Each stage has its own Planning>loading, weight and balance and fuel planning page in the Planning section. These are accessed by swiping right to left and vice-versa between the loading pages. The fuel remaining at the end of a stage is automatically carried forward to the next stage, but can be overridden. Pax and cargo also carry forward by default, but can be overwritten
Provided you assign an ETD to each stage, Planning>Submit ICAO flight plan via NAIPS (or IFIS) will submit a multi-stage plan. Be sure to have ETDs that make sense when doing this, (including the dates).
Hint for a happy life: beware the temptation to file a multi-stage plan that spans more than a day. In real life many pilots find that they need to change the latter stages of a plan before setting off on a subsequent stage. All of this works fine, but it is often easier to manage with separate plans for separate days.
Tap on the EnRoute map near the place you wish to add as an alternate.
From the Nearest Items list, select the intended place by tapping its row. This will bring up the Waypoint Details menu for that place.
Scroll down to the very bottom of the list (below the CHARTS section), you’ll see options to Add Destination Alternate or Add Enroute Alternate. Tap on the appropriate option.
If you have multiple stages created, you’ll see options to add to the various stages.
A grey track line (or lines) will be drawn from your primary track to the alternate. The Destination alternate waypoint will also be added to the flight plan.
Enroute alternates are added to the flight log as a RMK, and a line is drawn from your Critical Point to that location.
If you have multiple Critical Point calculations set up for your particular aircraft (such as single engine, or single engine and depressurised), you may see multiple grey lines from the enroute alternate to the various critical points.
If you are utilising enroute alternates, it’s recommended you enable the ‘Auto Waypoints in Plan’ option within Settings > User Settings. Then waypoints like TOC, CP, TOD, etc are added as separate waypoints within your flight log, not just as annotations on the map. (But please do not turn this on until after flight plan submission).
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AppleDestination and Enroute alternates on map
If you have nominated an Enroute Alternate:
It will automatically be added to the RALTN remark in the ICAO Flight Plan submission page. This is also an alternative way of entering an Enroute Alternate. Type the airport code in this field, and it will be added to the flight plan.
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AppleEnroute Alternate remark
A remark will also be visible in the full screen and printed flight plans (when Auto Waypoints in Plan is enabled. See User Settings)
Tap on the EnRoute map on the place you wish to remove as an alternate.
From the Nearest Items list, select the place by tapping its row. This will bring up the Waypoint Details menu for that place.
Scroll down to the very bottom of the list (below the CHARTS section), you’ll see options to Remove Destination Alternate or Remove Enroute Alternate. Tap on the appropriate option.
After completing the main part of your flight plan (i.e. your departure airport, destination airport and intermediate waypoints as needed), tap the plus above the flight plan.
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In the ‘Add Track Point’ popup, ensure the switch is set to Alternate. You can then type in the name or airport code. From the results, tap the blue plus next to the desired airport. If you have the flight plan set to IFR, you’ll be given the option to select connecting routes (just like when planning to your primary).
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Your alternate will now be submitted as part of the flight plan. Each stage in a multi-stage flight plan can have an alternate. Alternates are also not limited to IFR planning – they can be added to VFR plans, too (handy for night VFR!).
While in flight, having made the decision that your primary is no longer appropriate, you can activate navigation to your alternate by either tapping the Next Leg button (top-centre of En Route pane) or pressing and holding the first alternate line in the flight log then selecting Activate Leg from the Leg Settings menu.
Adding an alternate using the above method, it will naturally be attached to the final landing point. If you’ve already split a plan into a multi-stage one and you wish to add an alternate to an earlier stage, do the following:
Scroll the flight plan to the end of the stage you wish to add. Below the stage, you’ll see an Add Leg option.
The Add Track Point search menu appears. Select Alternate.
Search for your alternate and select it
The Alternate will now be added to the end of that stage, not the final stage.
How AvPlan works with Alternates for complex aircraft
As well as having the ability to be able to navigate to an Alternate, for complex (mujti-engined and/or pressurised) aircraft we must also:
recalculate the Critical Point (CP) or Critical Points for multi engined / pressurised aircraft, and
calculate the fuel required to get to the Alternate, including any ‘Additional Fuel’ requirements due to an adverse aircraft state (i.e. one engine out or cabin depressurisation)
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AvPlan calculates and presents required fuel according to the rules described in Australian AC 91-15, Guidelines for aircraft fuel requirements and the examples in AC 91-15 Annex A and B.
