Beginners Guide to LittleNavMap - the best free flight planning add-on for Flight Simulator
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 พ.ค. 2024
- A whistle-stop tour of the basic functionality of LittleNavMap - by far the best free flight planning and navigation add-on for Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane, P3D, and FSX. It's been a while since I first looked at LittleNavMap - about time I looked again.
* NOTE - When I become confused looking for the VATSIM sectors, bear with me - I realise how it works a minute or two later.
#MSFS #FlightSimulator #Flight #Simulator #LittleNavMap #Free #BeginnersGuide #HowTo #Beginner #Guide #Tutorial #Planning #Map #Plan #Flightplan - เกม
This is the most useful Little Navmap tutorial I could find. Very clear and covers a lot of information I could not find elsewhere. Your tutorial made the program usable for me. Thanks!
Great tutorial, Jonathan! I've been using LNM for a year but I learned about several features I hadn't known before. We're really lucky that among the many fans of flight sims there are some who enjoy creating liveries, new aircraft, new airports, amazing (and even free) software like this, and excellent videos like yours. Thanks and Merry Christmas!
You're welcome - and a belated new year to you and yours too :)
I got this a couple of days ago on your recommendation - it's totally incredible! The basics are dead easy to use, but I can already see it's got a ludicrous amount of detail and complexity. So easy to make a basic flight plan and load it into X-Plane. Enormous thanks just for the recommendation. This vid adds so much more to this invaluable tool. Already can't imagine being without it! Marvellous! You really should be getting more likes and views, your content is perfectly pitched with just the right amount of detail and explanation, expertly presented.
Thankyou!
Excellent overview of Little Navmap plus the extra info related to associated apps etc, many thanks for your hard work.
Great and very clear intro into LNM . Can't wait to get into it and explore it's many features. Thanks a bunch.
You're welcome :)
Just what I needed, a tutorial for Little Nav Map. Thx for sharing Jon !
Glad it was helpful!
Just came across this software and watched your instructional video; wonderful, just wonderful. Thank you so much for all your videos. Even an old person like me could follow along and enjoy it.
A fantastic program! Thank you for showcasing it in such an excellent, informative, relaxed style!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank You Jonathan! Great stuff you put out for us all! Really appreciate it!
You're welcome - thankyou for watching!
Thank-you sir: Outstanding tutorial for an incredible open-source program.
Great tutorial, I’ve been struggling with a mixture of simtoolkitpro, navigraph, skyvector, etc for basic VFR routes with VORs, but this looks perfect for me.
You're very welcome!
Thank you so much for this introduction to LittleNavMap. I have downloaded/installed and saved this video for reference. It's a massive piece of software and will take a bit to learn what I need to know but your video gives so much more insight than just reading the manual (which I have been looking at too to be fair). This is going to help me a lot particularly with commercial flight plans that MSFS flight planner falls short on. Many many thanks.
You're welcome :)
WOW. Thank you Jonathan for the fantastic guide to Little NavMap. I just recently installed it and thanks to men like you sharing the knowledge I can now start using it with more confidence. Outstanding video and I'll be watching it a few more times as I'm getting comfortable with this superb software. I still can't believe than Alexander makes this freely accessible to all. Best regards and happy flying.
Thank you :)
Great guide! Thanks to watching your content, I've now adopted using the great tool! Thanks!
Glad to help!
Outstanding, thanks - exactly what I needed and will be so useful to others.
Cheers :)
Many thanks for all the time you have spent on this video. I agree, the intial reaction on having downloaded it is panic . Based on your help i have have jumped in and connected to MSFS, Look forward to many hours of increased enjoyment using LNM . A really great program as your comments at the end of your video ,happy flying.
You're very welcome
@Jonathan Beckett, thanks for a comprehensive and excellent tutorial on LNM features and options! It's been of great help!
Thanks - don't forget to subscribe to see my new videos.
Great run through of this fantastic program. Thanks Jonathan.
My pleasure!
Fantastic Jonathan ! Really enjoyable ! Merry Christmas to you and yours 👍🙏🏻👨✈️✈️ 🎅🏻 Such a cool piece of software 😎
Many thanks!
