Hoping to hear from experienced Navigraph subscribers. I’ve already sunk way too much money into supporting hardware, software and peripherals, but am willing to stretch a little more if this is the way to go.
I’m tired of trying to work with the non-existent points and wacky approach logic in FS using the default nav data and planner.
Does the Navigraph information replace the navigation database in FS?
Is it easy to switch or turn on/off?
Will it solve the limitations of the current navigation problems in FS? Namely, I would like to get more RNAV approaches, and not have to resort to work-arounds to the infamous U-Turn before IAF Bug.
Is it compatible with the Working Title GPS Mods (G1000, G3000, G3X)?
How much space does it occupy disk wise?
How much longer does the program launch take with Navigraph? I’m already at 1:40 to get to the menu and all I have are the three WT GPS Mods and a custom Bush Trip in Community.
Have you experienced an increase in CTDs while using Navigraph?
Is Beta the only way it’s integrated to FS today?
Is the FMS Data Subscription for EU25.90 sufficient to use the product with FS, or do I need a higher tier support plan?
I realize there’s probably a lot of nuance to the answers, but appreciate current user input and considerations. Thanks in advance.
I only subscribed on Wednesday, I think, so new to this, but I think I can answer some of them.
Yes
Never tried
It will give you more approaches, departures, arrivals, and so on
Yes, I use that mod too
Not sure, but the download for Littlenavmap was only 40Mb
Negligible, I’ve not detected an increase
No
Yes
If you want just the NAV data, that cheaper plan will do, but if you wan the moving maps, and charts, you need one of the two higher tiers. I went for the yearly option as it was a bit cheaper.
I use the iPad app, with the iPad mounted on a swing arm over my throttle. With the moving maps, I can bring up a chart for an airport I am arriving at, and embed it into the map, so you actually fly the approach as shown on the chart, which is pretty cool. When landing, you can then bring up a taxiway chart, and it shows your aircraft position on the chart, so you can actually follow the ATC directions.
Can’t speak of MSFS (yet), but I’m a Navigraph customer for 8 years or so with FSX and P3D. They have great support, very good data and, most important, charts.
It makes most sense to choose monthly updates if you fly on VATSIM or IVAO. Otherwise quarterly updates should be sufficient. Charts is a must though, and they support moving maps on most charts- however you would have to use a second monitor or other device to use that feature properly.
More approaches will be available. I’ve been using Pilot2ATC so I dont know how well it works with the default ATC.
I don’t know. But I would assume it would.
Never checked.
No noticeable difference to me but I launch other apps like Navigraph Charts & Pilot2ATC and start working on my flight planning while MSFS loads so I don’t pay much attention.
No.
Yes.
If all you care about is NavData then yes. I find a one stop location for worlwide charts and flight planning cabilities of Navigraph Charts to be worth the extra price.
At least in the US you can get one month of the FMS Data + Charts for like $8USD. If that offer is avaliable to you in the EU you might want to try it for a month and if you like it then buy a year at a time for a discount.
For me even if MSFS data becomes better and they start to provide charts I may well keep Navigraph because it allows me to use the same data source in the simulator, Pilot2ATC, SimBrief, and in add on aircraft FMS’s when those 3rd party aircraft eventually get released for MSFS.
I’m actually in the US, but all the prices I see on Navigraph.com are in Euros. Is there a US site or retailer I should purchase the subscription from?
My bad. They only list prices information in EUR. Get “Ultimate Monthly” for 8.30EUR. Then you can try it for a month and see what features you like. Then if you want pay by year for a better rate.
One question you did not ask about, but might consider a bonus, is that Navigraph also updates and adds airport frequencies to match real world data. There are many airports in MFS that should have automated weather frequencies, but don’t, or have old out of date frequencies. Navigraph fixes both of these issues for many airports. If you do find one that’s off, you can report it, and it will often be in the next release.
Does the Navigraph information replace the navigation database in FS?
Hard to say what tactic Navigraph use here but you have changes as Navigraph prepare each cycle.
Is it easy to switch or turn on/off?
Yes, run their Beta app and click action what you need.
Will it solve the limitations of the current navigation problems in FS? Namely, I would like to get more RNAV approaches, and not have to resort to work-arounds to the infamous U-Turn before IAF Bug.
After Update you’ll have all changes as they prepared, also all approaches that are available in real world.
That U turns are sim internal functionality so no correction here.
Is it compatible with the Working Title GPS Mods (G1000, G3000, G3X)?