For Destination Alternates, this is straight forward. AvPlan will present a picture of the plan with a new CP or set of CPs between Departure and Alternate aerodromes rather than between Departure and Destination aerodromes. The extra fuel requirements that relate to getting from the Destination, performing a missed approach, flying to the Alternate and approaching to land are calculated. Note that there is no requirement in AC 91-15 to increase the contingency fuel (variable reserve) for the leg between Destination and Alternate.
For an En-route Alternate AvPlan calculates the fuel required to fly to that aerodrome from the worst case Critical Point in either a single-engine or depressurised aircraft state, and compare it to the fuel required to fly to the Destination Alternate assuming normal aircraft performance.
The worst case corresponds to the CP between the En-Route Alternate and the most demanding of either
the Destination or the Destination Alternate locations
at the worst (most fuel demanding) of single engine or depressurised conditions for the aircraft type, as defined in the aircraft Type settings.
If no Destination Alternate is specified, then the calculation will be based on the worst case CP between the En-Route Alternate and the Destination.
If Destination and En-Route Alternate locations have been specified and your multi-engine aircraft has been defined with single engine and depressurised performance taken into account, this will result in a number of En Route Alternate track lines being drawn on the chart. AvPlan then calculates the fuel quantity required to arrive and land at the Enroute Alternate from the worst of the CP cases.
If the calculated fuel requirement to get to an En-Route or Destination alternate in an adverse aircraft state from the relevant critical point is greater than the fuel required to get to the Destination or to the Destination Alternate in normal configuration, then this difference is shown as “Additional fuel” In the Planning/Weight and Balance / Fuel Planning page and in relevant Flight Plan reports, and is labelled accordingly.
It is worth noting that Additional Fuel based only a Destination Alternate may be reduced by entering an Enroute Alternate.
AvPlan does not currently have a tool for selecting suitable Take-off alternates.
However, when a Take-off alternate is required and you have determined what it should be, then it can be added to a flight plan during the plan submission process in the “/TALT” item in “Other Details” in the Submit ICAO Flight Plan page
Plus/Premium subscribers will also then have highlighted the height and position of the highest terrain and known obstacle within that boundary.
LSALT calculator tool RNP2 boundary
Highest Known Obstacle is shown with a red obstacle icon with elevation (feet AMSL)
Highest terrain is circled in orange, with the corresponding elevation (feet AMSL)
This user calculated LSALT is then easily selected and entered into the flight plan by tapping Accept. Ensure you have read and understood the disclaimer.
Tap the Setup button to reveal the other route calculation boundaries:
RNP2 (5 nm either side of track)
VFR (10 nm either side of track)
RNP4 (15º splay to 8 nm with a 5 nm buffer)
RNAV GNSS (15º splay to 7 nm with a 5 nm buffer)
Non-GNSS RNAV (15º splay to 30 nm with a 5 nm buffer)
Navaids/DR (varies depending on the strength of the navaid)
The selection you make will be stored and automatically entered in the flight plan table as a User LSALT. The same figure will then be used the next time you fly between those two waypoints.
If you calculate an LSALT on a Direct To leg, the figure is then viewable in the LSALT cell of the HUD.
Notes on terrain & obstacle elevation calculations
You can select between two different calculation modes: a worldwide digital terrain database (known as a Digital Elevation Model, or DEM), or a method that is equivalent to using the hypsometric tint from the map to determine heights. Plus/Premium users can select a preferred method by tapping Settings>User Settings and scrolling down to Advanced Settings at the bottom of the list.
For both methods, the result will always be at least as high as an LSALT based on a published spot height, and will typically be higher.
This is a model containing ‘Level 0’ Digital Terrain Elevation Data (DTED) as described here. Level 0 data has a spatial resolution of 30 arc seconds in both Lat and Long between the equator and ±60 degrees of Latitude. AvPlan samples the DEM grid to find the highest point within or touching the LSALT boundary, adds the standard LSALT buffer of 1360’, then rounds this value up to the next nearest 100’.
