About Aviation Tools

AVIATION SOFTWARE TOOLS 1988

Colin Marshall, Ian Green Mathon Road, Malvern Worcestershire, WR14 4BU

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 OZ4.5 B4 Slot0

This applications needs 32K of either EPROM or Flash space.

Introduction

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

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.

Pre-Flight Requirements

The requirements to run this program on the Z88 is at least 128K RAM in slot 1 and the Pilots Companion EPROM to be in slot 3. The EPROM must not be moved whilst using the program as the software checks that it is still there occasionally.

Pilots Companion is started by giving the Z88 a Hard Reset, with the Pilots Companion's EPROM card in slot 3.

from the INDEX using the cursor bar or can be selected at any time using O. If Z88 Data Organiser has already been used it will appear in the SUSPENDED ACTIVITIES area of the index from which it can be re-selected using the cursor bar. 

When it is running, when in the INDEX it will be shown as a suspended activity with the file name used as YOUR REF.  There can only be one Z88 Data Organiser application running.

Menu

Pressing the MENU key reveals 'no topics.' The Menus are in the main program itself.

Main Menu

To select a function on the menu, select the number that is required.

1 Current Plan

5 Repeat Current Plan

Check the route

Enter the current wind

Current route.

6 Print Current Plan

Sends this plan to the printer.

7 Save Current Plan

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

8 Return Trip Plan

Select 1 Display Return Trip.

Check the route

Enter the current wind

Return route.

2 New Plan

Select 2.

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

Select 2.

** 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.

Select Y when the data is correct.

Enter another new way point for Kemble.

No more way points, press  to continue,

To check headings, no wind data ia entered,

3 Old Plans

4 Other Functions

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.

rev and temp are used for the current plan.

ndb.dbf

vor.dbf

UPD.DBF

way.dbf

data.dbf

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

settings.dbf

Plan a Flight

Let's go to AV8 restaurant at Kemble via Northleach Roundabout for lunch from Oxford.

Select

Select 4 Other Functions

Select 5 Airfield Data Bases

Select 1 ADD a NEW location or
Select 2 UPDATE an EXISTING location
gives the following menu:-

Select 3 Advanced user options

4 SHOW a Data base ?

6 CREATE a New Data Base ?

Add a Record, or new entry.

NORTHLEACH ROUNDABOUT

Select 2.

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

Select 2.

** 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.

Select Y when the data is correct.

Enter another new way point for Kemble.

No more way points, press to continue,

To check headings, no wind data ia entered,