FS Flight Keeper released by Aerosoft

FS Flight Keeper 3.01 (FSFK) combines seven programs in one: A Logbook, an Aircraft Black Box, a Flight Weather planning tool, a Flight Information System (ACARS Device), a Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS), a Cockpit Sound Environment enhancement and last but not least Air TV.

The Logbook keeps track of the flights you made. It stores flight times (also day and night times), fuel used, pilot, aircraft used, etc. Whilst the Black Box logs all aircraft events like autopilot settings, engine settings, weather, etc. (check out the full list below). FSFK also features flight Weather Planning (METARs, TAFs and ALOFTs), data export, configurable flight critique, moving map display, instant messaging, screen shot manager and much more. There are so many features that we heard from seriously experienced users that they found new functions months after starting to use the product! If you look at the screen shots you will note that the interface is highly professional and allows easy access to all functions.

FS Flight Keeper contains many features for Virtual Airlines (VA), which need a standardized way of logging, transmitting flights and even want to upload actual flight reporting maps. FS Flight Keeper can transmit fully customizable flight reports via Email or any available Web Service (page). FSFK also offers realtime (live) ACARS. This means that ACARS messages are created in realtime and automatically transmitted to an Virtual Airline web service. The service can then store and process the received messages. Virtual Airline (live ACARS) Traffic can be displayed on the world map. With the Virtual Airline Software Development Kit (SDK) and the contained example services and databases any VA can develop FSFK compatible web service in a really short time.

The Cockpit Sound Environment brings your cockpit to life. Easily add crew announcements, which will be played automatically on different flight situations (e.g. pushback, passenger security information, crew prepare for landing, etc.). You can also add a virtual copilot that gives you aural information for different aircraft status changes (e.g. gear down and locked, glide slope active/captured, etc.). Cabin ambient sounds with full 3-D surround sound support will give you the feeling as if the passengers were really in your aircraft. But sounds can not only be played automatically, you can also play pre configured sounds manually by pressing a configurable hotkey. Last but not least you can add an aural GPWS/TCAS, which can be used for every aircraft even if it does not have one installed by default.

FSFK Air TV creates screen and/or video (webcam) captures and uploads them at a regular interval as JPEG image files to a FTP or HTTP server. Additionally you can add picture in picture (PIP) and text overlays to the captures. A great feature for your Virtual Airline or your personal web site allowing your visitors to visually track your flights.

Last but not least you can access all this information directly from your cockpit without the need to switch any application during your flight. The ACARS Device (Gauge) allows the pilot to easily view all important information and even control FS Flight Keeper while sitting in the cockpit. The ACARS Device offers a detailed text based view on the current weather conditions (e.g. wind and cloud layers with icing, turbulence and wind shear warnings), gives access to all important in-flight states and also contains a detailed airport and navaid information database. Additionally it has a map mode, which displays airports, navaids, traffic and also a detailed elevation overlay.