I just went through your tutorial, and installed the Transmitter Program. Excellent work on both parts. I have a Navigraph Subscription and import that data into Little Navmap. I just need to use it more to get more familiar. It has so many unique features.
Great to hear!
Only very recently able to install MSFS and this is one of my first additional bits of software. Feel like I need to learn how to use this with some flight planning before being able to make the use of the simulator!! Great video to get me going! Thanks
Glad I could help!
Thank you very much for this overview. It explains it so well! What an incredible piece of software.
You're very welcome!
Thank you very much, Jonathan. I was not aware of LNM, which I am now using all the time along with the MSFS. It definitely boosts the realism of the experience!...
Actually, it's sort of cheating :) The "real experience" would be taking an OFP for a big jet or a printed chart with drawing on it for a simulated 1970s Cessna trip :)
Very informative tutorial, never knew about the info it tracked on my own flights, absolutely wonderful tool and the fact that it's free is honestly mind blowing. I'll definitely be sending the developer some kind of contribution because this has been my number one flight tool since finding out about it.
The performance tracking is fantastic.
Amazing tutorial! Very helpful. Thanks so much for making this 👍
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great tool, I have seen you use it in some of your video's and now that I am up and running with MSFS I am learning to use it and do all my flight planning. The aircraft performance flight and merge, I did not know it calculated it so you can merge it, I just used the POH for the Skymaster 2 I am using and plugged some numbers from the performance charts. Back in the day when I flew GA, it was a sectional chart, geese pen and and E6B and phone calls to get the weather.....how times have changed.
It's mad that we can get world-wide weather for free, isn't it :)
Difficult to cover in one video? Really??
You covered more then enough to keep me busy for the next few weeks or months.
This is an absolutely excellent and versatile program which looks pretty intimidating in the beginning, but comes together watching your video.
It makes IFR flying the "Old Iron" like the DC-3 and the DC-6, without all the fancy nav systems and AP, a lot more enjoyable in MSFS.
This superb tutorial will help me to take on some advanced challenges with the "Old Iron" equipped with Gyro-Pilot.
Thank you so much for the effort and the time to create this video.
Thank you so much!! i have been scared of the making route but thanks to you i can do
You can do it!
And this is free?!? Holy cow! I'm going to get this, as y'all say, straightaway! And thanks for an awesome tutorial! I've always had problems finding which arrival and approach and arrival to use.
Hope you continue to enjoy using it
Great tutorial. Thanks for sharing your knowledge of this crazy amazing software. There are so much in this app!
My pleasure!
Need to spend more time of this amazing piece of software. How can this developer be so smart ? Clearly he’d appreciate a donation :) Thx for sharing Jon !
Couldn't agree more!
This is a really great tutorial, helped me a lot. Thanks!
Great to hear!
Your voice and videos are awesome and I have been watching your vids since your recommendation for pmdg
Thanks and welcome
I use it but this shocked me. Its free but I sent five pounds but now I feel embarrassed and I will send more. Please remember to buy the developer a coffee. ( or a new house )
LittleNavMap is an amazing piece of software.
Just started using this great tool, thank you for some useful information.
Worth of mentioning - latest versions can import/export from/to Simbrief, what gives us the complete experience being virtual pilot:)
Using LNM for many years, I still learned something new in your tutorial. Thank you , it is surely not easy, to give a broad overview and at the same time dive deeply into important items. You have done an excellent job .
.....
There is one thing, I would appreciate a lot : to be able to popup LNM on top with just a mouseclick or a keystroke and KEEP it on top of all windows.
When I fly in XP11 or MSFS there is LNM always running in the background as a graphical and universal database.
If you need any VOR frequency or ATIS frequency you get what you need.
But you have to use the WIN-key and click on the icon of LNM in the bottom line to put the MAP on top..... and every little click on your cockpit makes LNM disappear.
Greetings from Germany.
You might want to read this - www.windowslatest.com/2022/01/10/you-can-now-keep-any-app-window-on-top-of-others-on-windows-11-windows-10/
@@jonbeckett Thank you very much Jonathan - it really works fine. Even now - i am typing this answer on utube - i still have LNM on top-left of my screen and i still see where my aircraft is.
Thank you Jonathan! very informative.
My pleasure!
Excellent video!
