SkyDemon Forums

Feature Request: AI-Powered Auto VFR Route Planner

http://23588_2017.hs2.instantasp.net/Topic38995.aspx

By Diplomat - 6/2/2026 5:05:11 PM

Hi Team,
First of all, thank you for continuing to develop what I (and many others) believe is still the best VFR moving map and planning tool in Europe. The clarity of the vector charts, the excellent airspace depiction, and the overall ease of use in the cockpit are second to none.
I recently noticed that Air Navigation Pro has introduced an AI Auto VFR Route Planner. It automatically suggests optimized routes based on departure time, weather, airspace, terrain, and other factors. While I’m very happy with SkyDemon’s current planning tools, I think a smart, optional AI route suggestion feature would be a fantastic addition.

Why I think it would be useful:

Quickly generate good initial route ideas for longer cross-country flights
Help evaluate multiple options around complex airspace (especially in central Europe)
Save time during pre-flight planning without removing pilot control
Still allow easy manual adjustment of any suggested route (rubber-banding etc.)

It would be great if it could be implemented as an optional tool (so the current manual workflow stays untouched for those who prefer it).
I’m sure many pilots who fly longer VFR trips would really appreciate this. Would the development team consider something like this in a future update?

Happy to provide more details or examples if helpful.
Thanks again for the great product!
By Tim Dawson - 6/3/2026 3:32:19 PM

It's a fair question, and I don't actually think it has anything to do with AI.

For many years there have been services that will offer a suggested route for a VFR flight, taking into account airspace, terrain, obstructions etc. This isn't a use for large-language models; it's a relatively simple best-route algorithm taking into account the things in the way. However to date, we haven't receive a lot of interest in such a feature, so it hasn't got anywhere near being prototyped in SkyDemon.

SkyDemon makes it very easy to plan flights. As another commenter said, the easy process of planning your flight by rubber-banding it to avoid hazards will make you aware of those hazards, which is a good thing. Could an automatic routing algorithm give you a slightly more optimised route? Possibly, but the difference would probably be negligible.