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About
The plan menu is how mission items are added to the flight plan. It also contains the tools for saving and opening flight plans.
File
The file button opens up a panel of useful flight planning tools.
Create Plan (Flight Planning Wizard)
Selecting one of four create plan options will initiate the flight planning wizard that helps create flight plans.
Using the flight planning wizard is always recommended when planning a flight for the PHX.
Survey
Used for creating a flight plan of an area to be surveyed. Includes takeoff, survey, and landing mission items in the flight plan.
Multi-Survey
Used for creating a flight plan of multiple areas to be surveyed. Includes takeoff, survey 1, survey 2, and landing mission items in the flight plan.
Corridor Scan
Used for creating a flight plan of a corridor to be surveyed. Includes takeoff, corridor, and landing mission items in the flight plan.
Blank
Creates an empty flight plan with no mission items. This may be useful when planning a non-traditional flight or for use with search and rescue applications.
Storage
Open
Opens a pop-up menu that is used to select a previously save flight plan.
Save
Saves changes to an already saved flight plan.
Save As
Opens a pop-up menu used to name and save the current flight plan.
Save Mission Waypoints As KML
Saves the flight plan as a waypoint mission in KML format. This maybe useful for exporting flight plans for 3rd party use.
A flight plan saved as a KML can not be used in Fly PHX. Only KML formatted field boundaries are supported.
Vehicle
The vehicle buttons will only be available when connected to an aircraft.
Upload
Sends the flight plan to the aircraft.
Download
Downloads a flight plan that is currently on the aircraft.
The downloaded flight plan will appear as a waypoint mission. Regular mission items will not be available.
Clear
Removes the flight plan from the aircraft and deletes all mission items from the flight plan.
Takeoff
Inserts a takeoff mission item. This includes a launch point, and a take off waypoint. These two items are locked together at a distance of 500ft.
The takeoff waypoint should always be into the wind and clear of any obstacles the aircraft may encounter during takeoff.
The default takeoff altitude for the PHX is 250ft AGL relative to the launch point.
Waypoint
Allows the use to insert a waypoint into the flight plan.
A waypoint can not be inserted into a flight plan until a takeoff mission item has been added.
To insert click/tap on the screen where the waypoint should be added. The waypoint mission item will appear and the waypoint will be displayed on the map.
The default waypoint altitude is 400ft AGL relative to the launch point.
The waypoint mission item has many features that can adjusted or set using the various drop down menus. Sentera does not recommend changing these settings.
Pattern
Allows the pilot to add a survey or corridor scan mission item to the flight plan.
A pattern can not be inserted into a flight plan until a takeoff mission item has been added.
Polygon/Polyline Tools
Once the pattern type is selected the polygon (survey) or polyline (corridor scan) tools will appear at the top of the screen.
These tools are used to define the survey or corridor scan area.
Basic
Inserts a generically sized rectangular survey area in the middle of the map.
Use the white circle in the center to move the survey area.
Use the white circles to adjust the area as necessary.
Add vertices by selecting the circled plus signs.
Circular
Inserts a generically sized circular survey pattern in the middle of the map.
Use the white circle in the center to move the survey area.
Use the white circle at the edge to adjust the radius of the survey area.
This shape is useful for flying pivot fields.
Trace
Allows the pilot to trace the outline of a field.
Add vertices by selecting the corners of the field.
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Vertices must be added in a clockwise or counter-clockwise pattern. Changing direction will create an incorrect boundary trace. |
Press Done Tracings when complete to exit the trace menu.
Load KML/SHP
Allows a KML or SHP file to be used to create the survey area.
A file browser dialog will open and allow the KML/SHP of choice to be selected.
Load Field
Allows for an imported field boundary from FieldAgent to be used to create the survey area.
A right hand pop-up menu will appear with the field list. The list will be sorted by nearest field to the geographic location of the current mission items.
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Field boundaries must first be imported from FieldAgent using the FieldAgent menu in the application settings. |
Land
Inserts a landing pattern into the flight plan.
The landing point is selected by click on the screen or by pressing the set to current vehicle location button (only available when connected to an aircraft with a GPS fix).
The pattern can be adjusted by grabbing the landing point in the middle of the landing area and dragging (moves the entire landing pattern) around the screen.
The pattern can also be adjusted by grabbing the loiter point and dragging. This will pivot the landing approach and loiter locations about the landing point.
Center
This feature allows the user to change how the map is centered during flight planning.
This may be useful if the map scaling becomes un desirable or the map is unintentionally moved.
Mission
Centers the map on the mission items location.
All Items
Centers the map on all items (mission, aircraft, ground station location) location.
Launch
Centers the map on the launch location.
Vehicle
Centers the map on the aircrafts current location. Requires connection to an aircraft with a GPS fix.
Current Location
Centers the map on the ground station/host device location. Requires an internet connection.
Specified Location
Opens a right hand pop up menu where the user can input a geographic, UTM, or MGRS location to center the map on.