I stopped using this a while ago as I use NaviGraph and SimBrief.
Not sure what this adds. Will check it out again after I have watched this video.
Great and very clear tutorial thank u Jonathan.
You're welcome
Extremely helpful! Thanks you!
You're welcome.
This is going to be my trusted companion when the next installment of MS Fsim comes with a career path. I just hope that there will be some VR add-on that enables use of this.
excellent detail thanks, would help if your mouse pointer is bright colour so its easier to see what you clicking.
Great tutorial Jonathan. Thanks.
My pleasure!
Little nav map is an amazing piece of software, thanks for the video tutorial. You have really helped me a lot!
I need to record a new version using the beta - it's changed quite a lot.
I’ll give the beta a look, would you say it’s much better?
@@Q3ark A lot of the crashing bugs have gone :) SIDs and STARs have been improved too.
I know that these videos take a lot of your time and resources and I can appreciate that. I do learn a lot but for some like me it would be helpful to have a short video where you zoom in to your screen and actually show what you are doing so that we can follow along without so much pausing and rewinding. I am not sure if that is worth your while or not but is just a thought. I am older and have had a stroke so it is a little more difficult to learn some of these new ideas. Thank you and keep up the great work that you do.
I've had a few people say the same thing. I'll do a video about Little Nav Map again soon - with the screen magnified.
@@jonbeckett As I watched more of the video, I noticed that it was the title of the video that seemed to pop up in front of your mouse that covered a portion of what you were trying to show. Not sure if anything can be done about it or not but I thought I would mention it. I look forward to your next video on Little Navmap because I am really wanting to understand it more. Thanks again.
Excellent, thank you VERY much!
Glad you enjoyed it - don't forget to subscribe to see my new videos.
I love LNM and I've bought Alexander a drink. Got an email back, too.
Thanks for the walk through on Little Navmap, very well put together, I am new to flight sim but I can't work out the street map button as I don't appear to have one on my version of Little Navman. Cheers Johnathan
Really useful and clear - many thanks
Glad it was helpful!
Simply incredible!, highest regards! S
Cheers :)
Very helpfull, thank you
this looks amazeballs, small request, please could you do whatever puts a circle around your mouse cursor, my old man eyes cant see what its up to. I shall download this tomorrow. thanks again for putting all this work so we can have more fun.
Love LNM... donated to Alex and will donate to him each and every year the same amount... Incredible piece of software...
It is very, very good isn't it.
Wonderful. Thank you.
Cheers :)
Amazing Tutorial.
Glad it was helpful!
Great video tutorial, thanks! Question - are we able to overlay this LNM's map in MSFS? Perhaps within the floating VFR map, G1000/G3000 or an aircraft that supports it?
There are various VR addons that allow LittleNavMap to be seen in 3D - not sure if they might also work for MSFS generally. Worth taking a look at.
Great Presentation. Thanks
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great introduction thank you. Suggestion, can you use a dark mouse pointer, hard to see it move on the map, thank you
When I recorded it I was using a 4K screen - I'll do an updated video on it soon.
Great presentation and tutorial on LittleNavMap, I finally got it connected with x-plane. The only question I have is making a flight plan with waypoints and putting it into the Cessna 172 G350. When I press enter it wont accept it and add it to my flight plan. Any ideas?
Great tutorial! At 14:00 you talk about different map backgrounds, I think the latest version has possibly changed this? Am I missing this otpion somewhere as it does not appear for me.
Yes - the latest version has changed the maps :)
Very informative well presented and knowledgeable thank you
One question can you recommended a mid range gaming laptop. I use to fly the old flight sim and want to get this latest flight sim but not sure of a good enough lap top... your help would be appreciated
That's a good question. I'm afraid I don't know much about laptops any more - but if you take a look at some of the magazines, they do group tests pretty often.
Great video! If I have a .pln file already downloaded on my PC can I use LNM to open and print it?
Thankyou for an absolutely brilliant tutorial. It is, by far, the best, most comprehensive and understandable video on this amazing software that I have ever seen. I have a very quick question: must MSFS 2020 be running before you open LittleNavMap? Or, is it your recommendation? Thankyou again.
You can run LittleNavMap before or after - it will connect when it can. Just check the simulator menu if it has not connected .
