Online flight plan management on VATSIM

Richard Critz

unread,

Oct 11, 2002, 4:28:57 PM10/11/02

to

VATSIM is pleased to announce the first release of our flight plan prefiling
web site. Through this web site you can:

- file your flight plan before connecting to the network
- lookup up the flight plans of others (if you want to fly along, for
example)
- delete your flight plan if you are not going to use it

When you file via this web site, your flight plan is held by the servers for
up to 1 hour. When you connect to the network, the flight plan is
automatically associated with you. You do NOT have to file a flight plan
from within Squawkbox and you will not have to resend your flight plan ever
again.

To access the site, please visit http://www.vatsim.net/fp

As an added bonus, www.simatc.com has a "File Flightplan" button on each of
its almost 15000 routes that will take you to the flight plan page and fill
in many of the blanks for you.

--

Richard Critz
VP/Pilot Training (VATSIM26/VATGOV14)
VATSIM Board of Governors
VATSIM Network Team

Nate Johns

unread,

Oct 11, 2002, 4:39:51 PM10/11/02

to

Suhweeeeeet

'Nuff Said.

Nate Johns
VATSIM VA Liason
vapar...@mail.vatsim.net

"Richard Critz" <rcr...@usa.net> wrote in message
news:3da7...@news.simflight.com...

Bruno Francescoli

unread,

Oct 11, 2002, 6:24:30 PM10/11/02

to

Simply Amazing... Thank you guys!!

Sincerely,
Bruno Francescoli.

"Richard Critz" <rcr...@usa.net> wrote in message
news:3da7...@news.simflight.com...

Jeff Turner

unread,

Oct 11, 2002, 8:03:28 PM10/11/02

to

VERY neat Rich... Thanks!

Jeff Turner
CEO
The "Original" virtual Frontier Airlines
www.virtualfrontier.org

"Richard Critz" <rcr...@usa.net> wrote in message
news:3da7...@news.simflight.com...

Roger Curtiss

unread,

Oct 11, 2002, 9:02:47 PM10/11/02

to

Oh sure...automatic SB filing, but who is going to come over and key the
flight plan into my Airbus/Boeing FMC? What? I have to do that MYSELF!
Sheesh...<G>. Seriously, this is a great innovation. Thank you. I
hesitate to speculate what will be next!

Roger Curtiss

Jim Johnson

unread,

Oct 12, 2002, 12:37:43 AM10/12/02

to

Richard,

Looks cool!!! One question though, how will this work with CSL? Can we
still select our airline in the f/p part of SB without screwing anything up?

Jim
ZLA S-3

"Richard Critz" <rcr...@usa.net> wrote in message
news:3da7...@news.simflight.com...

Markian Olesijuk

unread,

Oct 12, 2002, 1:53:36 AM10/12/02

to

I think I have a pretty good idea of how the system works:
There's a difference between the aircraft type displayed on your flightplan
and the aircraft type that is used for CSL. Fortunately, Squawkbox ensures
both aircraft types are the same by having you choose both the flightplan
and CSL aircraft all at the same time (aircraft drop down box on the flight
plan menu). I believe this new flight plan system only changes the aircraft
type that deals with the flightplan, and not with the CSL aircraft
displayed. Therefore, the CSL aircraft must be selected manually in
squawkbox, even if you've filed a flight plan on the website. Unfortunately
the current version of squawkbox only allows you to select the CSL aircraft
you are using by filing a flightplan. Because of this, you must select the
file a flightplan option and change your aircraft type BEFORE you connect to
the network. If you do this after you connect to the network you will send
the whole flightplan along with the CSL model being used. Hopefully in the
new version of squawkbox there will be a separate way of selecting aircraft
type for those aircraft who don't intend to file a flightplan, and for those
who filed via the website.

