From flight plan to Google Earth video, now via Shiny App

TL;DR – YouTube video demonstrating the complete .FPL to .KML conversion process taking less than one minute

Goal

Demonstrate and explain the start-to-finish process of generating a VFR flight from Nantucket Airport (KACK) to Quonset State Airport (KOQU) and visualizing the path in Google Earth.

The following is from the documentation I wrote for the Shiny App, in case I can make it publicly available.

Generate a flight plan in SkyVector

Route (from the Boston Virtual ARTCC WINGS VFR #2 training flight with simulated air traffic control on VATSIM)
- starts at Nantucket Airport (KACK)
- overflies the Martha’s Vineyard VOR (MVY)
- heads west towards the Rhode Island Sound, navigating towards the entrance of the harbor (where there are several visual checkpoints that can be identified)
- finishing at Quonset State Airport (KOQU)
Generate a flight plan in SkyVector

Click the Export button (square with arrow coming out of it), select the .fpl format, and download the Garmin .fpl file”

Run the FPL to KML Converter

Upload the .fpl file to the FPL to KML converter tool
Enter a name for the tour
As a westbound VFR flight, choose to visualize the flight at an altitude of 4,500 feet MSL
Change the default camera altitude to 4500 feet

Manually set altitude for an individual waypoint

Generally not recommended, but if you must vary the altitude (e.g., to avoid putting the camera underground…)
Descend to 1,000 feet over the destination airfield
Click a point, which will pop up a new altitude input field
Enter the new altitude and click Update

Watch the tour in Google Earth

In the FPL to KML Converter, click the Export KML tour button and save to a convenient location
Double-clicking the .kml file should automatically open Google Earth and start playing the tour

Recognizing VFR landmarks

The VFR sectional map shows a number of VFR checkpoints, marked by magenta flags, including the Newport and Jamestown bridges, and to the east, the Newport State airport

From the Google Earth tour stopped at the waypoint over the National Wildlife Refuge (with the camera pointed slightly more eastward), it’s possible to see those three VFR checkpoints as well as Quonset State Airport in the distance.

Helicopter routes traversing the Boston Class Bravo

The previous flight is sort of boring, with a bunch of it over water (which I sped up).

But it only took a few minutes to generate another flight plan, starting at Norwood Airport and using two Boston helicopter routes (the Fenway and Tobin routes) to traverse the Boston Class Bravo airspace and continue northwards to Beverly Municipal.

As a helicopter route, I chose to simulate flying it at a lower altitude (1,500’ MSL, which is still probably higher than ATC would permit). I also chose a slower groundspeed for Google Earth, because the Boston city details can be slower to load.

Although theoretically, a single engine piston airplane might be allowed to fly this route transiting the Bravo airspace, I kind of doubt it. Would be fun though.