@@jonbeckett Thanks for such a quick reply. Merry Christmas.
@@petersalkeld Merry Christmas to you too!
Thanks for another great tutorial, what a fantastic program this is, I can’t believe it is free.
I am trying to fly the route in one of your previous videos from EDDN to EDDF which uses the SPES1S STAR into Frankfurt but for some reason this does not show in the list of procedures for Runway 25L in my Little Navmap.
I have selected show all procedures so I am a bit confused as to what is happening here. I understand that the number or letter after the STAR can change but SPES is not showing at all.
Have you loaded the scenery into LittleNavMap recently to make sure it's up to date ? Over time the SIDs and STARs change too - so a subsequent update might mean the exact routes I chose are no longer available.
Thanks!
Another awesome tutorial, thanks Jonathan. Is there any way to have LNM orient heading up rather than always a north orientation?
No - LittleNavMap is always north up.
13:12 hello macclesfield my hometown
Excellent tutorial
Glad you enjoyed it - don't forget to subscribe to see my new videos.
Jonathan, Thank you for the informative vids. I'm almost 70 and it's really hard to follow the small white cursor. For the purposes of your vids a large colored cursor would be very helpful for folks like me! Thanks again.
I was using 4K when I recorded this video - I'll do another one on Little NavMap soon in 1080p (which will have a bigger cursor).
@@jonbeckett Much appreciated, and making it orange or a similar color would really go a long way towards making it easy to follow. Thanks again!
Fantastic tutorial. Just one note, if you begin you aircraft cold & dark the route will not be loaded in the fmc at least not for the CRJ. When I try to enter it manually from airways to vor it won't recognize some even though my airac cycle is up to date.
It depends on the aircraft. Some of the aircraft in the sim have their own airac database - and then you rely on Navigraph to update them (with a paid subscription!). It's really frustrating.
V.interesting toot. Thank you. BTW Who or what is 'velanther', please?
Hello, Jonathan, very clear tutorial, on the 13:35 you did mention about AddOns to install google map in the directory fo this program, could you tell me which AddOns is it, or where can I download it , thank you
If you google LittleNavMap and Google Maps, you'll find the download :)
@@jonbeckett Thanks I found it ;-)
Hi Jonathan, I know that you are very knowledgeable on this program but sadly, I couldn't sort it for P3Dv5.3. Any constructive advice would be welcomed?
Very helpful thank you. Just a question about the size of app, does it affect performance of flight sim, etc etc!
Not at all
Many thanks but can it also get me to and from the stands from cold start to shut down?
I am new to flight practices but want to know more about flight nav, navigation controls, procedures, etc. But I don't have the time or money for flight school (Im currently in school for civil engineering). I want to lean this with the intent on eventually get flight training for private license. In the meantime I want to get a yoke have fun with flight simulator. Outside of flight simulator, what resources are around for me to learn the proper practices of flying?
LM looked so far away and Complicated as you say in this video - 100% correct For 30 years I held a PPL but Flight Plans in my day
were somewhat simpler and I dont bother in my 30 years of flight simming to go beyond the straight line distance - the weather etc
and I never flew IFR because I was colour blind so I couldnt get that licence - now with these modern sims Flight planning seems even more complicated until I discovered this video and your list of How To, So here goes and I will see how soon I can produce a plan and load and fly in an aircraft --- PS - Any chance you could do a playlist of all your vids - takes some sorting to get all your How to's and which sim
That's a really good idea about the playlists - I'll see what I can do.
@@jonbeckett Thanks for that - now how about a "How to" in your usual detail for Fabeo's "Flight Control Replay"
"FCR for idiots - so to speak - and how you do your videos
@@jayteeaitch I'll take a look at FCR when I get a chance :)
Brilliant video but is the ILS Glideslope included when I drag out a route? Or do you have to enter the ILS manually?
If you mean "will the aircraft figure out the ILS itself?" - no. You have to program the NAV radios in most aircraft. In the big jets (Airbus family, for example), they automatically set the ILS frequency (if there is one) when you are near the destination.
