TAS values in Pilot Log

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TAS values in Pilot Log

Author	Message
lhe	lhe posted 1/19/2014 6:35:54 PM Topic Details Share Topic
Group: Forum Members Posts: 154, Visits: 445	The TAS value for a route leg given in the Route Plan takes into account any climbs and descents made in that leg. On the other hand, the TAS value for a route leg in the Pilot Log is the cruise TAS regardless of any climbs and descents. I suggest that SkyDemon should be consistent here and that the values given in the Route Plan are the most useful -- the same values should be used in the Pilot Log. I am using SkyDemon Plan (PC) version 3.0.3.0.
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Tim Dawson	Tim Dawson posted 1/21/2014 5:16:13 PM Post Details Share Post
Group: Forum Members Posts: 8.1K, Visits: 9.3K	Giving an averaged TAS output for a leg which may incorporate a climb or descent is not very useful in flight. The PLOG is designed to be instructional. In the PLOG we ignore climbs and descents and show only the set speed for the cruise portion of the leg. This is by design.
	Reply Like 47
lhe	lhe posted 1/24/2014 8:22:04 AM Post Details Share Post
Group: Forum Members Posts: 154, Visits: 445	You may be right that an average TAS is not very useful in flight – but neither is the cruise TAS for a leg with climbs or descents. In that case I would go for consistency between the PLOG and Route Plan. SD is a pretty advanced piece of software. More than it initially appears to be, I would say. That is a sign of good design, but it also means that there is an considerable risk of the user misunderstanding what is actually behind the computed figures in the fuel or route plan. An example of what I mean is that before happening to spot the TAS difference I took for granted that the figures in the Route Plan and PLOG would be identical – the only real difference being that one is formatted for screen display and the other for printing. Could you explain what you mean with the PLOG being instructional?
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Tim Dawson	Tim Dawson posted 1/24/2014 3:21:25 PM Post Details Share Post
Group: Forum Members Posts: 8.1K, Visits: 9.3K	What is arguably wrong here is the presence of the Route Plan window. It has no real purpose and is a relic from SkyDemon's PC beginnings. None of our recent platform versions contain it; it's more of an insight into SkyDemon's calculations than anything really usable. The PLOG is designed to be taken along in flight so that if electronic equipment fails, the pilot can fly by the PLOG. It is of course also a handy reference for frequencies. Where people specify an IAS for a leg, the PLOG is there to remind them what IAS to fly. Where a TAS is specified, it doesn't really have much use I suppose.
	Reply Like 57
lhe	lhe posted 1/25/2014 3:35:05 PM Post Details Share Post
Group: Forum Members Posts: 154, Visits: 445	What is arguably wrong here is the presence of the Route Plan window. It has no real purpose and is a relic from SkyDemon's PC beginnings. None of our recent platform versions contain it; it's more of an insight into SkyDemon's calculations than anything really usable. I find it very useful and frequently make reference to it during flight planning. I really miss it in the Android version. So please don't take it away! (As an example of what I'm using it for – in a flight plan, each DCT leg must not be longer than 30 minutes flight time. The Route Plan is an easy way of checking this when flight planning so that I can insert additional points if necessary.)
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Tim Dawson	Tim Dawson posted 1/28/2014 11:31:28 AM Post Details Share Post
Group: Forum Members Posts: 8.1K, Visits: 9.3K	Is the PLOG not equally easy to get to, with the same information? (On Android especially)
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lhe	lhe posted 1/29/2014 1:34:45 PM Post Details Share Post
Group: Forum Members Posts: 154, Visits: 445	Is the PLOG not equally easy to get to, with the same information? (On Android especially) In the PC version, I don't have to "go to" the Route Plan at all. I can have it displayed at the bottom of the screen together with the map display. I agree that it is easier to get to the PLOG in the Android version, compared to the PC version.
	Reply Like 42