rgschmi
Around The Moon
So you are thinking about flying to BACFest and crossing the Rockies, but you are a flatlander like me and a little worried about what you will encounter on the crossing. Well, you can 'fly' the crossing before you actually fly it! I did something similar when John Redmon, Dan Kirby and I flew to glacier and Yellowstone. John and I will use this as we are flying his Sierra to BACFest and I thought I'd share it with you.
Duat Voyager flight planning software (and maybe others), will export a flight plan to Google Earth, where you can 'fly' the route to see exactly what you will see out the windshield!
I have uploaded my flight from Billings to Pearson Field in case you don't have flight planning software that will export to Google Earth. It is at https://vbl.beechaeroclub.org/downloads.php?do=file&id=974
So here is what you need to do. First, Google Earth needs some settings changed. Open Google Earth and click on tools, then options. Now click on the Touring tab and adjust the following settings:
Set the camera tilt angle to around 70-80 degrees, the camera range to 10 meters (far left) and the
speed to around 200.
Now download my flight plan or build your own. The file ia a .kml file and for some reason I can't uupload a file with that extension, so I added a .doc to the end. Rename the file and delete the .doc, but leave the .kml! My plan follows the airways because it was easy to enter, but it pretty much follows Interstate 90 and I would follow the Interstate if actually flying the route. My file is in the flight planning section.
I used 10,500 for the altitude, but I also 'flew' it at 8500. The flight plan is KBIL LVM LAVPE BZN HIA KBTM CPN GLUES KMSO KLWS KVUO.
Go to Google Earth and click on File, then Open.Find the file you downloaded or sent to Google Earth and click on it. On the panel on the left side of the screen, click on Temporary Places if the box is not checked. Click on the words Flight Plan Line to highlight it. Click on the words, not the box.
Just above the words Earth Gallery in that panel, you should see the same symbol as on the Flight Plan Line. Click it and sit back and watch! Make sure you have Roads and 3D Buildings checked on the left panel.
Now that you are flying, you should see a small window in the lower left screen. You can stop and start the flight as well as use the slider to move the a different segment of the flight. Clicking the icon to the right of the play/pause button will speed up the flight. Each click will increase the speed.
In the upper right screen is an Icon that shows North. Clicking on the arrows, will move your view in the direction of the arrow.
At the very bottom of the screen, you will see the elevation and your eye (airplane) altitude. If the cursor is on the graphics screen, the elevation shown is at the cursor location. Move the cursor off the screen and the elevation shown is what is under the airplane.
Have Fun!
Duat Voyager flight planning software (and maybe others), will export a flight plan to Google Earth, where you can 'fly' the route to see exactly what you will see out the windshield!
I have uploaded my flight from Billings to Pearson Field in case you don't have flight planning software that will export to Google Earth. It is at https://vbl.beechaeroclub.org/downloads.php?do=file&id=974
So here is what you need to do. First, Google Earth needs some settings changed. Open Google Earth and click on tools, then options. Now click on the Touring tab and adjust the following settings:
Set the camera tilt angle to around 70-80 degrees, the camera range to 10 meters (far left) and the
speed to around 200.
Now download my flight plan or build your own. The file ia a .kml file and for some reason I can't uupload a file with that extension, so I added a .doc to the end. Rename the file and delete the .doc, but leave the .kml! My plan follows the airways because it was easy to enter, but it pretty much follows Interstate 90 and I would follow the Interstate if actually flying the route. My file is in the flight planning section.
I used 10,500 for the altitude, but I also 'flew' it at 8500. The flight plan is KBIL LVM LAVPE BZN HIA KBTM CPN GLUES KMSO KLWS KVUO.
Go to Google Earth and click on File, then Open.Find the file you downloaded or sent to Google Earth and click on it. On the panel on the left side of the screen, click on Temporary Places if the box is not checked. Click on the words Flight Plan Line to highlight it. Click on the words, not the box.
Just above the words Earth Gallery in that panel, you should see the same symbol as on the Flight Plan Line. Click it and sit back and watch! Make sure you have Roads and 3D Buildings checked on the left panel.
Now that you are flying, you should see a small window in the lower left screen. You can stop and start the flight as well as use the slider to move the a different segment of the flight. Clicking the icon to the right of the play/pause button will speed up the flight. Each click will increase the speed.
In the upper right screen is an Icon that shows North. Clicking on the arrows, will move your view in the direction of the arrow.
At the very bottom of the screen, you will see the elevation and your eye (airplane) altitude. If the cursor is on the graphics screen, the elevation shown is at the cursor location. Move the cursor off the screen and the elevation shown is what is under the airplane.
Have Fun!
