Navigation & Task Planning Software Paul Smith Oxford Gliding Club
Navigation & Task Planning Software
Paul Smith
Oxford Gliding Club
Agenda
• Season set-up
• Weather
• NOTAMs
• Task planning
• In-flight navigation
• Post-flight analysis
• Sharing flights
Health Warning
Software is a personal choice
There is a lot to choose from
Software can be complex:
Manual pages - SYD: 124, SYM: 113, LK: 305
Overview
Season set-up
Weather
NOTAMs
Task planning
In-flight navigation
Post-flight analysis
Sharing flights
TpSelect TopMeteo Spine SeeYou Desktop LK8000 BGA Ladder
Season set-up
• Turn points
• Airspace
• Maps
• Configuration
Don’t leave this until the first good soaring day!
Turn pointsDownload and install
Check for updates
Set location – WOG
Set range – all TPs
Select file format – CUP
Save TP file
www.jeffg.co.uk/gliding/tpselect.htm
TP namingTP codes are easier than names
Rename CUP to CSV
Open in Excel
Insert a new column
Create formula with code & name
Replace name column
Save file
Rename CSV to CUP
AirspaceDownload OpenAir format
OpenAir works in SeeYou & LK8000
OpenAir is just text and can be edited
You may want to remove D129
You may want to remove MATZ
OpenAir must be converted to binary
before it will work in mSeeYou
http://soaringweb.org/Airspace/UK/
Maps
SeeYou
• Version 5 – streamed/exported
• .cit format
LK8000
• LK8000.it/download/maps.html
• Terrain: .dem format
• Topology: .lkm format
Configuration considerations
• Files: turn points, airspace, maps
• Units: metric, nautical, statute
• Polar: pick right glider – http://goo.gl/EADua
• Appearance: colours, fonts, layout
• Information: nav boxes, waypoint indicators
• Rules: observation zones, warnings, res altitude
• Communicators: how to talk to the GPS
My personal preferences
• Appearance: high contrast
• Information:
– Waypoints: code, arrival altitude
– Nav boxes: Distance to target, steering course,
bearing to target, height AGL, arrival altitude
• Rules: res altitude = 0
SeeYou Mobile or LK8000?
SeeYou
• Commercial £225, £50/year
• Good integration with SYD
• Increasing tie-in to SYCloud
• Very well thought out
• Used by the top pilots
LK8000
• Free (open source)
• Actively developed
• Feature parity with SYM
• Turbulence safe operation
• Some unique features
SeeYou Mobile or LK8000?
SeeYou LK8000Page View
Wind
Scale
Glide
MacCready
Arrival Alt
Track to Goto
Orientation
Landable
Arrival Alt
Airspace
Turn Point
Nav Boxes
Landable
Arrival Alt
Goto Target Course to Steer Distance to Target
Wind
Airspace
Turn Point
Arrival Alt
MacCready
Performance
Scale
Info
Stripe
Orientation
Track to Goto
Control
Buttons
Menu
Mode
Install and configure demo
SeeYou Desktop
SeeYou Mobile
LK8000
Weatherwww.topmeteo.eu www.idledog.com/gliding/rasp.htm
NOTAMsSet airfield, range & sort order
Check dates
Download NOTAMs
Optionally set task
Review and edit list
Optionally save OpenAir airspace
Other software:• www.skydemonlight.com
• notaminfo.com
www.jeffg.co.uk/gliding/spine.htm
Task planningConsider
• What you want to achive
• Weather, PFD, Wind
• Airspace, NOTAMs
• Landable options
• Other activity, e.g. competitions
Task planning demo
Observation zones
Importing NOTAMs
Task sheetsIt is worth printing a task sheet to put
in the glider
You can use the task sheet to mark
your map and program your PDA
You may want to mark other
information on the sheet or your map
such as
• Significant airspace / NOTAMs
• Airfields and frequencies
Task set-upTask menu
Inserting TPs
Searching for TPs
Setting observation zone
Reordering TPs
Deleting TPs
Saving & loading tasks
Declaring
OZ not declared!
Pre-flightManually set
• Altitude
• QNH
• Wing load (check)
Update in-flight:
• MacCready
• Bugs/efficiency
Check AGL on map page
Alt.Res is set elsewhere in LK
If you are flying with ballast I assume
you know what you are doing!
In-flight navigation (demos)
• Basics: task start, zoom, goto, situation
• Advanced: pages, stats, landables, airspace
• Warnings: airspace
• Assistants: track, thermals, flarm
Post-flight analysis
• Adding the task if missing
• Checking overall performance
• Fly replay and maggot racing
• KPIs: Avg.glide, Mean L/D, Baro shape
Sharing flights
• BGA ladder
– www.bgaladder.co.uk
• On-line contest
– www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/gliding/
• SeeYou Cloud?
BGA ladderAdding a flight:
• Validate the task in SeeYou
• Check any airspace violations
• Check observation zones
• Note the task time and speed
• Note any abandon point
• Open the calculator on the ladder
• Select the glider
• Will out the TPs
• Enter time, declared and sectors
• Confirm the height loss
• Calculate
• Submit, remember to check WOG if flown from Weston
Other useful software
• ConnectMe (free) PDA/PNA• www.naviter.com/products/connectme/
• Download flights from a logger (not the club’s)
• Manage waypoints on logger / GPS
• SeeYou Recorder (free) Android/iPhone• www.naviter.com/products/seeyou-recorder/
• Simple IGC recorder – not BGA/FAI approved