AvPlan uses the DEM as above to find the highest elevation in the DEM model’s grid that is within or touches_the LSALT boundary. AvPlan then determines the top of the corresponding band in the Hypsometirc elevation scale, adds the standard 1360’ buffer and rounds up to the nearest 100’.
In some cases this method can be substantially more conservative than using the DEM alone, and may not be the most appropriate choice.
AvPlan uses a published obstacle database that contains approximately four times as many obstacle references as are marked on Australian charts. The obstacle that is determined to have the greatest elevation within the LSALT boundary may or may not therefore correspond to a charted object, but will always be the highest known obstacle.
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With a Standard Plus or Premium subscription, calculate a common LSALT for a route section or a whole stage.
Open a flight plan for editing, open a waypoint's menu and select LSALT Calculator for its arriving leg.
The waypoint selectors on either side of → initially show that leg’s start and end waypoints. Choose a start waypoint on the left and a later end waypoint on the right to assess every leg between them. To assess the whole stage, choose its departure and destination. Choose an alternate as the end waypoint to include the legs leading to it; alternates are labelled in the dropdown.
Choose the calculation type and review the boundary, Calculated result and available Grid result. Selecting the terrain or obstacle details shows its position on the map.
Select the Calculated or Grid value to enter it in every LSALT cell covered by the selection. The change saves automatically and can be undone together with Undo.
The calculation gives a common LSALT for the selected route section. Abeam points are included within their surrounding leg and are not offered as separate start or end points. Repeated identifiers include their route position in the dropdown. Legs outside the selection, other stages and planned cruising altitudes remain unchanged; review the planned altitude separately.
If the route changes, close the calculator and select a leg again. If the selected area has incomplete terrain data, the calculation reports an error. A Grid value is offered only when grid data covers the complete selected area.
Flight rules for a complete stage can be selected in the flight log. If a change from VFR->IFR or IFR->VFR is needed within a stage of the flight plan, then the flight rules for individual legs can be changed in the Terminal tab at the track points where the change of flight rules is required.
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AppleVFR|IFR toggle for this and subsequent legs
From the Flight Log, tap on the waypoint row associated with the flight rules change. The Terminal tab for that waypoint will open.
In the top-right corner of the page is a VFR|IFR toggle switch. This switch only changes the presently displayed and subsequent legs in the stage.
The correct flight rules code will be transmitted to NAIPS/IFIS (Y or Z) when submitting.
AvPlan allows Premium subscribers to add an RNP (RNAV, GNSS) Approach to a Flight Plan. This is easily accomplished by using the drag and drop technique to insert the Initial Approach Fix (IAF) of an RNP approach prior to the terminal waypoint in the plan.
WARNING
Adding an RNP approach to a plan should be performed after the plan has been submitted. Submitting a plan with an RNP approach will cause the approach points to be submitted, which may cause the plan to be rejected.
The drag and drop method of waypoint insertion can be used on any chart; whether VFR or IFR, or on the Approach plate itself. It may be helpful to turn on show IFR waypoints in the Map Overlays menu to aid in selecting the desired IAF waypoint.
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Before adding an RNP approach to the plan it may be helpful to define a User Waypoint at a location, for example, 25nm before the destination on the inbound track. This has been done in the following example. If created, the user waypoint should ideally not be added to the Flight Plan until after plan submission.
Step 1 (Optional). Add a waypoint to the inbound track
By adding a User Waypoint about 25 miles out from the destination we allow AvPlan to create a sensible looking route from that point to the RNP IAF. Otherwise, when we insert the RNP the track line will be drawn to the IAF from wherever the previous waypoint was. If this is a long way from the 25 mile point, then the track line may not be sensible.
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Step 2. Drag a point on the inbound track close to the location of the desired RNP IAF
In this case we have dragged the track line to MIAEC; the Echo Charlie IAF of the Mildura 27 RNP
At this point AvPlan will automatically offer to insert the chosen RNP. To confirm that this is the desired action, simply tap on the approach name. If the intention is to only add the IAF, without the Intermediate Fix (IF), the Final Fix (FAF) and the Missed Approach Point (MAPt), then tap on Cancel. Please note that this automated RNP approach insertion only works in Australia at present.
