Why not make one flight plan format for all

I’m not a programmer, but I have some that work for me. Good ones. That being said, I do not always understand all that they explain to me, so forgive me if I don’t get it all exactly right.

Each time you change the code of the exported aircraft flight plan file, it is potentially a different layout. Things are “jumbled” around - not the same. Sometimes, all roads do not lead to the same place.

This introduces potential errors. Like when I import a simbrief *.flp into crj700 fms and the result is duplicate waypoints, for example, that then have to be edited out.

The time to correct this is not so much an issue as, both separate flight plans, although meant to be the same, are in fact different.

I am told one format relies on north-south coordinates, while the other relies on east-west. They opened the files and showed me.

If this is true, and I have no reason to doubt my own programmers, that alone can be a cause for introducing potential errors between the two flight plan formats.

Also, I don’t know but wonder, is the software used to write the original *.pln the same as that used to write the *.flp. That can also be a source of error between the two plan formats, although I did not this earlier to ask about it.

I was thinking that if Aerosoft imported the *.pln format into the crj700 fms, then there would be no difference between the code.

[Or, if Asobos built those paying customers of theirs, a flight plan converter???]

MSFS 2020 and CRJ700 would potentially have the exact same flight plan. No errors, no editing post install, less chance for msfs 2020 atc thinking you are doing one thing, and crj700 fms flying to something else. Especially on approaches.

In the meantime, I am having my guy look into building me a *.pln to *.flp converter, as the simbrief exports are obviously different, or there would be no problems to “fix” once the simbrief *.flp was loaded into the crj700 fms.

My guy has done many software projects for my full scale flight sims over the years, but the real question is, do I want to take my own time and money to fix what should obviously be done already.

Example: All computer video cards, no matter how they are made, and by who, have fit into the same identical video card slot. Cross platform - they all use the same install, or you would have caos (spl?) in the computer industry on so many levels.

I theorizing that the aircraft manufacturers, asobos and 3rd parties, need to settle on one flight plan format for all. Life would be so much simpler for those who buy the products.

I know it’s just a game, but for me, it is flight training. RL does not work this way.

Sorry if I’m being to nit picky about it, don’t mean to be.

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I think this is an excellent idea. My frustration of using this plan or that plan is that, regardless of which file type you use, there’s always some piece or pieces of data that you need that is missing in the flight plan. OR, the flight plan HAS it included, but the particular file type format (hence sim) does NOT accommodate it. I’m thinking about waypoint altitudes, IAS, SIDs and STARs, TOp of Climb, Begin of Descent, Cruise mid-point, and that kind of thing.
Let’s put some thought on the essential data elements needed in a typical ILS flight plan, and then find a way (format) to share it across sims and apps e.g. XML

I just got out of a brief meeting with my lead programmer.

He analyzed the *.pln and the *.flp flight plan formats for me, and verified what I thought - both have “some” data that is the same, both have data that is “not” the same.

Simbrief does not let you pick your runway, sids stars etc. So there is no way msfs 2020 world map can know what you are doing in the aircraft’s fms.

Need a correct pln to flp converter for aerosoft crj700 or a standardised format.

Have you tried this? https://flightsim.to/file/8975/plans-converter

My two cents and it’s probably going to be unpopular but c’est la vie.

First off, SimBrief does indeed let you pick your departure and arrival runways as well as SIDs/STARs. The problem is that SimBrief and MSFS use different weather sources to the runways that SimBrief picks may not be what the MSFS ATC gives you. Assuming you are using ATC. But that isn’t really that big a deal to me. It happens in the real world two. Sometimes you have to be flexible when it comes to change. It happened to me tonight. I was all programmed for the ILS 31 at PIA and once I got close enough ATC gave me the RNAV 22. No biggie. Update the arrival in the CDU and I was set up for the new runway.

That said, I wouldn’t be blaming Asobo for this, especially as far as the CRJ or any other 3rd party aircraft goes. MSFS has a flight plan format that anyone developer should be able to use but for some reason they come up with their own required formats. I’m sure you’ve seen all the different formats that SimBrief can export to.

You could do worse than wash the Simbrief files through LittleNavMap. That will let you set a starting position, and many other things, then export it in MSFS format, as well as many other formats.

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