SkyDemon Forums

Offer the ability to build in a “buffer” time when leaving or joining a circuit

http://forums.skydemon.aero/Topic32184.aspx

By Flyingearly - 9/19/2020 11:26:39 AM

When planning a flight, SkyDemon estimates from time on a point to point basis. That is, it routes to an exact spot from the centre of one runway to the centre of another runway.

What I think would be useful would be for an option to be available to automatically include a bit of “buffer” time at the departure and destination airfields to factor in typical circuit leaving or joining times.

As an example, if I need to takeoff West, but my departure orientation is East, then I will need to climb out, turn crosswind and then turn downwind before I can proceed en-route. This can readily be a 5 minute time period in some micro lights.

Example image is shown: in practice, you don’t just takeoff mid-runway and head direct en route!

Similarly, when joining an airfield, a full circuit can be 5 - 10 minutes longer than simply arriving at a point overhead the airfield.

This problem is more acute on shorter journeys. A flight between A and B might be 60 minutes from one overhead to another, but there might be 10 - 15 minutes of time exiting and joining the circuit at either end.

The same applies for taxi time.

In non-aviation circles, Google and other mapping providers are starting to include that “interchange” time in travel time calculations and it would be great to see SD offer it too (eg if planning a route from A to D, it factors in that it takes time to change trains at B, walk across the platform etc at C and so forth).

Currently, if I’m planning a flight, I have to manually zoom right in at my departure and arrival airfields and I’ll map the route to include cross-wind/downwind/base turns - it adds more distance onto the flight than you realise and in slower aircraft really throws the estimated flight time calculation out.

To implement this, I would have a toggle option in the settings to automatically include buffer time on each takeoff/landing.
By tnowak - 9/25/2020 7:49:50 AM

I fly a slow vintage aeroplane (74 Kt cruise) and always add on 5 mins to SD times to get a nominal total trip time to allow for circuits etc.at destination airfield.
I find this good enough (and pretty accurate) for my flying time calculations.
Tony