One of the very nice features of the FreeFD ND gauge is that it displays that famous Boeing "Magenta Line" that is the route showing departure point, waypoints, and destination.  

Unfortunately...... to show the line, that flight plan MUST be in the OLD Squawkbox file format (xxxx.sbp) and must reside right in the FreeFD ND file directory location.  So that format rules out using the built in FS200x flight planner to set up your flights if you want to see the course on the ND.

In my search to easily solve this problem, I researched the options I could find.  There weren't many.  It took a while to find a program that would save a flightplan in both the native FS format, in the old Squawkbox format, and ALSO allow you to send the Squawkbox file across the networked computers into the FreeFD  file directory located on a different machine than the one with the flight planner on it.

After a bunch of searching and trying stuff like FSNavigator and such, my first choice solution was the very versitile FS Commander (payware) planner program.   The only problem with that was at that time (less than 6 months ago) it would not do the "save across the network" bit.  SO I had to manually move the plan file to the FreeFD directory.  I mentioned this problem to the FS Commander developers on their support forum..... and they promised me that it would get added to an upcoming patch/release.  Based on that ....I bought it.

WELL>......... as promised ....... they did it!    

Quietly, and unannounced in the latest Version 7.72 patch is the ability to assign the Sqawkbox file directory to any drive location on the network while the FS format plan goes to the flight sim flightplan directory.  So it files both places at once when you hit "Save As".  Terrific.

So for you FreeFD users out there...... ... this is a GREAT flight planning software option that works in the simpit quite well.  It has slick features like including current North Atlantic and Pacific tracks, showing VATSIM controllers active and a scad of other stuff.....   

Check it out.

And unlike FSNavigator.... this program is a "stand alone" situation that runs outside the sim and can be run on a networked machine.  It is therefore ideal for simpit use.  This concept is a function that the FSNav users are always asking for on the various forums that I see....... and it is not possible with that particular program.   And as far as I can see, FS Commander offers just about all the stuff that FSNav offers...... including stuff like moving map and TACAS functions...... and more.

SO....... for these reasons,....and more....... I can reccommend this software highly for you pit builders.  It is a nice package.

You can find the info on this program here:

http://www.fscommander.com/



best,

....................john