JDHelicopterPilot Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 Cool.... I learn something new everyday. I will try that next time I fly at night. Is that only on the map page or is that on the approach plates also? Thanks Only on the map page. I tried the colors inverted but didn't like it. I rather dim the screen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ridethisbike Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 How is the display brightness during night flying with the iPad Mini or Nexus 7 running Foreflight or the Garmin app? My guess is that it's not too big of an issue since it has not been brought up thus far. It used to bother me when I was doing night flights and my instructor would pull out his cell phone with a 4" or 5" screen illuminating the whole cockpit in white light. Do they have a night mode or can they dim lower than the factory settings allow? I think my time spent on ships and as a lookout has left me with a greater appreciation of night vision than most. The Nexus 7 falls short in this area. It's a well known problem that the brightness at night is still too bright. There are apps out there that overcome this downfall though. Lux AutoBrightness is my app of choice for this. You can customize how bright the screen is for various ambient light settings and turn the brightness down BELOW factory settings. It also has an "astronomer mode" that tints the screen with red. Personally, I'm not a fan of that red tint, but that's just me. FYI: if any of you go the Nexus 7 route and get this Lux Autobrightness app, there are two settings that REALLY matter for night. 0 lux and 2 lux. Set them to the same value (I went with -66). Any light (head lamp with red light to view anything you may need it for) will make it jump back and forth between those two lux values. It can get annoying if they are set for different values. Update on battery life for the Nexus 7. I just did a 5.5 XC with the screen always on, full brightness, GPS tracking the whole time. It dropped to around 5% battery life in that time. That was with AviationMaps. Used the Garmin app the other night and it was worse on battery life than AviationMaps was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDHelicopterPilot Posted March 3, 2013 Report Share Posted March 3, 2013 Also, ForeFlight allows you to import documents into the app. For example you can Import your GOM/Opspecs or any other document you like. You will then have access to it right in the app by clicking on the documents tab. ForeFlight also provides you a list of documents you can download. Examples would be ACs or the AIM. Those of us that utilize Special Instrument Approach Procedures (company proprietary approaches) can also import those into ForeFlight. Once imported ForeFlight will file them in the proper place and will be accessible in the same manner as all the other IAPs are. For example, you can import your companies instrument approach to a hospital. Since the hospital pad has an identifier just like an airport you can pull up the IAP In the same manner as you would pull up an IAP for an airport. You can also make a excel list of user waypoints and import that into ForeFlight and it can then be overlayed onto the moving map. Importing is done via ITunes which can be used on PC or Mac. I don't think the other apps let you do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C of G Posted March 3, 2013 Report Share Posted March 3, 2013 Big update for me on Foreflight is the overlay of user waypoints. Very handy to know your closest fuel point in the GoM. Now if they would just add the GoM VFR and IFR charts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C of G Posted March 3, 2013 Report Share Posted March 3, 2013 Also, ForeFlight allows you to import documents into the app. For example you can Import your GOM/Opspecs or any other document you like. You will then have access to it right in the app by clicking on the documents tab. ForeFlight also provides you a list of documents you can download. Examples would be ACs or the AIM. Those of us that utilize Special Instrument Approach Procedures (company proprietary approaches) can also import those into ForeFlight. Once imported ForeFlight will file them in the proper place and will be accessible in the same manner as all the other IAPs are. For example, you can import your companies instrument approach to a hospital. Since the hospital pad has an identifier just like an airport you can pull up the IAP In the same manner as you would pull up an IAP for an airport. You can also make a excel list of user waypoints and import that into ForeFlight and it can then be overlayed onto the moving map. Importing is done via ITunes which can be used on PC or Mac. I don't think the other apps let you do that.Can you point me in the direction of an import tutorial? I take the short bus when it comes to computers. Thanks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDHelicopterPilot Posted March 3, 2013 Report Share Posted March 3, 2013 http://www.foreflight.com/support/user-waypoints Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C of G Posted March 3, 2013 Report Share Posted March 3, 2013 Thanks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubidug Posted June 17, 2013 Report Share Posted June 17, 2013 Revisiting this conversation...After joining AOPA I decided to try their app, FlyQ. Seems to work pretty good, didn't see much different between it and ForeFlight. I did notice that their TFR's were odd...saw one that was showing active that had been closed for months, and then one that I knew was active didn't show up until the next day. Like all things flight related, everything is made for fixed wing without much consideration for rotorcraft. Is ForeFlight still the popular choice? How about Garmin? I am going to purchase one of the 3 in the next few weeks, so any input is greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ridethisbike Posted June 18, 2013 Report Share Posted June 18, 2013 For iPad's I'm pretty sure ForeFlight is still the popular choice, yes. Best thing I can recommend is to see if there is a free trial of some sort that you can use to try the different ones out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lelebebbel Posted June 18, 2013 Report Share Posted June 18, 2013 (edited) I use the iPad Mini with Air Nav Pro for VFR flying (Foreflight doesn't have Canadian VFR charts yet). Mounted with a RAM mount and the "EZ-Roller" cradle on top of the Dash, no case. It's mainly just a moving map for me, and the app does all I need for $50, so I don't see myself paying for a foreflight subscription at this stage, even if they come out with Canadian charts. AirNavPro also supports topographical charts, which is very handy. The iPad also has all flight paperwork, various coordinate conversion software, calculators, and my logbook on it. I'm also quite surprised how good the GPS is, and