Hope this helps,
Markian Olesijuk
Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center
www.laartcc.org

P.S. - Richard, correct me if my idea of how the network works is wrong :)
"Jim Johnson" <jim.jo...@verizon.net.nospam> wrote in message

Manolo Centeno

unread,

Oct 12, 2002, 4:11:06 AM10/12/02

to

Richard,

I want to let you know that this is a great tool for the pilots and it could
be helpful for the controllers. For example if we can see the number of FP
filled and the ETD we can plan ahead a lot of things such as traffic flow,
SID, STAR or plan the number of position and staffing that we are going to
requiere. This is very useful in situation such as fly in or airpaces with
high traffic. Therefore I a question:

1) Is there any way that we can look up the saved data of FP filed using
the Origin Airport and Destination airport fields? and this data can be
posted in tables like the statistics for users?

I would appreciate your answer to this question!

Congratulations again!

Manolo Centeno
Chief FIR Maiquetia
INST 1
www.svzm.org

José Oliveira

unread,

Oct 12, 2002, 5:01:32 AM10/12/02

to

Great improvement. Do I detect the start of a new way of doing things before
flight?

I'm getting this message when using the service:

a.. Filing from an external source is not permitted. Contact the webmaster
for the site you used and ask him to update his site so that it only
attempts to prefill fields on this form.

I'm using IE6, with IE clean, VATSIM on trusted site and direct form fill
not Sim ATC service.

José

"Richard Critz" <rcr...@usa.net> wrote in message
news:3da7...@news.simflight.com...

Kyprianos Biris

unread,

Oct 12, 2002, 6:44:18 AM10/12/02

to

EXCELLENT !

"Richard Critz" <rcr...@usa.net> wrote in message
news:3da7...@news.simflight.com...

Gilligan

unread,

Oct 12, 2002, 6:55:09 AM10/12/02

to

What happens if the ATC ask you to amend your flight plan?

"Richard Critz" <rcr...@usa.net> a écrit dans le message de news:
3da7...@news.simflight.com...

Richard Critz

unread,

Oct 12, 2002, 7:41:31 AM10/12/02

to

José,

Sounds like you have firewall software blocking the HTTP_REFERER header.
Can you check that?

cz

--

Richard Critz
VP/Pilot Training (VATSIM26/VATGOV14)
VATSIM Board of Governors
VATSIM Network Team

"José Oliveira" <jcbol...@nospam.netcabo.pt> wrote in message
news:3da7e880$1...@news.simflight.com...

Richard Critz

unread,

Oct 12, 2002, 7:37:24 AM10/12/02

to

This is exactly correct, Markian.

--

Richard Critz
VP/Pilot Training (VATSIM26/VATGOV14)
VATSIM Board of Governors
VATSIM Network Team

"Markian Olesijuk" <teent...@prodigy.net> wrote in message

Andrew Thompson

unread,

Oct 12, 2002, 7:59:43 AM10/12/02

to

Only a matter of time before we get slot delays <G>

"Richard Critz" <rcr...@usa.net> wrote in message

news:3da80e4c$1...@news.simflight.com...
> This was developed as part of the server support for ASRC. Controllers
> using ASRC will not ask you to amend your plan; they will do it for you.
>
> If you use a route from SimATC.com, chances are small that you'll be asked
> to amend since many of those routes have been verified by the appropriate
> facility chiefs as their "preferred" routes.
>
> cz

>
> --
>
> Richard Critz
> VP/Pilot Training (VATSIM26/VATGOV14)
> VATSIM Board of Governors
> VATSIM Network Team
>
>

> "Gilligan" <gilli...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:3da8...@news.simflight.com...

Richard Critz

unread,

Oct 12, 2002, 7:39:01 AM10/12/02

to

I've taught the server how to do this. Web pages for it will be forthcoming
at some point after some additional changes to the server.

I should note that this form has been running since July. We released it
now simply because some folks find it really useful and it was sitting
around gathering dust. I'll get back to doing more development on it soon.

cz

--

Richard Critz
VP/Pilot Training (VATSIM26/VATGOV14)
VATSIM Board of Governors
VATSIM Network Team

"Manolo Centeno" <yv2...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:3da7cb0a$1...@news.simflight.com...

