Loading PLN into EFB omits terminal waypoints

[MSFS 2024] Bug Reports
,
1

Version: 1.5.3.0

Frequency: Consistently

Severity: High

Marketplace package name: Not marketplace: Little Navmap 3.0.17

Context: Load PLN file into MSFS EFB

Bug description:

Terminal waypoints are only loaded if the element <ICAOAirport> is present
but according to the documentation for EFB PLN files this attribute is optional.

Furthermore the SimConnect facility interface does not provide the ICAOAirport
information for waypoints and other navaids. Therefore Little Navmap cannot include
this information to an exported flight plan.

Repro steps:

Load attached flight plan “VFR RKSS to RKPK - TERM WPT - NOT WORKING.pln” from the RAI_20250527_154126.zip report exported by Little Navmap into EFB.

Recommended solutions:

Make the element ICAOAirport in PLN optional or provide ICAOAirport in the SimConnect
facility interface.

Related GitHub issue:

PNL flight plans saved in LittleNavMap do not load correctly in MSFS 2024 - #1284

Attachments:

RAI_20250527_154126.zip (1.1 MB)

Flight plan files in RAI_20250527_154126.zip

VFR RKSS to RKPK - TERM WPT - NOT WORKING.pln: Terminal waypoint FOKAN without ICAOAirport. This omits FOKAN.
VFR RKSS to RKPK - TERM WPT - WORKING.pln: Terminal waypoint FOKAN with ICAOAirport. This loads ok.
VFR RKSS to RKPK - ENRT WPT - WORKING.pln: En-route waypoint RIMPO without ICAOAirport. This loads ok.

2

Hello,

I think you’re misinterpreting the documentation there. In the EFB PLN file format, the ICAOAirport element is optional across all possible ICAO identifiers; in other words if you are specifying a non-terminal waypoint, it isn’t required to supply that element with no content. Not providing it defaults to a blank airport portion of the sim ICAO identifier.

However, if you are trying to specify a terminal waypoint, there would be no other way of specifying one without this element (since terminal and non-terminal waypoints can have matching ICAO content otherwise legally), so you must provide the ICAOAirport element.

As for SimConnect, I believe that issue has also been raised in another thread, and I believe Asobo is aware of the API issue.

Thanks,
Matt

1 Like
3

Hello Matt,

thank you for your answer.

I’m well aware what a terminal waypoint is and how it is resolved.
I have to deal with limited information (only name and coordinates) to resolve the duplicates in some flight plan formats.

I’d suggest to first try to resolve a waypoint globally using ICAO ident and ICAO region (FOKAN in the example is gloabally unique).
If duplicates appear, use the (optional but here provided anyway) coordinates to find the closest with the given name. This is how it is solved in LNM.

Best,

Alex

4

Unfortunately, that would not be an approach we could use in the PLN loading.

The ICAOAirport element is required in order to specify a terminal waypoint.

Thanks,
Matt

5

Then it would be really helpful to provide it in the SimConnect facility API.

Best,

Alex

6

Hello,

I’m taging this topic as by design.

I created a task to add it in the SimConnect facility API. No ETA at this moment but I will let you know when I have some new to share.

Regards,
Boris

1 Like