I agree that DUATS planning is simple, fast and very adequate. Oh, yea, and
it's free. I almost always use it for advance planning. For one thing, I
know that I have access no matter where I'm staying at the other end.

The new AOPA planner does a couple of things that I love. First, the airways
are marked with the MEA and the navlog indicates the MEAs for airways. I can
rubber band the route so that the MEAs are acceptable to me. Second, the
TFRs are shown so that I can verify that I am clear. With the radar overlay,
it is a pretty good planning aid.

If it turns out to be a VFR flight, I can follow my planned route and not
have to worry. If it turns out to be an IFR flight, I'm also set.

The one feature that would make me a dedicated user would be to have fuel
prices displayed.

--
-------------------------------
Travis
"Ross Richardson" wrote in message
...
I called AOPA to inquire about the fact the Flight Planner didn't allow
a user defined route; it's direct or airways. They said they had to keep
it simple. You can go and strech the rubber band route.

You know, for simple flight planning, the DUATS Cirrus dial-up
application cannot be beat. Gives you interface with DUATs winds, can
plan airways, direct, user defined. I have my plane profiled and I
usually am within 5 to 10 minutes of my flight time and a couple of
gallons of fuel burn. I get a real simple printable flight plan to take
away with me.

Ross
N7905U

Maule Driver wrote:

I preferred the earlier one because it was web based and allowed me to
run
it wherever I was on whoever's system I was using (including my friend's
Macs where I've planned and filed dozens of flights).

What really is irritating me is the fact that my home 'port, 8NC8, is
not in
the airport database. Making it a waypoint still doesn't seem to allow
me
plan a flight to and from it. A minor but irritating problem. It
wasn't a
problem with the earlier tool.

Going to have to call them since there doesn't seem to be any online
help or
support on the topic.