AirNav Suite 4
www.airnavsystems.com

When you look up into the sky seeing all those plane continuously flying overhead with their jetstreams wouldn’t you love to know information about them for example where they departed, where they are enroute to, what airline is it, what type of aircraft they are and so on. With AirNav Suite 4 you are able to do this, by downloading data from a server you will be able to see all the information you would like to know about that flight.
AirNav receives (downloads) data from several sources and then presents this on a very good graphical presentation that is easy to read and understand. If you think that’s all it does you are wrong, when its downloaded AirNav cleverly organises and integrates all this information into different sections as we will see later. Viewing Data on AirNav can be done in several formats, you can enter flight data manually (manual mode) or flight management mode whereupon you will receive data from several ACARS decoder’s simultaneously from AirNav’s own Selcal decoder and from the net. Simple, well not at first it’s all very tech but you soon get to know it and find your own favourite way of getting the info. A total of 300 flights worldwide can be viewed each hour!
Now when data is received there is an option called ‘All Heard Management’ which allows you to view how many aircraft, airlines, flights you have received from the net and when. All this depends on the servers. Now this is an important note, AirNav is restricted to what data it receives this is due to the ATC Companies across the world. Obviously these days ATC data is very restricted and not let out to the public very often. Example the UK ATC Services (NATS) does not let out information of its flights, but US centres will if you have special access and authorisations as AirNav do.
90% of all flights crossing the Atlantic and Pacific are tracked, AirNav also has a good coverage for the Australia and New Zealand region, and also some flights in Asia and Africa are tracked. Flights in America will only be UAL (United Airlines) I am unsure of why that is but never the less there are a lot of UAL flights over America at one time! There is a chance some flights will be tracked in Europe but as the ATC Services don’t let info out these flights will be coded as EU, these are server codified flights which do not supply AirNav with a flight number. So just to clear all that up, most flights crossing the Atlantic/Pacific are tracked, along with a large number in Australia and New Zealand, and maybe a few in Europe and Asia.
AirNav can also track flights within 300nm of your location by either manual or using data from an ACARS decoder, but obviously these flights have to report there position for them to be tracked on AirNav.
There are many different ways of receiving information for AirNav these are stated clearly below:
• If you would like to use your ACARS decoder with AirNav don’t worry as all commercial Decoders are compatible with AirNav, and easy to setup. If you choose to use a decoder AirNav will give you Real time information for each message you receive and track the flight via its flight number.
• There is a completely new device with AirNav called Selcal Real-time Interface. This will allow you to receive data from the Selcal decoder and integrate this information to be shown on clear graphical presentations.
• Another great device is Terminal and Flight Management Mode that enables you as the user to enter a position manually into AirNav that a pilot has reported and start tracking that aircraft from its location.

There are also other small features like:
• When clicked on an aircraft there is a menu that pops up giving you the different things to do, but also ‘View Pictures Of This Plane’ with a direct link to Airliners.net and then sorting the RegCode within seconds you will have not only radar contact but also real pictures, Great
• A METAR program that enables you to request weather from any airport worldwide by simply typing in the ICAO Code.
• A cool recording utility that allows you to record the current aircraft on your screen as they move. Not sure what you would use it for but it would come in handy im sure.
• Time: An important feature in flight. AirNav will also estimate arrival times for any aircraft and also track aircraft for the time you specify (90mins etc.).
• And also graphical maps that allow you to visit all over the world with a click of the button or even make your own.
• Great new views which include flat map centring on a country or FIR, or a globe view showing the round globe and all the flights around. Or even a globe view that rotates!
• Brand New HTML Help for all you beginners like me.
• Great colour effects (sunlight/sunset effects)
• And track different aircraft with different windows opened at the same time! (Multi-window display)

Not only this but while looking at the flight details you will see the company (BAW = British Airways) aircraft type (763 = Boeing 767-300) the registration number, the flight number, and the routing (EGLL – KJFK).

All in all AirNav Suite 4 is one great program. Instead of sitting in your lounge listening to the horrible crackling of your Airband Receiver, why not get this program and watch real time flight movements with up to 300 flights at anyone time. While reading the latest METAR, and viewing details of the flight your tracking (plane type, routing, estimated times, company) All this and much, much more that you will find inside this great package.

If you are into listing to your Airband Receiver this is a must have for you. If you are into flight tracking this is for you, and even if you just love flying this is for you. Anyone who likes flying will instantly fall in love with this program.

With Thanks To:
AirNav – For letting me review their brand new product!

Special Thanks To:
Andre Brandao – For all your help!

Requirements:
Windows 95+ - It Will not support any MAC Version.
At least 9.5mb of space

Now if you think this is for you please place an order for only $69.95

Look for my next review – The FULL GoFlight GF-AC Rack!

Joseph Cook
FSPlanet Reviews
www.fsplanet.com
www.basva.cjb.net
joseph-cook@lineone.net   Comments Are Welcome