FYI from Navigraph…
It’s just not finished. Pretty much like the rest of the sim. Working title has done a great job. They’ll get there.
MSFS 2024 has its own internal chart system now and kept up to date along with monthly cycles just like with a Navigraph subscription. With that said, there are differences between the two.
MSFS2024 is using, Lido navigation data and charts from Lufthansa Systems. This Navdata is used mostly by commercial airliners, dealing with IFR. Some say they are easier to read and less cluttered. They also provide some VFR elements in the charts. Where they lack is coverage — supporting airport coverage is only around 35,000 but only 2, 000 of them are highly detailed charts. Most charts don’t provide Class A and B Aircraft info. They are fully colored though and they do look a lot easier to read and understand.
Jeppesen is the standard in Aviation and a subsidiary of Boeing. Jeppesen charts provide much more than just their charts. The coverage is around 7000 detailed digital airports, 47,000 pieces of data and 198 countries; the data is updated in 28 day cycles either by making edits or reviewing on average of 60,000 database transactions. Their charts cover VFR, IFR, Sectionals, military, and all environmental airport information any pilot could want to know.
We are talking about the sim world. So what does Navigraph provide. The largest database for the sim world, 7000 airports, robust search, moving maps, real time tracking, real time weather (ATIS), Real Time NOTAMS, Real Time Online Sim Network traffic from both VATSIM and IVAO, and online ATC coverage sectors and info from networks. It provides notations now along with VFR sectionals, both High/low VFR and High/Low IFR charts as well as being integrated with Simbrief Planning in and out of the sim, moderately accurate fuel planning, weather and performance calculations.
It isn’t so much that Navigraph provides the most robust experience. It is whether you need it. I think it is worth it but if you mainly only do the more popular destinations and commercial flights. MSFS2024 is definitely going to do the job, and their planner along with the charts is pretty cool actually. It also calculates performance.
If you want the experience most real pilots have with ForeFlight, then I would say, for the price you can’t beat it. If you ever plan on using SayIntentions or using a network like Vatsim, I would get a subscription to Navigraph and have the best of both worlds.
Hope that helps
VPac
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The default navigation data is so spread out that bugs in msfs2020 can be inherited to msfs2024. Do you think navigraph is not needed yet?
I think the jury is still out.
In buying 2024 I expect it to have all the navigation data I need.
By creating https://planner.flightsimulator.com/ that links to Xbox accounts and hence FS24,
MS/Asobo have decided to capture Navigraph’s business and/or offer a more complete solution than FS20.
This is a healthy and significant move. Normally this is the point when Microsoft buy the relevant company and absorb it’s technology into the corporate collective.
Yes more development of the planner is needed, and the recent change log shows they (Working Title) are tuning the product.
I sense the WT CEO is a switched on guy, which bodes well for the future.
I find having both, Lido and Navigraph (Jeppesen) charts is a good fit for me. Navigraph has excellent coverage and provides a lot of data and tools beyond the Jeppesen charts.
Lido has very detailed airport diagrams that provides data in some instances not found on Jeppesen charts. Their use of additional color and symbology conveys information clearer to me compared to Jeppesen.
Bottom line, I think it depends on your use case and personal preference as both have strengths and limitations.
Would you guys sugggest to use the Navigraph data? In MSFS2020 a lot of ILS appraoches were missing in the default data, but in MSFS2024 it seems quite fine.
Are there any real differences?
If you don’t fly on networks like VATSIM or IVAO, to be honest, Navigraph is unnecessary. Alternatively, subscribing for a single month twice a year is enough to maintain a relatively up-to-date database of waypoints, STARs, and SIDs for third-party aircraft like PMDG, FSLabs, Fenix, and other applications.
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Doesn’t Asobo update the AIRAC too? It should be up-to-date, right?
For 3d party planes it makes sense - yeah
Yes, Asobo updates MSFS 2020 and 2024 every month with a new AIRAC cycle. So, as I mentioned earlier, if you don’t fly online, Navigraph is only necessary for third-party aircraft and applications.
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