What is PocketFMS?
PocketFMS is a Flight Planner & GPS Moving Map software package for Windows PCs, Pocket PCs and a range of portable Car Navigation devices. Flight planning becomes a breeze when you're assisted by PocketFMS: by plotting your route, getting weather information from the Internet, computing your performance and fuel consumption, suggesting alternates and computing your weight & balance PocketFMS can greatly reduce the tedious work for you.
Once connected to a GPS receiver, PocketFMS' Moving Maps will guide you safely through any flight, anywhere. Your present position is clearly displayed on the Moving Map, as well as your track, heading, groundspeed, altitude, etc. The Moving Maps can display the location and other properties of beacons, airports, airspaces, frequencies, elevations, weather and other traffic. You can rotate the maps in the direction of flight, switch on the HSI and overlay your own charts. You'll be warned prior to entering a controlled airspace, when straying from your planned altitude, when approaching an obstacle: your situational awareness will peak when you use PocketFMS correctly!
The PocketFMS software contains 2 separate programs that work closely together. The first one is PocketFMS Desktop, which will run on Microsoft Windows computers. You'll need Windows 2000 / NT / XP / Tablet / Vista / 7. The second program can optionally be installed by PocketFMS Desktop on your Pocket PC or Windows CE-based car navigation device. Your Pocket PC needs to use Windows Mobile 2005 or higher, your navigation device Windows CE .NET 4.2 or higher. Both programs have almost equal capabilities and are fully compatible. PocketFMS can also be used in conjunction with Microsoft's Flight Simulator as well as with X-plane. You have 30 days to try PocketFMS for free, without any operational limitations.
In a nutshell: how do I use PocketFMS?
Flight planning. Generally it often proves convenient to do the flight planning sitting at your own desk, working with your own PC. You select the departure and destination aerodromes, instruct PocketFMS to get the latest MeteoData and AeroData, and PocketFMS plots the route for you, even considering your aircraft's performance. You can manually adjust the route via drag and drop, add waypoints, and have PocketFMS avoid airspace classes and -types as well as low cloud bases as much as you desire; PocketFMS will compute the most optimal route after each and every adjustment you make. Need a paper ATC flight plan, NavLog, Weight & Balance report, etc.? They're just a few clicks away!
Flight execution. Once you're satisfied with the entire planning you simply click one button to transfer the flight plan, weather data, maps and all to your Pocket PC. Just grab your PDA, laptop, UMPC or Tablet PC and GPS receiver and go fly! Simply keep the little airplane on the line PocketFMS has plotted on the Moving Map, and you'll constantly be aware of where you are, where you're heading, what weather and airspace you will encounter, who to talk to and when you'll arrive. Diverting becomes a matter of a few keystrokes. Connected to the proper hardware, PocketFMS can control your AutoPilot and provide you with graphical TCAS / traffic information. You will notice a considerable drop in your cockpit workload!
Post flight. PocketFMS constantly records your covered track, and reviewing it is possible within PocketFMS itself as well as via Google Earth. You can now prove you didn't violate that airspace, show your pax exactly where you have taken them or monitor your student's solo trips! A simple yet complete logbook file can record the times and locations of your take-offs and landings automatically.