Richard Critz

unread,

Oct 12, 2002, 7:42:40 AM10/12/02

to

This was developed as part of the server support for ASRC. Controllers
using ASRC will not ask you to amend your plan; they will do it for you.

If you use a route from SimATC.com, chances are small that you'll be asked
to amend since many of those routes have been verified by the appropriate
facility chiefs as their "preferred" routes.

cz

--

Richard Critz
VP/Pilot Training (VATSIM26/VATGOV14)
VATSIM Board of Governors
VATSIM Network Team

"Gilligan" <gilli...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:3da8...@news.simflight.com...

José Oliveira

unread,

Oct 12, 2002, 8:56:02 AM10/12/02

to

Yes. You are right. To work with Norton you must do the follwing:

Options; Web content; Add site www.vatsim.net; information about visited
sites=permit

Using this you don't have to disable Firewall to fill plan. Is it possible a
cookie that saves persistant user information like the name etc?

José

"Richard Critz" <rcr...@usa.net> wrote in message

news:3da80e06$1...@news.simflight.com...

Richard Critz

unread,

Oct 12, 2002, 9:19:13 AM10/12/02

to

Yes, it's possible. I might even do it someday! :-)

Again, this was done as "proof of concept" in time for the convention. We
put it out there now because people who knew about it were finding it
useful. It will definitely grow over time.

cz

--

Richard Critz
VP/Pilot Training (VATSIM26/VATGOV14)
VATSIM Board of Governors
VATSIM Network Team

"José Oliveira" <jcbol...@nospam.netcabo.pt> wrote in message

news:3da8...@news.simflight.com...

Bill Irvine

unread,

Oct 12, 2002, 10:11:47 AM10/12/02

to

thanks for all the time and effort put into this one, Richard
i'll post it at our airline
keep it up

bill

--
Bill Irvine
Senior Command Captain
WestWind Virtual Airline
Vice-president Flyin Operations
http://www3.telus.net/wji/cvg/

"Richard Critz" <rcr...@usa.net> wrote in message
news:3da7...@news.simflight.com...

Richard Green

unread,

Oct 12, 2002, 2:17:44 PM10/12/02

to

And as always - its in BETA - no assurances of it being UP - or being
glitch free are given -

But for a 1st edition CZ makes many of us VERY HAPPY

--
Richard Green
VATUSA4
Events and VA Director

Markian Olesijuk

unread,

Oct 12, 2002, 5:59:38 PM10/12/02

to

Richard,
Perhaps you could document on the flightplan filing site that the aircraft
type must be selected in Squawkbox before connection. This way we'll avoid
the problem of pointing a 737 out to an aircraft and him/her seeing a cessna
instead :)

"Richard Critz" <rcr...@usa.net> wrote in message

news:3da8...@news.simflight.com...

Peter L Simner

unread,

Oct 13, 2002, 5:43:00 AM10/13/02

to

Hi

When I try to look up a flight plan I get the following message:

"The following fields are required and must be filled in before we can
process your request:

a.. Filing from an external source is not permitted. Contact the webmaster
for the site you used and ask him to update his site so that it only
attempts to prefill fields on this form."

Any ideas why? I am filling in my call sign.

Regards

Peter Simner
"Richard Green" <vat...@vatusa.org> wrote in message
news:Xns92A584A03F1B9rg...@64.246.15.37...

Richard Critz

unread,

Oct 13, 2002, 8:15:45 AM10/13/02

to

You are running something like Norton Internet Security that is blocking
information the site needs to protect itself. If you look back in this
thread, you'll see a post by José Oliviera that describes what changes are
needed by Norton. If you're running some other security software, you'll
need to figure out how to allow the $HTTP_REFERER header through.

cz

--

Richard Critz
VP/Pilot Training (VATSIM26/VATGOV14)
VATSIM Board of Governors
VATSIM Network Team

"Peter L Simner" <peterl...@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:3da943bf$1...@news.simflight.com...

