Route planning
Generating coordinates
The Flytec varios Element and Connect 1 save geographic points in a list of waypoints. You can either navigate to waypoints individually (“Goto”) or combine several waypoints into a route and fly through those in sequence. Find out more about waypoints on the Element and how to set a route. And equally about waypoints on the Connect 1 and how to set a route. This page shows you how to create a file containing waypoints, which you can then upload onto your vario. In order to convert already existing waypoints files into formats compatible with the Element and the Connect 1, we recommend GpsDump.
In the Element, the waypoint list has a capacity of 350 waypoints. A route can encompass up to 50 waypoints. First, you will need navigation data. You can get this from your mentor or another pilot, or you can use mapping software to generate your own information. For this tutorial you will use XC Planner, a free online tool. You can also use Google Earth, Thermix, or similar software, or even a paper map if you want to do it the hard way.
Drag the red line to position waypoints on the map. In XC Planner, right-clicking creates a new waypoint (Control+click on a Mac). Grabbing and dragging the midpoint of the red line also creates a new waypoint. Let's say you want to fly the classic route from Àger to Organyà, in Spain. You will drag the red line to connect likely thermal sources and soarable ridges along the route:
To generate coordinates for the waypoints along this route, click the box on the right, labelled Download. Save the waypoints as a file after clicking "Download". You can then drag-and-drop this file directly into your Element. To enter the information manually into the Element Track and Connect 1, see waypoints on the Element and waypoints on the Connect 1 respectively.
XC Planner generates the following list of coordinates for you:
WP01 Ager take-off N 42°02.765 E 0°44.774 1565 m
WP02 Vilanova de M N 42°00.631 E 0°54.179 813 m
WP03 Knoll N 42°03.624 E 1°01.746 1135 m
WP04 Ridge N 42°10.894 E 1°04.590 1451 m
WP05 Santa Fe N 42°12.276 E 1°18.458 759 m
WP06 Organya N 42°13.147 E 1°19.339 549 m