About NextSimFlight
Welcome to NextSimFlight
NextSimFlight was created to solve a common challenge in flight simulation: finding interesting destinations (or departures) that match your available time and preferred aircraft type. As a flight simulator enthusiast, I often found myself wanting to fly but unsure where to go or where to start from, especially when I had a specific time frame in mind.
Our platform helps you discover new virtual flights by combining:
- Distance and flight time calculations based on your aircraft type
- Real-time METAR and TAF data for realistic weather-based route planning
- VATSIM network integration for multiplayer flights
- Scheduled service information to find active commercial airports
How to Use NextSimFlight
1. Finding Destinations or Departures
- • Enter your departure or destination airport using ICAO code (e.g., EDDF) or search by city name whatever you prefer
- • Choose between searching by flight time or distance
- • Select your aircraft type to get accurate time estimates
- • Specify preferences like scheduled service or VATSIM coverage
- • Click search to find matching destinations/departures
2. Direct Route Lookup
- • Use the direct route lookup for specific origin-destination pairs
- • Enter both ICAO codes to get detailed route information
- • View weather conditions for both airports
- • Check VATSIM controller coverage if available
3. Weather Information
- • Real-time METAR data shows current conditions
- • Color-coded flight rules indicators (VFR, MVFR, IFR, LIFR)
- • Detailed cloud visualization with ceiling information
- • TAF forecasts for flight planning
- • Runway visualization with wind information
4. VATSIM Integration
- • View active ATC positions (TWR, APP, CTR, etc.)
- • See current ATIS information
- • Monitor traffic levels at airports
- • Filter destinations by VATSIM coverage
5. Additional Features
- • Direct dispatch to SimBrief or forwarding to rfinder etc. for further flight planning
- • Detailed airport information including runways and facilities
- • Most searched routes in the last 30 days
- • Support for various aircraft categories and speed profiles
Flight Rules Reference
VFR (Visual Flight Rules)
- Ceiling: Above 3,000 feet AGL
- Visibility: Greater than 5 SM (8 km)
- Ideal for VFR flight simulation
MVFR (Marginal VFR)
- Ceiling: 1,000-3,000 feet AGL
- Visibility: 3-5 SM (5-8 km)
- Good for practicing marginal conditions
IFR (Instrument Flight Rules)
- Ceiling: 500-1,000 feet AGL
- Visibility: 1-3 SM (1.5-5 km)
- Perfect for instrument approach practice
LIFR (Low IFR)
- Ceiling: Below 500 feet AGL
- Visibility: Less than 1 SM (1.5 km)
- Challenging conditions for advanced IFR training
Aircraft Categories
Flight time calculations are based on typical cruise speeds:
Light Aircraft
Examples: Cessna 172, Piper PA28
Cruise Speed: 220 km/h
Fast Piston
Examples: Bonanza, Cirrus SR22
Cruise Speed: 310 km/h
Turboprop
Examples: ATR 72, King Air
Cruise Speed: 500 km/h
Fast Twin-Engine Turboprop
Examples: Dash 8
Cruise Speed: 666 km/h
Regional Jet
Examples: CRJ, E-Jets
Cruise Speed: 810 km/h
Narrow-body
Examples: B737, A32X
Cruise Speed: 833 km/h
Wide-body
Examples: B777, B787, A38X
Cruise Speed: 900 km/h
Calculations include adjustments for climb/descent phases and typical route factors.
Technical Details
Airport Database
Our airport database uses data from OurAirports.com and includes:
- • Over 81,000 aviation facilities worldwide
- • Accurate ICAO and IATA identifiers
- • Precise coordinates for flight planning
- • Elevation data for approach planning
- • Scheduled service status for commercial flights
METAR and TAF Data Integration
Real-time METAR and TAF information from NOAA includes:
- • Current temperature and dew point
- • Surface winds (direction and speed)
- • Visibility conditions
- • Cloud layers and ceiling information
- • Active weather phenomena
NextSimFlight is a hobby project provided free of charge. It does not collect personal data, does not use cookies, and does not generate any revenue through advertisements or other means.
Contact & Feedback
Blue Skies! ✈️
Geri
Airport vector and icon by Chanut Is Industries in CC Attribution License via SVG Repo
Airport data provided by OurAirports
METAR/TAF data from NOAA Aviation Weather Center
VATSIM data provided by VATSIM