Richard Critz

unread,

Oct 13, 2002, 1:18:27 PM10/13/02

to

First, before answer Ian's questions, I'd like to thank him publicly for
doing the initial form layout on which the online filing page is based. His
patience and efforts on making the form look right are the only reason the
form got done! I just did the programming behind it!

Now, on to his questions:

"Ian Elchitz" <ielchitz@_NOSPAM_eleventhstreet.com> wrote in message
news:3da9...@news.simflight.com...
> Great work - I used the system this morning and it worked like a charm.
> What an amazing addition <G>.
>

Glad you like it!

> A few comments:
>
> 1) I have already had 2 pilots try this and get the resulting message.

>
> a.. Filing from an external source is not permitted. Contact the webmaster
> for the site you used and ask him to update his site so that it only
> attempts to prefill fields on this form.
>

> Of course - having actually read this thread I know what the problem is.
> Perhaps we need some info on this as well for the website to help people
> out.
>

I'm thinking of changing the way it works so that it will use a cookie
instead of the REFERER header since so many people block this and haven't
any idea that they are doing so.

> 2) What if a user presses the "resend FP" button on SB? Will this
overwrite
> the filed plan with the one they have typed into SB?
>

Depends. If a controller has modified the plan, it will be locked and
neither the web site nor the pilot can modify it. Otherwise, Resend FP in
SB *WILL OVERWRITE THE PLAN*.

> 3) Does a user have to disconnect and then reconnect if they wanted to fly
> another leg after landing? Can I just go back to SIMATC and refile my next
> leg? Or do I need to disconnect, file the FP and then reconnect?
>

You'll need to disconnect. The system will not allow you to file for a
connected client for security reasons.

> Finally - O/T - Who do I speak with for some info on the SIMATC database?

Contact ru...@simatc.com for all the details you can stand! :-)

Ian Elchitz

unread,

Oct 13, 2002, 12:59:09 PM10/13/02

to

CZ,

Great work - I used the system this morning and it worked like a charm.
What an amazing addition <G>.

A few comments:

1) I have already had 2 pilots try this and get the resulting message.

a.. Filing from an external source is not permitted. Contact the webmaster
for the site you used and ask him to update his site so that it only
attempts to prefill fields on this form.

Of course - having actually read this thread I know what the problem is.
Perhaps we need some info on this as well for the website to help people
out.

2) What if a user presses the "resend FP" button on SB? Will this overwrite

the filed plan with the one they have typed into SB?

3) Does a user have to disconnect and then reconnect if they wanted to fly

another leg after landing? Can I just go back to SIMATC and refile my next
leg? Or do I need to disconnect, file the FP and then reconnect?

Finally - O/T - Who do I speak with for some info on the SIMATC database?

Once again CZ - another outstanding addition to out toolset, thanks to all
involved.

Ian Elchitz CYWG
Oakland ARTCC

Brian

unread,

Oct 13, 2002, 2:55:47 PM10/13/02

to

CZ -

Excellent work on this new system! Worked perfectly for me =)

Out of pure curiousity, as a fellow PHP scripter (Web Developer) &
Server Admin, how does it manage to transfer the data from the
HTML form over to the actual FSD servers? I don't think it could
be done with MySQL, but that seems like the only logical answer
as I don't know of any other way to connect to a remote server and
be able to write to it (excluding PostgreSQL), at least with PHP. If
FSD was on the same server as the script, then I'd guess that it just
writes to some flat ASCII file somewhere, but this isn't the case. I hope
you don't mind giving a short and simple explanation, as I'd be interesting
in hearing how this is accomplished. =)

Many Thanks,
Brian

"Richard Critz" <rcr...@usa.net> wrote in message

news:3da9ae86$1...@news.simflight.com...