With all default plabes no problem, simply it’s generally NAV db change.
How much space does it occupy disk wise?
If I good see to Community folder, Navigraph directory is about 70MB big.
How much longer does the program launch take with Navigraph? I’m already at 1:40 to get to the menu and all I have are the three WT GPS Mods and a custom Bush Trip in Community.
I didn’t noticed any longer times.
Have you experienced an increase in CTDs while using Navigraph?
No CTDs generally.
Is Beta the only way it’s integrated to FS today?
Navigraph use this system and that’s all.
Is the FMS Data Subscription for EU25.90 sufficient to use the product with FS, or do I need a higher tier support plan?
To me best is Monthly Subscription (Nav DB and Charts) which I see very fair by guys from Navigraph, very apreciated guys for this. Simply Navigraph is best still!!!
Just my 2 cents worth - I’m not a Navigraph user yet but I just found the video below that shows how it works. As an IFR rated pilot I find this tool absolutely incredible. One of the most time consuming and tedious parts of planning a flight is manually going through all the SIDs, arrivals, and approaches to select the correct ones at unfamiliar airports. This app has a feature that graphically overlays them on top of the low or high charts. That’s a real time saver. He has some more videos that go further in-depth. The current state of MSFS is really good, but the flight planning is a little too confining for a real world scenario. It seems that using Navigraph you can build a much more realistic flight plan - then try to fly it.
Don’t know about others but third party addons such as LittleNavMap can already access the default navdata and other info from MSFS and use it in their app. Right now it’s very WIP just like the whole sim is. Anyways the moral of the story is: we haven’t heard anything from MS or Asobo yet that says third party addon devs won’t be allowed to access and use the default Navblue navdata in future. Same for VATSIM too. They are an official partner of Microsoft and therefore needs to have full access to Navblue navdata for MSFS users who fly on that network.
I am confident you are already aware of this, but in case you are not: if you find there are issues with the MSFS default navdata and planner (and that navdata is coming from an Airbus company called Navblue, and the planner is made by Asobo of course) that you really can’t live with and it’s being a deal-breaker for you, I highly suggest you make a report of this in the #self-service section where people can upvote the problem to bring it to the MSFS developers’ attention.
I say this because you first and foremost are a customer of MSFS, and before you bought the sim, the products such as realistic, actual real-world navdata and Charts+ were advertised to you in plain English. If the products are not up to par, the developers need to be made aware of this, instead of you as a customer going out and spending money on another product just to solve the issue.
You as a customer of MSFS have paid Microsoft and Asobo for real world navdata and Charts+. If you are finding them so unusable that you now feel like going out and paying for another navdata and charts product made by another company, that’s a big problem and needs to be addressed first.
Thanks again that video was a great sales tool. Amazing!
Yep been filing tickets all this time. But Nav DB and planning appear to be low given everything else. Disappointed in how hard it is to fly a reasonably long IFR leg only to have to do some workarounds just to properly get to the IAF. I don’t want to band aid this sim, but at some point I want to enjoy the IFR piece too.
Even if I go Navigraph, the ATC is also messed up, but one thing at a time.
Navigraph is definitely nice for those who want to go ultra realistic. But if you can live with the occasional missing ILS approach etc. you can always use Littlenavmap for your flight planning. It’s free and offers a moving map too.
For me Navigraph is simply too expensive plus I don’t like software subscriptions.
My understanding is that in the real world, IFR flight runway and approach assignments are made while in flight either passed on by dispatch or from ATC approach control directly. Is this true?
BTW, there was a thread on AVSIM forums recently where the databases (NavBlue used in MSFS and Navigraph) were compared. Both contain about the same number of airports (probably dictated by what’s physically modeled in the sim) and Navigraph has 2-5% more data in other aspects (instrument approaches, etc). The conclusion I drew is that you’re really getting into diminishing returns by paying for a Navigraph subscription. The flight planner in MS is simple, effective, and fairly comprehensive, and works well with the in-game ATC and aircraft FMS systems, so it just doesn’t seem worth it to me. Plates are still important, but those can be had for free through other apps or websites like Airmate.
According to a seminar I recently attended, you can make them a part of your flight plan, and they can be changed enroute, if the weather changes. According to the speaker, this rarely happens.
Thanks. Dumb question, but do I need to be running Little Navmap and connect it while running FS? Or can I just create and export a Flight Plan and load it into FS? I’m trying it as a free alternative to see how it goes.