AvPlan inserts the rest of the RNP Approach into the plan starting at the selected IAF, and draws it on the chart.
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Note 1. AvPlan does not behave like the GNSS Navigator in your instrument panel; it does not LOAD and ACTIVATE approaches. AvPlan simply inserts the approach into the flight plan at the point you choose.
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Note 2. Missed Approach Holding Fixes (MAHFs) are not added to the flight plan.
With a Premium subscription, add a ladder or expanding square to a stage, preview its track on the map, then save its points into your route.
Open the flight plan for editing and select a stage with at least two main-route waypoints.
Right-click the map at the search position and choose Start a search here. The Search pattern panel opens. Check the selected coordinates beside its title. For a ladder, this is the first search waypoint. For an expanding square, it is the datum; the entry point is one track spacing before it.
Choose Pattern, then enter Initial track, Reference, Track spacing and Search legs. A ladder also needs Leg length. Choose Extend to for a ladder or Turns for an expanding square. Enter the initial track in whole degrees; entering 45 or 045 displays 045 when you leave the field.
Choose Insert between to set the two route waypoints that will surround the search.
Review the numbered preview, direction arrows, shaded search footprint and dashed connections to the existing route. The preview uses the selected stage’s track colour. Covered Area shows the footprint in square kilometres and square nautical miles. Adjust the inputs until the track is suitable.
To calculate the search LSALT, choose LSALT type and select Calculate LSALT. Review the result, then optionally select Use … ft LSALT for the search. Changing the search dimensions or calculation type clears the result until you calculate again.
Select Add to flight plan. The search points are inserted together and the flight plan saves automatically.
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WebPreview an expanding-square search and calculate its LSALT
The added search points appear in the route and on the map.
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WebSearch points added to the flight plan
A ladder can represent a parallel-track or creeping-line search: choose the initial track along the search area's long axis for parallel track, or its short axis for creeping line. Expanding-square leg lengths increase in pairs: one spacing, one spacing, two spacings, two spacings, and so on.
Reference defaults to Magnetic for the initial track; select True if needed. The preview shows the initial track in the opposite reference: true (°T) when Magnetic is selected, or magnetic (°M) when True is selected. Bearings are shown as three digits in whole degrees. Available magnetic variation is labelled east (E) or west (W). If variation is unavailable, select True; the magnetic equivalent is then shown as unavailable. Distances are in nautical miles. Searches are limited to 200 waypoints within 100 NM of the selected position, between 85°S and 85°N.
The shaded footprint extends half the track spacing on either side of the search path. Overlapping areas are counted once, and connections to the existing route are excluded. It represents the planned search footprint; actual detection coverage depends on the search conditions.
Adding the search also appends a description to the stage’s Remarks for flight plan submission, preserving existing remarks. The description uses the selected Reference and gives the initial track in whole degrees, followed by MAG or TRUE. For example: “LADDER SEARCH 5 LEGS OF 5 NM, 3 NM SPACING, INITIAL TRACK 326 MAG, EXTENDING LEFT.” Selecting True gives “INITIAL TRACK 326 TRUE” instead. A ladder’s extension direction describes which side the pattern grows towards; its turns alternate. Expanding-square remarks specify right- or left-hand turns. Review Remarks before submitting, especially if you have since edited the search points.
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WebSearch details in the filing remarks
The search LSALT calculation includes every segment inside the pattern, including the expanding square's entry segment. It excludes connections to the existing route. Selecting Use … ft LSALT for the search sets the calculated value on the internal search legs as part of the same insertion; their planned cruising altitudes remain unchanged.
The new points inherit the preceding leg's altitude and flight rules. Review these and the connections before using the plan. Existing destination and alternate waypoints retain their positions after the search.
The points are saved as ordinary user waypoints in the plan owner's account, including when a dispatcher edits the plan. After adding the search, edit its points individually. Undo removes the insertion and restores the preceding remarks; the saved user waypoints remain available. Cancel closes a preview without adding it.
If the plan is still updating, wait briefly and select Add to flight plan again. If the route has changed, close the preview and select the position again.