Background
FltPlan.com offers the following information to our users who find themselves "on the road" without the convenience of a printer to print out current flight information. FltPlan.com, as you might know, provides you a way to email NavLogs, Passenger Briefings and Flight Schedules. However, past experience, has shown that some Hotels and FBOs will not give you access to their "company" computer in order to retrieve these emails.
We considered incorporating a faxing option into our website but decided the easiest (and cheapest) method for you to send (and receive) a fax was for you the user to send it yourself. You get what you want, sent where you want it, and when you want it...usually without any long distance telephone charges.
After some testing, we have determined that there is a simple way to send yourself a fax. Some of our users are already faxing flight info to FBOs and Hotels in lieu of using a printer and we encourage their feedback, which we will post on this information page, to share with other pilots. Just email your suggestions to Support@FltPlan.com .
Requirements
1.) First things first...if you don't have a fax modem in your computer...you won't be able to fax anything. Just about every computer sold in the last 3 years has a fax modem already installed. If you have an old computer or for some reason you have just a regular modem, you can buy a Fax modem for about $30. They are easy to install.
2.) Next, you will probably need to buy some kind of faxing software. We have tried some of the generic/preloaded fax programs found on several different operating systems and while they were all able to fax a page from the Internet, they usually had limitations that made the whole process too time consuming, complicated and useless. The object was to make it fast and easy. While there are probably many faxing software programs out there, we recommend using WinFax Pro (version 10.0 or better).
Why we liked WinFax Pro
WinFax Pro provided an uncomplicated procedure in three major areas:
1.) Easily loads the desired web pages in the fax software - WinFax made it simple. On some generic faxing software we were able to send the web page to the generic fax software but we had trouble finding where the fax was stored when it came time to send the fax.
2.) Easy entry of the Recipient's Phone number - WinFax allows you to directly enter the phone number the way you would want it dialed with no interference from previously stored operating system information. Some of the generic programs seemed to be tied to closely to the operating system's dialing information. There's a good chance when you bought your computer, you set it up and "told" it that it is "based" in, for example, area code 602. Now when you're on the road, you have to "teach" it how to make a local phone call from a different area code. Do you need to dial the area code for a local call or not...dial 9 for an outside line from the hotel...don't dial the "1". WinFax lets you enter a number directly.
3.) Sends all pages with one phone call - WinFax allows you to "bundle" all requests into one phone call. A number of generic programs would only allow us to send one NavLog or Pax Brief at a time (per phone call). Not very economical.
WinFax Pro (version 10.0) costs $89.95 at well-known office supply stores or $99.95 on the Symantec website. Symantec is the company that produces WinFax Pro. You should check their website, www.symantec.com/winfax, for more information on this product and confirm the software's system requirements are compatible with your operating system. (Basically, just about everything is compatible unless your computer is more than 4 years old.)
(Before running out to the store to buy WinFax, please see the Final Comments below)
Steps for Faxing using WinFAX Pro.
After you have figured out these instructions, you will find that sending a fax is fast and easy. You will be able to send a fax of a NavLog as easily as you print one out on a regular printer.
1.) Log-on to the FltPlan.com website.
2.) Display the web page you want to fax.
3.) Right-click and select " Print " or select " FILE | Print " from the options on top left of your browser. This is the same thing that you would normally do for printing out a NavLog. Note: Do not use any "print" buttons as they do not give you the option to choose where you want the information printed to.
4.) You should then see a printer control box. Somewhere in this control box, you should see the name of your "default" printer. It may be in a dropdown option format or other display. The main object of this step is to Select the WinFax (PHOTO QUALITY) option to print the information to.
Select the WinFax (PHOTO QUALITY) option and click "OK".
Note: Do not use just WinFax; use WinFax (Photo Quality) The readability will be much better.
a.) At this time, the WinFax program will load. (This will take a few seconds) You may or may not get a message box stating your modem is already being used by another program...which it is...you're logged onto the Internet at this time. Click "OK" if you get this message.
b.) You have just stored the displayed web page for later faxing.
5.) Proceed through the website to the next web page you wish to fax.
6.) Repeat the same printing steps for each page you want to fax. You won't have to select the WinFax option for each subsequent page...it will remain as the "printer" of choice until you change it.
7.) Disconnect from the Internet after all web pages have been sent to the fax software.
8.) Click on the WinFax - Send icon located on the taskbar at the bottom of the screen.
9.) Fill in the sender's information at the top left side of the fax software. Most important of all is the phone number you want the fax sent to. If you are at a hotel and need to dial a "9" for an outside line, start your phone number with a "9," (that's the number 9 followed by a comma). The comma provides for a 2 second pause in the dialing sequence.
a.) You can place the standard "Hold for the crew of N1234A" on the cover page for FBOs or "Guest Name John Smith" if staying in a Hotel, by selecting the "text" option located at the top of the fax software.
10.) Press the "SEND" button when you have completed the form.
11.) WinFax Pro will do the rest.
Some early "helpful hints".
Plan ahead. Get the fax number for the FBO or hotel when you check in. Many fax numbers are found in well-known aviation sources. FltPlan.com also has Fax numbers in our Airport Info section. WinFax Pro lets you store these numbers for future use.
DON'T start the WinFax Program first, before logging on to the internet, it may take control of the modem and prevent you from dialing out on the Internet.
If you are trying to fax a Flight Schedule Calendar, you need to select the "landscape" mode. Remember to go back to "portrait" mode when needed.
WinFax Pro allows you to design custom cover pages. This can be a time-saver when it comes to filling in the text area of the cover page.
Final Comments.
We have had several users complain about WinFax Pro Version 10 not working with Windows XP. Before you buy WinFax Pro 10, make use the store will let you return the software if you have problems.
Here is a solution from one of our users that had nothing good to say about WinFax Pro.
He uses the Fax software that comes with Windows.
Display the NavLog page of the flight plan you need to fax.
Using the edit button at the top of the page choose “select all”
Paste the content to a MS Word document (set margins L=.5 R=.5 Top=1.0 Bottom =1.0 Font = Times Roman 12)
Save as FltPlan template. This will maintain the original NavLog format.
Paste each NavLog with a page break in between.
Save and Fax the document.
Please let us know about any other helpful hints for faxing, that you feel might help other pilots, and we will post them here.
We hope to have other instruction in the future, for faxing using other software programs. If you are having success with another program, please let us know at Support@FltPlan.com
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