FF submits GPS coordinates for VFR reporting points in FP
What else can it do? You can’t use things like “Shoreham Tunnel” as an ICAO compliant VRP name 
And waypoints created by rubber-banding (probably the majority of waypoints on VFR FPs) can be sent only as coordinates. Hence great threads like this… I suspect @Hunnicat has never been seen again
Sounds like FF should learn from EuroFPL
Maybe FF could contract EuroFPL for VFR FPs
Peter wrote:
What else can it do? You can’t use things like “Shoreham Tunnel” as an ICAO compliant VRP name
Actually FF has VRP names and it shows them on the map. When you make VFR plan and include these VRPs, they will be listed in FPL box and Navlog but they will not be submitted with FP. Croatian ARO would be happy to see these VRPs in the FP exactly like that (named) while e.g. Slovenian ARO wants to see GPS coordinates.
Thank you @Josh_Tahmasebi_ForeFlight and the FF team for sponsoring this lucky winner of the first EuroGA quiz.
Let’s hope for many flight hours this year!
@Emir wrote:
they will be listed in FPL box and Navlog but they will not be submitted with FP
Actually they will be submitted, but only if they have a name made out of 5 characters, e.g. DOMEN. But longer names, e.g. SLIMMINGE, will be replaced with something like VP002 in the FPL box and with coordinates in the flight plan. I have reported this bug to Foreflight twice since a year ago, it has been acknowledged, but no actions have been taken. @Josh_Tahmasebi_ForeFlight perhaps you can escalate it?
The correct behaviour as far as I understand it is to replace VRPs with coordinates or VOR radials in the flight plan. Also, please get rid of the VP002 and such in FPL box. Just use the actual VRP name, just like it works with DOMEN.
Swedish ARO got mad once when I included VRP names in the flight plan and they called me on the phone and asked to resubmit with coordinates or VOR radials. I think they are correct. On the other hand, in Greece they got mad because I included coordinates. Go figure… It would be nice if they all adhered to the same standards.
Actually they will be submitted, but only if they have a name made out of 5 characters, e.g. DOMEN. But longer names, e.g. SLIMMINGE, will be replaced with something like VP002 in the FPL box and with coordinates in the flight plan.
In Croatia the majority of VRPs are in form S1, N2 and similar although there are longer ones like “PULA LIGHTHOUSE”. AFAIK when FF submits FP, these are replaced with GPS coordinates.
I suspect there is some mixup of IFR intersections and five-letter VRPs. Weirdly enough, they display as VRPs on the map, so the information is there.
Everything would be simpler if all VRP were also 5-letter names of the same kind as IFR waypoints.
Airborne_Again wrote:
Everything would be simpler if all VRP were also 5-letter names of the same kind as IFR waypoints.
I think Mohammed has to go to the mountain this time.
Emir wrote:
In Croatia the majority of VRPs are in form S1, N2 and similar
That’s similar in France, they use N, N1, NW, S, … which I find quite good, since in addition makes it very easy when pronounced on the radio. Here in Norway, they use the name of the place, which is much less convenient. For example, Værnes has report points like Hønnestad, Hommelvik, Brenmo, Ausetvatnet… If you don’t have any knowledge of how to pronounce Norwegian names, this is really not easy. And even if you do, since there are many dialects around and these are very local names, you light still struggle when the local ATC guy from another part of Norway to where you are used to say one of these names… The system using N (which is of course said as November on the radio) is a lot easier and less prone to errors.
I’m not 100% certain, but I believe that using coordinates and radial/dist in FPL is ICAO standard and must be accepted in a FPL. Waypoints are limited to 5 chars, so any VFR waypoint names longer than that in a FPL cannot be guaranteed to be accepted by all receiving stations. This is a challenge for all flight planning software, not just ForeFlight. I believe that Rocket Route and EasyVFR submit “non-standard” (i.e. >5 char) waypoints as coordinates in submitted FPL simply to be certain that the FPL is not rejected. While some countries like Norway and Croatia may prefer to receive the longer names, coding these in FPL is technically speaking not ICAO-conform. They have done themselves a disfavour by using names that can’t be coded using ARINC 424 or not simply accepting the coexistence of both names as is done without much ado in Italy.
A VPxxx format version is required for the longer names if the waypoint is to be included in panel unit ARINC 424 navdata provided by Jepp and others. If ForeFlight exchanges routes with a panel unit, then the data needs to be standardized between the two. In the example above, the ForeFlight nav window is correct. DOMEN is a valid 5-char waypoint and can be used directly. But SLIMMINGE cannot be transmitted to a panel GPS such as an Avidyne IFD because it doesn’t meet navdata requirements. I’m not sure how other navdata providers code this, but Jepp generates corresponding VPxxx waypoints in the panel unit navdata and ForeFlight uses the same Jepp navdata. Sure, the GPS coordinates could be used instead but that is much less user-friendly and less efficient use of valuable map real estate.
What ForeFlight does not allow is direct entry of the longer names in the Edit FPL window on the Map page. One needs to use the map, touching the VFR waypoint and then in the Add to Route window verify using the More button that the most likely VPxxx waypoint is correct. This is clunky. FF should be smart enough to allow one to type SLIMMINGE in the window and translate that to the corresponding VPxxx name rather than giving an error.