Eugenio

unread,

Oct 13, 2002, 2:55:59 PM10/13/02

to

Well... really worth the mention... well done also.
It looks like an FAA flight plan. Well done.
Should we also reformat it to ICAO format for those pilots who likes "the
real thing" and in their countries the FP form has the ICAO format? ;-)
(just kidding)
Honestly: It's a whole great job... congrats.

--
Eugenio Grigorjev
VATSAM5 - DCRM
Director Regional RRPP
VATSIM Sud América
--- Division Español ---
---------------------------------------
Regional PR Director
VATSIM South America
--- Spanish Division ---
-------------------------------------------
http://www.vatsim.net
http://www.vatsam.org

"Richard Critz" <rcr...@usa.net> escribió en el mensaje
news:3da9ae86$1...@news.simflight.com...

Richard Critz

unread,

Oct 13, 2002, 5:31:09 PM10/13/02

to

One word: fsockopen()

:)

cz

--

Richard Critz
VP/Pilot Training (VATSIM26/VATGOV14)
VATSIM Board of Governors
VATSIM Network Team

"Brian" <N/A...@microsoft.com> wrote in message

Brian

unread,

Oct 13, 2002, 8:11:01 PM10/13/02

to

Ahh.. I wasn't familiar with that function, but thanks
to the PHP manual I know a bit more about it. There
was an interesting example there that queries the
Netsol database that I tried out, pretty neat. That makes
sense to use fsockopen() though, that way I'm guessing
the server probably just thinks the script is a SquawkBox
client sending in a regular flight plan. How you prevent
others from creating scripts that connect to the system
I guess is another story... =P

Thanks again,
Brian

"Richard Critz" <rcr...@usa.net> wrote in message

news:3da9e9bd$1...@news.simflight.com...

claude

unread,

Oct 14, 2002, 9:46:56 PM10/14/02

to

Richard,

WOW!

I have just finished using the SimATC and the VATSIM Flightplan system. I
love it, I can find just about any flightplans I need. In real life, I
believe, the flight dispatcher has prepared the FP and given copies to the
pilots.
This is the best database that I've used in a long time.

claude
ACA169
CYUL

Richard Critz

unread,

Oct 14, 2002, 10:36:12 PM10/14/02

to

Claude,

I'm sure simatc will be happy to incorporate some (probably already have
some) if you volunteer to help get them in there.

cz

--

Richard Critz
VP/Pilot Training (VATSIM26/VATGOV14)
VATSIM Board of Governors
VATSIM Network Team

"claude" <cpo...@videotron.ca> wrote in message
news:3dab814f$1...@news.simflight.com...
> Richard,
>
> Any database on Canadian flightplans?
>
> Claude
>
>

claude

unread,

Oct 14, 2002, 10:29:53 PM10/14/02

to

Bill Pappert

unread,

Oct 15, 2002, 8:02:57 AM10/15/02

to

CZ ---

I just have to add my voice to the list of those who appreciate the new
tool. Normally, I do all of my US flight planning with paper charts,
Terminal Procedures volumes, and a calculator. That's all fun when I have
the time to do a proper preflight drill, but when I want to drop my butt in
the pilot's seat and get moving it's not the most effective way to go.
Thanks for the assist on those lazy days!

Just an awesome new toy, this one is.

Bill

ge...@teigo.no

unread,

Jan 16, 2015, 3:45:29 PM1/16/15

to

Dear Vatsim Team
This is an old thread, but I you ar definitely the right people to talk to regarding a feature we want to solve.
In the cockpit building community, we struggle to not use the keyboard more then we have to. We now have an ide of how to file a flightplan with a single click directly from the CDU. Collecting the data needed to be in the flight plan is automatcally collected and placaced in a txt or xml file and can then be sent to any given url.
I have been trying to find where your php file send the data from the form and in wich format, but why not ask?
Is this something you can help us out with?
Basically I need to know the how you want the data presentet and where to send it.
The task will be preformed by ProsimUtils progrm, an addon to the Prosim737 software.
Any help or pointers much apprechiated.
I can also mention that this feature is only for filing the flight plan. The communication will be performed by using vPilot.