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AVIATION SOFTWARE TOOLS 1988

I was given a copy of Pilots Companion ages ago to evaluate. It didn't come with a manual, I had no idea of what it did and so it has been dormant. Did anyone use it? Was it well marketed? I never heard of it again. The company was based in Malvern which is where the Morgan cars are built. So here is your chance to trawl with me through the commands and get an understanding what this program did.

Pilots Companion

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OZvm snapshot

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Pilots Companion by Aviation Software Tools is written in BBC BASIC for the Cambridge Computer Z88 portable. It is a Flight Planner for Pilots.

A database It has several 'built-in' databases with Airfields, NDB, VOR. The user is invited to create, append,

The standard MENU and HELP facilities are not used in this application. The user will need to read this manual first to get a good overview of the product before use.

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To select a function on the menu, either use the cursor Image Removedor Image Removedkeys followed by the Image Removed key, or the first letter of the name, in this case 1 - 6.

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select the number that is required.

1 Current Plan

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5 Repeat Current Plan

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Check the route

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Enter the current wind

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Current route.

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6 Print Current Plan

Sends this plan to the printer.

7 Save Current Plan

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OX-WELLSB.SET and OX-WELLSB are generated. 

8 Return Trip Plan

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Select 1 Display Return Trip.

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Check the route

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Enter the current wind

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Return route.

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2 New Plan

Select 2.

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Point of departure OXFORD is found. NORTHLEACH ROUNDABOUT is not.

Warning
titleUSE DMS FORMAT

Latitude and Longitude can be given either as a decimal value or in Degree, Minutes and Second format.
Pilot Companion uses DMS. Using the wrong unit ensures errors.

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Select 2.

Info
titleLook up position (Lat & Long)

Look up the VRP

** BRIZE NORTON
0,51:50.250N,001:50.150W,0F,W,000 A40 NORTHLEACH ROUNDABOUT VRP
** BRIZE NORTON (ENR 2.1)

Enter Latitude and Longitude.

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Select Y when the data is correct.

Info
titleLook up position (Lat & Long)

EGBO:N/A:WOLVERHAMPTON:HALFPENNY GREEN:ENGLAND:52:31:03:N:02:15:35:U:0282
EGBP:N/A:KEMBLE:PAILTON:U.K.:51:40:05:N:02:03:25:U:0433
EGBS:N/A::SHOBDON:U.K.:00:00:00:U:00:00:00:U:0000

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Enter another new way point for Kemble.

No more way points, press Image Added to continue,

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To check headings, no wind data ia entered,

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3 Old Plans

4 Other Functions

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5 Airfield Data Bases

6 Aircraft Functions

 

Databases

To get some idea of what data is there, here is a Pipedream view of the data.

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vor.dbf

UPD.DBF

way.dbf

data.dbf

Here are This is the Airfields database that comes with the program. The user is not invited to change this.

settings.dbf

Plan a Flight

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