and review your plan with your instructor before you fly.
Learning to fly cross-country? See our private pilot training, read the N6486J POH, or check today's weather in the Briefing Room.
Good Times AviationS78 · Emmett, ID