Using CoPilot's GPS Instrument

GPS - Global Positioning System Many users have already told us that the GPS instrument alone is worth the price of CoPilot. Here's a quick introduction to using CoPilot's GPS instrument. GPS stands for Global Positioning System, a method for determining exact geographic location by using satellite signals. The operation of CoPilot's GPS is patterned after real world GPS receivers. As you can see from the illustration, there are only a few controls that you'll need to use to put precise navigation at your fingertips.
"How does the CoPilot GPS instrument work?" CoPilot's GPS pretends to operate as if it were a satellite based instrument. But in reality, Flight Simulator "talks" to CoPilot. The GPS can determine the location, altitude, speed, etc. CoPilot uses this information to change the moving map and GPS screen display so that you can visually track your exact position.
"What are the steps for using CoPilot and MS Flight Simulator?" Most users will do the following: Start CoPilot Load the maps for the geographic area that they are going to fly Make their flight plan using CoPilot's QuickPlan Start Flight Simulator Resize their map to occupy a small part of their screen Start and set the GPS to the first waypoint Start flying from their departure airport

"How easy is it to make a flight plan using CoPilot's QuickPlan?" Early users have told us that it's quite easy. After you've loaded the maps for a specific geographical area, click on the QuickPlan icon .
This two-column QuickPlan box appears: Simply choose your Departure and Arrival airports from each column and click OK.
That's all there is to it. CoPilot immediately builds your flight plan adding waypoints as needed. Here's a printout of a flight plan from Chicago (Meigs Field) to White Plains, New York (Westchester County). It has all of the relavent details that you'll need to navigate by conventional means. But CoPilot takes you beyond the conventional and drastically simplifies your navigational chores. Please read on.	.

"Now that I have a flight plan, what's the next step?" The next step is to setup your desktop. First start up Flight Simulator. Now you can display the CoPilot GPS instrument. Many CoPilot users will want to resize the map to a comfortable viewing area next to the FS window. This map then becomes the "moving map". If you'd like, you can reposition the GPS instrument on the FS display.

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"How do I setup the GPS?" Since you've already created a flight plan, the CoPilot GPS can use this plan to direct you exactly to your destination. Click on the GPS SET button. Next click the Flight Plan radio button and you'll see the flight plan from above. These are the waypoint are in the same order the printout. The first entry (labeled 000 KCGX - Meigs Field) is the departure airport. Click on the second entry (001 GIJ - Gipper VOR) so that this appears in the top line of the display and then click OK. The CoPilot GPS is now set to navigate to this navaid - the Gipper VOR GIJ which has a frequency of 115.4 and located N 41 46.1 W 86 19.1. With the CoPilot GPS, all of these details are made redundant. At the bottom right corner you'll also see a box labeled Nearest. These are the distances to thw waypoints in your flight plan from your current position. You'll see that out first waypoint is about 55 nm away.
"So I'm ready to fly. How do I use the GPS to navigate?"
Take off as you normally do with Flight Simulator. When you're at reasonable altitude (say 1500 feet at Meigs heading 360), take a look at the GPS instrument. You'll see CDI which apperas as a black triangle at the top of the GPS instrument. The CDI is the Course Deviation Indicator and tells you which way to fly to reach your waypoint. In this case, the CDI is to the right of center - telling us to "steer right". Each vertical hash mark represents 5 degrees to correct your course heading. The GPS display shows you other pertinent information as well: To: GIJ - waypoint identifier and frequency D - distance - distance to reach your waypoint Nx- CRL - identifier of the next waypoint Hdg - heading - your actual heading Brg - bearing - the compass heading needed to reach your waypoint Arr - arrival - time to reach your destination based on your speed

"What if I want more info?"
Click on the Nav button to display a different grouping of information: 1st Line - current latitude 2nd Line - current longitude A - altitude Hdg - current heading Spd - current airspeed To - current waypoint

"What else can CoPilot do for me?" Easy flight planning and GPS navigation are only part of what CoPilot is capable of doing. Here's a few more unmatched capabilities of CoPilot: automatic link to autopilot convenient latitude longitude readout handy destination alarm display and print aeronautical charts display and print airport diagrams display and print instrument approach plates fast flight planning using manual point-to-point method works with all add-on scenery that you install

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