Okay thanks. So regardless of the aircraft, you have to activate (tell the plane) to use the ILS. I assume the ILS is the standard tool the autopilot uses if the plane is to land by itself. It would be convenient if you could enter ILS (freq) in your route from Litte navmap, which you then enter into FMC.@@jonbeckett
Thanks for the tutorial Jonathan. Ive used Plan G in the past and it shows VRP's on the map. Is there a way for little nav map to show the VRP's as well?
What's a VRP ? If you mean "visual reference point", you can add your own symbols to the map - it's in the right click context menu when you click on the map.
Hello, Johanthan! Thank you for your tutorial! I'am learning from you and you're awesome teacher!
I planned my flight recently and I noticed that some VOR point don't work in MFS2020. For example VOR SXC 111.40 (near KAVX airport). I tune to its frequency, swap and nothing happens. Even if I fly near it and my Cessna 152 doesn't catch it. So far, I noticed at least 3 of those broken VOR points. Is it a game bug or I am doing something wrong?
Ok, so I figured it out. The problem is with Little Nav Map. The frequencies are wrong there. SkyVector shows the correct frequencies as well as MFS2020 itself. Sadly, we can not correct frequencies in LNM
You need to make sure what you're seeing in LittleNavMap agrees with the simulator. In the Scenery menu, you can "Load Database" - which makes LNM read the flight sim scenery database. If you have navigraph, that's going to complicate it further.
@@jonbeckett Thanks! That helped! You're the best! Much respect!
I'd like to use LNM more for recreation, just following my plane on a map, being able to see the city names. I've managed to get it working on a second laptop for that, but when zoomed in, the colors used for the flight paths are so opaque, I can barely see the underlying map with city names and other features. Is there way to make the color overlay more transparent, or to close these other things so I'm looking at my plane flying over a map I can see?
All of the buttons across the top of LNM let you switch on and off different symbols on the map - you can also save and load layouts.
@@jonbeckett Thanks. That worked. It was a button in the second row, "Show or hide all air spaces" that made the biggest difference.
the problem with this is that the default data is airac 1801, which I think is from the middle ages or something, so to get the most ouf of it you really need to invest in a data update, which takes a lot of the "free" out of it.
If you load from the simulator, you get the simulator data - which is updated every couple of months by Asobo.
Really helpful video thankyou. I now have Little Navmap up and running and it follows my flights perfectly. However I cannot use any of the flight plans i have made in LNM. I save them from the menu for MSFS as PLN files. Go to load in Map mode on the sim, select it from the folder and press ok. It takes me back to the map but no flight plan loaded and the ready to fly button is not activated, so aalso I have tried loading in game from the departure airport, still no flight plan loading. Can any suggest a solution please.
That sounds very strange. Have you tried it with a simple flight plan ?
From LNM, possible to export to a format PMDG understands ? How about import/export with Simbrief ?
I know the 737 understands Simbrief - it's covered in the manual. It's a little convoluted, but is possible.
Can this be used in conjunction with XBox series x or viewed on an iPad?
Does this work with DCS (Digital Combat Simulator) or just those sims listed above? This makes me think of getting MSFS. Good job.
I think it only works with MSFS, FSX and Xplane. Volanta works with DCS :)
@@jonbeckett Hey, thank you for your swift response John, if I do ever go the MSFS way I will definitely come back for your tutorials!
Hi Jonathan, Newby here, thanks for your tutorial, great!!! I wonder if you can help with is probably a rudimentary issue but I have not been able to fix it . When I have the map on screen if I try to zoom in as you do in the tutorial , my map turns to a very cluttered multi coloured map which looks nothing like when you are plotting a plan. Thanks
You're showing the sectors - there are buttons in the toolbar to switch them off :)
Thank you, I did find them after I set my message. Sorry for bothering with a very basic question.
Great channel!
I play on Xbox and I assume I cant connect little navmap with it. What would be a good way to get the plan and info to mfs on my xbox?
Not possible
Thank you very much, why when I create the flight plan between 2 airports, the yellow line of the flight plan does not show to me? Cheers
Are you showing the flight plan ? (Check the icons above the plan that switch on and off the various elements on the map)
I've just downloaded LittleNavMap and wanted to 'follow along' with this tutorial, but Booker is not showing on my version. I noticed you have an extra 'force map to show add-on airports' button at the top. Is this something you can download from the LNM website?
