FlightPrompt easily delivers all the information you need to undertake a flight. It does so by assembling a flight’s airport information, the aircraft’s personalized checklist, and the aircraft’s specific takeoff/approach/landing speeds, into a set of “cue cards”—one for each phase of flight.

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Next, using one of the many available flight planning tools, you prepare your flight plan – Boise, Idaho (KBOI) to the Baker City, Oregon VOR, (BKE), and then to Walla Walla, Washington (KALW). The 180-mile, one-way trip will take one hour and twenty minutes to complete in zero-wind conditions – 45 minutes to BKE and 34 minutes to KALW.

With the payload requirements, you determine you can carry 45 gallons of fuel. Because you always keep careful track of your fuel status, you fill out FlightPrompt’s fuel planning information. FlightPrompt tells you that the total available endurance is 3.2 hours, and your roundtrip will take 2.6 hours – leaving a reserve of .65 hours, on your return.

This is your first time to Walla Walla, so there is no airport data stored in FlightPrompt’s Airport Library. You look up the pertinent information and the runway layout in one of the various publications or on the Internet. Enter the information into FlightPrompt by creating a new airport. FlightPrompt will insert this information into the correct places in the checklist Cue Cards and make the airport diagram easily available during the approach to Walla Walla. It can be stored for later use, and for as long as you like.

Except for route navigation, you have now integrated, into a single, seamless system, all the information needed for the flight –V-speeds, airport frequencies, runway diagrams, fuel monitoring, and checklists.

Paper back up is always a good idea. For day-VFR flights, all you really need is a current Sectional and the nav frequencies. You use the flight planning form located in the FlightPrompt Users Guide to list the nav frequencies, and charge your PDA prior to flight.

At the airport the next day, with the BOI Airport information and the V-speeds for N54321, imbedded into FlightPrompt’s Cue Cards, you only need to verify that you have a current Salt Lake Sectional.

At the aircraft, select the Cockpit Check Cue Card in FlightPrompt. The Cockpit Check is typical of all the screens in FlightPrompt – it lists all the things to look at, do, and think about at this point, on a single screen. The large on-screen buttons allow you to use the system without a stylus.

FlightPrompt contains a generic checklist. You have tailored it for each aircraft you fly by adding Special Items—items that are unique for each aircraft. For the Aircraft Check, there is a Special Item for N54321, making sure it has a minimum of 5 quarts of oil. Notice that the Aircraft Check is a “Do List,” not a “Check List.” It is arranged so that you focus your attention on the aircraft, and not a checklist. Afterward, review the Aircraft Check screen and check any items you may have missed.

“Phase checklists can accomplish all important procedures and you don’t have to rely on your memory.” —AOPA Pilot, 11/2002

At the right time, you turn on the radios. Here, you see the real advantage of having flight information – in this case, Boise’s communication frequencies – imbedded into the checklist. Because of nearby military operations, ATC is issuing VFR departure clearances. While listening to the clearance, you enter the assigned altitude, departure frequency, and squawk.

Boise’s ATIS information tells you that the wind is from 200 at 8 knots and runway 28 is in use. As you listen, you enter the ATIS information into FlightPrompt, using FlightPrompt’s integrated keypad. FlightPrompt calculates that there is a 1-knot headwind and 8-knot left crosswind.

Despite the crosswind, you elect to do a normal takeoff. At the Hold Line Cue Card, you are prompted to start FlightPrompt’s fuel timer.

After taking the runway, you are presented with the V-speeds for N54321 and note that you have only a 20-degree right turn on course for BKE. You have already loaded the necessary communication frequencies into the radios so you won’t need to fumble around when the Tower tells you to contact Departure. Your exit from Boise has been comfortable and uneventful, despite the unusual winds and the need for a departure clearance.

Over BKE, you perform a cockpit flow check and run the fuel management utility from the Cruise Screen. Because of the winds, you reached BKE in 50 (ATA) minutes rather than 45. It doesn’t seem like much time difference, but FlightPrompt reminds you that this means you will return to Boise with a little more than 30 minutes (.568 hours) of reserve (RAD). Since your return will be close to sunset, you decide to keep a close eye on flight plan conformance for the remainder of the flight.

Since this is not the only airplane you fly, you created and stored a Special Item on the Cruise Screen for N54321 to remind you of the best glide speeds for this aircraft.

Twenty miles from KALW, you tap the Descent button to review the Descent Cue Card. Here, FlightPrompt reminds you that the ASOS frequency for KALW is 135.87 and the pattern altitude is 2,204 feet MSL. The wind is from 230 at 16 knots. FlightPrompt tells you that runway 25 has only a 5-knot left crosswind. Referring to the airport diagram and, using the inbound magnetic compass rose, you note the orientation to the airport environment on your current heading of 326 degrees. You plan to enter a left base for runway 25. Even though this is your first time to this airport, you are very comfortable with your arrival.

Over coffee, you check the Reserve at Destination calculation and note that your time to KALW from BKE was 31 minutes for a total flight time of one hour and twenty-one minutes. Your “time plan” called for one hour and twenty minutes, so you are essentially back on schedule, and your fuel plan is on target. Now you prepare for your return to Boise.