fltplan.com custom performance

[Carl S]

Anyone take the time to set up the custom performance section in fltplan.com?  I started it but am not sure I am getting it correct. 

[Nathan Peterson]

yes.... take pics of different stages of your flight... it might help fill in the blanks.   

 

Nate

[midlifeflyer]

The time numbers produced by FltPlan are so incredibly accurate I never bothered.

[midlifeflyer]

The time numbers produced by FltPlan are accurate enough (surprisingly so) I never bothered.

[midlifeflyer]

Sorry about that. I accidentally quoted instead of modified and created a third when I tried to delete.

[Super Dave]

Yes. I think the real advantage is for people who run a different profile than the POH's (LOP, cruise climbs, etc.).

One suggestion I have is to set your service ceiling at the highest altitude that you ever actually fly. Because fltplan.com determines climb and descent performance based on snapshots at 2000' and your service ceiling; everything in between is just interpolated. Since most of us (normally aspirated guys) really don't know what actual speeds, rates, and burns are at the service ceiling, we can get more accurate results by setting in some lower altitude that we have good numbers for. If, for example, you don't use oxygen and never go above 10,000; set 10,000' as your service ceiling, because you probably have or can get good rate, speed, and burn numbers at 10,000'. This will make the entire climb and descent profile more accurate.

As far as cruise numbers, I started out with a few altitudes that I had good numbers for and interpolated the rest, adding more points as I went.

[Carl S]

Pictures, check.

Altitude cap, check. I set my "service ceiling" at 15 and may bring that down for now because I seldom get above 12.5 around here.

The stock planning is okay, but I do want to get some numbers in line with what I actually see. Guess I'm

just a data geek.

[jlunseth]

I set up a custom profile two or three years ago.  It really helps since I cruise in the flight levels often, and the climb is long to get there.  It is really accurate, we are usually plus or minus no more than five minutes on a 4 hour direct flight.