Never noticed. Did you tell LNM to load the scenery from your SIM ?
@@jonbeckett Ah, I think that's the issue. I've downloaded it onto my laptop to have a play so it's not connected to MSFS.
Downloaded the app, but no executable file found in the folder anywhere.
What's when on departure a stripped line appears and says manual before the first waypoint?
Exactly what it says - manual navigation to the waypoint.
Can i please ask were you get the google terrain map you mentioned in your vid if its not to much trouble👍
www.avsim.com/forums/topic/548994-new-maps-for-lnm/
@@jonbeckett Thank you very much Jonathan. This is the very first time i am using LNM so have a lot to look at. Thanks for all you vids on this subject, very easy to understand and use👍
Hi again Jonathan. I have been using little navmap for around 3 hours so far and would like to ask you another question if that's ok. Can you advice as to why on certain airports in the UK, as that's all I have flown around, certain airports are displaying a red circle with a red cross in the middle and the name for the airport has a line through it like for example Wickham Market (EGVC). There seems to be a few dotted around the UK that are like this, is there any reason why. Hope you understand my query
Thank you for the great tutorial. I have a few problem tho. I do exactly what you do when planning the flight but for some reason when I load the game either it didn't show the approach type that I chose on the world map menu or it gives me totally different flight plan (generally missing lines) in the MCDU. What could be the reason for this? I am not subscribed to Navigraph maybe this is the cause for the program to be outdated and the waypoints are different? I looked for AIRAC cycle in the scenery section on the program and it says 1801 (same as yours in the video). Mostly this is the reason but I still wanted to get your idea. Thanks again.
If you have airac 1801, I'm guessing you have X-Plane? If you re-load the scenery database in LittleNavMap, and make sure you are not using any navigraph data you may have acquired from anywhere else, you should find LNM agrees with the simulator.
@@jonbeckett No, I have MFSM but as you said I checked the scenery database and saw that navigraph data was selected so I unchecked and reload database (still says 1801 AIRAC btw). Flight plan seems flawless in the world map menu but still I am facing some problems with flight plan in the MCDU. It either has flight-plan discontinuity or at some point in the plan, lines going somewhere irrelevant.
@@NaginisFate I think you've discovered one of the many bugs in MSFS :)
@@NaginisFate Just had a thought - what plane are you using? I've seen the FlyByWire A320 render flightplans really badly from time to time - the Fenix is usually ok.
@@jonbeckett oh I see yes I am using A32NX. Then I will try to enter the flight plan to the MCDU manually by selecting correct ones :) Thanks a lot for your time. Have a good flight plan :)
Can LNM 'pick up' a flight plan from FS2020 and show the route on the LNM? I know it shows the plane, but is there a quick setting that allows it to show the route when only planned in FS2020?
No. Only if you saved the flight plan before launching the simulator.
@@jonbeckett Thanks.
So I open little nav map, I create a flight plan and save it. Then I open flight simulator 2020 and on the home screen where you set your origin and destination, I click on the load from computer button and select the flight plan I just saved. But nothing happens in flight simulator. Isn't it supposed to load itself up into flight simulator automatically and into the GPS and autopilot settings? Am I missing a step?
not used it in a while hadn't used it too long before either, trying to understand why updating MSFS data is literally going to take a DAY to update??, nuts! why could it be taking so long this time?? , btw yours is the best tutorial for this, even though the apps UA looks so different now ... pace wise perfect, and even if not, users have the ability to pause, it actually shows you care people learn from this, and that;s imho the most important thing..thx...ps it's BeyondATC that's got my buzz back probably not the only one there! just had a brainfart, is this time lag happening because i'm using google maps thather than bing?, i'm confused? lol
Yep - I need to re-visit LittleNavMap to show it up-to-date. It's still largely the same, but a lot of the toolbars and menus have changed.
Is this useable while in VR? I have not tried it yet, but would be interested if anyone has and perhaps some pointers on how to go about it. I know for example you can get Navigraph in VR
I don't have VR, so can't say - I do know people at use VR though, and I think there is a mod to use it.
Great Tutorial, is there a tutorial to add and install on Google map?
If you Google "littlenavmap Google maps" you'll find it
@@jonbeckett Thank you Merry Christmas