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Manual | EPROM | ||
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This applications needs 32K of either EPROM or Flash space.
Introduction
Pilot Companion by Aviation Software Tools is written in BBC BASIC for the Cambridge Computer Z88 portable. It is a Flight Planner for Pilots.
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Pressing the MENU key reveals 'no topics.' The Menus are in the main program itself.
A. CONTENT OF PROGRAMS
The Pilots Companion suite of programs contains the following:-
- Flight Planning
- Weight & Balance
- Density Altitude
- Descent Rate
- Checklist Generator
B. GENERAL
1 Ease of Use
The Pilot Companion is menu driven, all of the above being activated from menus. Uncomplicated input output are design goals. Clarity of output with the elimination of unnecessary information both on the computer display and on the paper printout are further goals. A 'See at a glance' philosophy has been pursued and we hope we have achieved the best possible implementation with the given hardware.
2 Which computers
Primarily Pilot Companion has been designed to run on the Cambridge Z88 portable computer.
Pilots Companion will also run on most of todays standard personal computers & printers.
The program is aimed in particular at
- portable and
- pocket types
and contains a number of features to exploit the advantages of these.
3 Portability
With Pilot Companion you can now take a FULL FEATURED WAYPOINT PLANNING PROGRAM with you on your flights. This gives you the advantage of changing your flight plan part way through your trip - either in the air or on the ground a change of wind conditions, destinations etc. are quickly incorporated. Additionally an in-flight countdown timer is included at each waypoint. This works in conjunction with the real time clock giving you your estimated arrival time at a glance.
A. Waypoint Flight Planner - Some features
Contains all features necessary to generate a navigation flight plan with complexity reduced to a minimum menu driven at each stage it should be possible to generate a plan without external reference.
- Create multi-waypoint flight plans
- Save multi-waypoint flight plans for future recall
- Use flight plan in real-time on portable computer display
- Create your own databases of airfields or locations
- Use built in databases of airfields ,VOR's & NDB's
- Paper printout of the plan on portable or other printer
- Define new locations or waypoints by latitude & longitude or by distance & bearing to a known remote reference
- Rapid repeat of the same plan over again changing wind, aircraft speed etc. if necessary
- Return trip flight plan generated on request
- Update feature to incorporate changes in a locations data such as frequency changes or relocations of VOR's etc.
- Add feature to incorporate new locations
- Create separate location or waypoint lists or add them as you write the flight plan
- Show the contents of any database of locations
- Estimated arrival time displayed in flight
B. Some Features of Weight & Balance
This option is general to all light aircraft requiring the usual details. These are requested in a question and answer type format so that you don't forget anything. A specific version for the Robinson R22 helicopter is also available.
C. Some Features of Density Altitude
The usual question and answer type operation, give your indicated altitude, pressure & temperature, and get the density altitude. Also gives true airspeed if required for the density altitude calculated.
D. Some Features of Check list
This feature allows you to create your own personalized lists for each aircraft and save them for recall.
Each item is displayed one at a time, you bring up the next check having carried out the previous one possibly walking round the aircraft with the computer. No more losing your place in the list!
E. Some Features of Descent Rate
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a: DEPARTURE - | point to DESTINATION point (IDENT or FREQUENCY) |
b: DISTANCE - | in nautical miles between the departure point and destination point.(great circle) |
c: TRACK TRUE - | required track uncorrected |
d: BEARING (radial) - | track true corrected for magnetic variation only. This is the TO Radial of a VOR in effect. |
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At the end of the plan-the following are displayed the left hand columns showing the values of windspeed and direction, airspeed, fuel consumption and magnetic variation used in the current plan computations.
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9) Returns automatically to the opening menu.
2 New Plan - Example
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Select 2.
Point of departure OXFORD is found. NORTHLEACH ROUNDABOUT is not.
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G-BPFH | Fuel - AVGAS (US Gallons) | Empty Weight (lbs) | Arm (ins) | Moment (wt | ||||
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Aircraft basic empty weight | 1592 | 87.4 | 139,182 | |||||
Oil Weight (lbs) | 0 | 0 | ||||||
Fuel - AVGAS (US Gallons) | 40 | 240 | 95 | 22800 | ||||
Front Passengers (lbs) | 500 | 80.5 | 40250 | |||||
Rear Passengers (lbs) | 200 | 118.1 | 23620 | |||||
Front Baggage (lbs) | 70 | |||||||
Rear Baggage (lbs) | 142.8 | |||||||
RAMP WEIGHT AND MOMENT | ||||||||
Fuel allowance for engine start, taxi, and run-up | -8.0 | 95.0 | -0.76 | |||||
TAKEOFF WEIGHT AND MOMENT (max 2550 lbs) | 2524.34 | 90.00615 | 227.206128 | |||||
Min CG | 88.1664 | |||||||
Max CG | 93 | |||||||
RESULTS | Normal category |
Enter data
The data from the table above is entered.
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Files | |||||
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EPROM | RAM | Function | Detail | ||
/boot.cli | boot.cli | Loads all files from the EPROM and runs the Program. | Change default RAM to :RAM.1 | ||
/EPROMLOAD | EPROMLOAD | Used to Load Files from EPROM. | Program to fetch all files from EPROM to RAM | ||
/settings.dbf | settings.dbf | ||||
/data.dbf | data.dbf | Airfields Database | |||
/way.dbf | way.dbf |
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/UPD.DBF | UPD.DBF | ||||
/vor.dbf | vor.dbf | VOR Database | |||
/pos.cli | pos.cli | Print Screen OFF | #-P | ||
/pon.cli | pon.cli | Print Screen ON | #+P | ||
/ndb.dbf | ndb.dbf | NDB Database | |||
/eram | eram | Erases all Files in :RAM.- and starts Program. | Select :RAM.- erase files | ||
/way2 | way2 | Main BBC BASIC Program | |||
To get some idea of what data is there, here is a Pipedream view of the data.
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Databases | ||||||
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data (Airfields) | vor | ndb | upd | way | ||
data.dbf(c) 1988ast | vor.dbf(c)1988ast | ndb.dbf (c)1988 | upd.dbf | WAY | ||
ABERDEEN | ADN | AQ | RTY | NEARAB | ||
571215N | 571838N | 570818N | 572359N | 572359N | ||
021155W | 021556W | 022411W | 020717W | 020717W | ||
EGPD | VOR 114.3 | NDB 336.0 | Q | Q | ||
ALDERNEY | BKY | ADN | ||||
494225N | 515944N | 571608N | ||||
021248W | 000359E | 021453W | ||||
EGJA | VOR 116.25 | NDB 377.0 | ||||
ANDREWSFIELD | BEL | AP | ||||
515340N | 543940N | 520659N | ||||
002705E | 061344W | 043334W | ||||
EGSL | VOR 117.2 | NDB 370.5 |
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