What does glide-aware mean?

The route is shaped so that for every leg, at least one runway stays inside your aircraft's glide range from your planned altitude. If the route would leave you outside glide range of any airport, the planner warns you and offers waypoints that keep you covered.

Does the planner account for wind?

Yes. The free tier uses NOAA winds aloft (FB/FD) for the current valid window. Pro adds TAF-driven planning for future departure times, so a route you build for tomorrow morning uses the forecast that applies then, not the wind right now.

Can I export to ForeFlight or Garmin Pilot?

Pro users can export routes as GPX and KML files, which import cleanly into ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot, and most EFB apps that accept waypoint files.

How does glide range work in the calculation?

The planner uses the glide ratio of the aircraft you have selected, plus your planned altitude, to compute glide range from each leg, then checks whether any runway sits inside that circle. Higher altitude or a higher glide-ratio aircraft widens the corridor and lets the planner take more direct routes.

Is the flight planner free?

The core glide-aware planner stays free. Pro adds saved aircraft profiles, GPX and KML export, TAF forecast routing, and personal-minimums checks.

Glide-aware planner

Plot a safer cross-country

Routes that prioritize staying within glide range of an emergency landing site. Every plan is wind-aware — pulls NOAA winds and temperatures aloft (FB/FD) for the current valid window, with a METAR fallback if the upper-air product isn't available. Pro layers TAF forecasts on top for future-departure planning.

Departure Airport (ICAO)

Destination Airport (ICAO)

Cruise Altitude (ft)

Glide Ratio (e.g., 10 = 10:1)

True Airspeed (kt)

Min Runway Length (ft)

Runway Surface Type

Used to filter which fields qualify as glide-safe landing options.

Max Off-Course Distance (NM)

How far off the direct line are you willing to go to stay in glide range?

Route style

Conservative

Prioritize staying within glide range. Will accept larger doglegs (turns up to about 45°) to keep an airport reachable.

Balanced

Default. Modest doglegs (about 30°) with most of the route inside glide range.

Direct

Stay close to the great-circle line (turns capped near 20°). Expect some legs outside glide range.

Climb / descent performance Pro

The planner uses a conservative light-single default (500 fpm at 90 kt climbing, 500 fpm at 110 kt descending) so glide range during climb-out and descent is realistic. Enter your aircraft's actual numbers to refine the profile, or leave blank to keep the default.

Climb rate (fpm)

Climb speed (kt)

Descent rate (fpm)

Descent speed (kt)

Plan a future flight with TAF forecast winds Pro

Leave unchecked to plan for now — the planner uses NOAA winds aloft (FB/FD) for the current valid window, with a METAR fallback if the upper-air product is unavailable. Tick to plan for a future departure time, layering TAF forecast winds at the planned ETA on top of the same FD baseline.

Advanced planning Pro

Avoid Class B airspace where practical

Avoid Class C airspace where practical

Avoid restricted areas and Special Use Airspace

AIP ENR 1.10: pilots should plan random RNAV routes to avoid prohibited and restricted airspace by at least 3 NM unless permission has been obtained and ATC has been advised.

Show NOTAM review panel for departure, destination, and route

Pulls current FAA NOTAMs for your departure and destination, plus any active TFRs along the route. Not a substitute for an official briefing.

Weather routing preference

Aero Companion summarises forecast METAR flight category along the route. Not an official briefing.

Glide-aware VFR flight planner FAQ

What does "glide-aware" mean?: The route is shaped so that for every leg, at least one runway stays inside your aircraft's glide range from your planned altitude. If the route would leave you outside glide range of any airport, the planner warns you and offers waypoints that keep you covered.
Does the planner account for wind?: Yes. The free tier uses NOAA winds aloft (FB/FD) for the current valid window. Pro adds TAF-driven planning for future departure times, so a route you build for tomorrow morning uses the forecast that applies then, not the wind right now.
Can I export to ForeFlight or Garmin Pilot?: Pro users can export routes as GPX and KML files, which import cleanly into ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot, and most EFB apps that accept waypoint files.
How does glide range work in the calculation?: The planner uses the glide ratio of the aircraft you've selected (or saved) plus your planned altitude to compute glide range from each leg, then checks whether any runway sits inside that circle. Higher altitude or a higher glide-ratio aircraft widens the corridor and lets the planner take more direct routes.
Is the flight planner free?: The core glide-aware planner stays free. Pro adds saved aircraft profiles, GPX/KML export, TAF forecast routing, and personal-minimums checks. See pricing.

Want to practice crosswind technique on the way? Pair this with the runway crosswind calculator, or work out arrival times in Zulu with the pilot UTC time converter.

Send this route to your EFB

Glide-aware VFR flight planner FAQ