SkyVector Adds Flight Plan Export Feature

SkyVector has added a new feature that allows pilots, schedulers and dispatchers to export flight plans to the ForeFlight iPad app, as well as to avionics from Garmin and Dynon. The aeronautical chart, online mapping and flight-planning product provider said the new feature saves time and reduces mistakes by eliminating the need to retype the plan into a tablet or onboard avionics.

For ForeFlight users, SkyVector now has an “Open in ForeFlight” button that will launch the app with the flight plan fully populated. Pilots can also download .FPL or .GPX files directly onto a compatible memory card to transfer their flight plans to their aircraft’s Garmin or Dynon navigators. It is initially compatible with the Garmin G1000 or any device supporting the open standard GPX format; support for other formats and platforms is in the works, said SkyVector founder and president David Graves.

In addition, flight departments and Part 135 operators can use SkyVector’s “share” feature to flight plan collaboratively. Thus, a flight plan can begin on a scheduler’s desktop, then be shared with the flight crew who optimize and file it and then transfer it to tablets or memory cards for dispatch.