the whole setup is a fraction of the price of a Garmin 296 Edited June 18, 2013 by lelebebbel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubidug Posted June 18, 2013 Report Share Posted June 18, 2013 I have tried ForeFlight and FlyQ. Maybe the better question(s) would be: Which one is better for the beginning heli pilot? Is there one that is better suited for heli's or provides more for the heli pilot than another? I do not have enough seat time to make that call. I would imagine that I will be staying away from the technology at the beginning, focusing on the basics and standard gauges first. I have purchased an iPad mini, external GPS, and velcro kneeboard attachment (doors on!). I assume I'll be using it only for note taking in the beginning? Then as I progress to XC and so forth, the mapping, charts, flight planning, and airport info will be used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pilot4him Posted June 18, 2013 Report Share Posted June 18, 2013 "As stated you can invert the colors, which is nice. Also, there is a button right on the Map page of ForeFlight that takes you to a slider bar in which you can adjust the brightnes right from the app. So there is no need to leave the app and go to Ipad Settings menu." Actually the settings dimmer and the dimmer within foreflight work together. If you dim in settings all the way, you can further dim in the app... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDHelicopterPilot Posted June 19, 2013 Report Share Posted June 19, 2013 "As stated you can invert the colors, which is nice. Also, there is a button right on the Map page of ForeFlight that takes you to a slider bar in which you can adjust the brightnes right from the app. So there is no need to leave the app and go to Ipad Settings menu." Actually the settings dimmer and the dimmer within foreflight work together. If you dim in settings all the way, you can further dim in the app... That is true. In fact, I like my panel very dark. I found myself dimming both ForeFlight and the dimmer in the Ipad settings very low. In fact, ForeFlight says to dim the Ipad first then use the dimmer in ForeFlight to fine tune it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palmfish Posted June 21, 2013 Report Share Posted June 21, 2013 If you only do VFR flying, then Foreflight may be overkill. There may be other more affordable apps that have fewer features. For the most part, all I use in the helicopter is the VFR sectional with either the ceilings or TFR verlay because it's super cool to have your helicopter on the moving map with all the airspace boundaries depicted. I wear gloves when I fly so it makes other things like looking up airport information and resizing the screen more difficult. The main place where Foreflight is worth its weight in gold is in the airplane/IFR environment. I simply lay it down on the copilot seat while Im flying. Our airplane has steam guages and a KLN89B so having moving maps with geo referenced approach plates and taxi diagrams is simply priceless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lelebebbel Posted June 21, 2013 Report Share Posted June 21, 2013 If you only do VFR flying, then Foreflight may be overkill. There may be other more affordable apps that have fewer features. For the most part, all I use in the helicopter is the VFR sectional with either the ceilings or TFR verlay because it's super cool to have your helicopter on the moving map with all the airspace boundaries depicted. I wear gloves when I fly so it makes other things like looking up airport information and resizing the screen more difficult. The main place where Foreflight is worth its weight in gold is in the airplane/IFR environment. I simply lay it down on the copilot seat while Im flying. Our airplane has steam guages and a KLN89B so having moving maps with geo referenced approach plates and taxi diagrams is simply priceless. Agreed. I tried foreflight (its free for 30 days) and found that most of the features aren't really applicable to VFR flying, while others are missing. I now use Air Nav Pro, which is great because it gives me the option to use topographical maps instead of aviation charts, but it still overlays airspace boundaries. Also, it costs only $50 with no annual fee (the 1:250k topo maps are $25 extra). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nomad110 Posted June 23, 2013 Report Share Posted June 23, 2013 I just flew 22 hours over 4 days on a long XC in an EC-130 with the iPad Mini running ForeFlight with the App Strap. I'm sold. I use the smart cover with a large format sticky to write notes on. The case I use is a Speck SmartShell which is compatible with the Smart Cover. I like the idea of the device just being velcro'ed on so it's easily detachable when you want. Now...IF ONLY....Garmin would come up with a solution to bluetooth sync a flight plan across Fore Flight into the GTN 650, 750 products then I would be in heaven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbo Posted September 3, 2013 Report Share Posted September 3, 2013 Fore flight now has heli charts that overlay the sectionals, ny, Boston, gulf, ect. If you need something new let them know. The improvements are great. The mini works fantastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WolftalonID Posted September 3, 2013 Report Share Posted September 3, 2013 iPad mini, with a custom made sleeve that holds my case cover in my kneeboard. However things to note, get at least 32gig. The 16g fills up fast with the fore-flight app. I may be wrong, but fore-flight is the only FAA approved EFB app that I am aware is available for use in flight. Also, I fly at night and I tried pinch zooming my paper plates for better visibility in a dark and vibrating cockpit, and the results sucked!!!!But with the iPad, you can pinch zoom them and read them easier in the dark environment. Ps, WARNING: trying to pinch zoom a paper plate can make your copilot loose his concentration on final and may cause a distracting moment of giggles. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubidug Posted September 3, 2013 Report Share Posted September 3, 2013 May not be approved, but its free and works great:eKneeBoard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avbug Posted September 3, 2013 Report Share Posted September 3, 2013 This year we all used foreflight on knee boards, instead of carrying paper charts. Mine is in a kneeboard (made by "For Pilots Only," and is okay, but I don't wear it during the flight except for longer cross country trips. It's too bulky when working (the ipad is too big for a knee board). Generally it just sits to one side for a reference. I did some fires up through Idaho a month or so ago in which TFR's were everywhere. I noticed that the Garmin showed TFR's in places that Foreflight didn't, and Foreflight showed TFR's in some places that the Garmin did not. I also worked around some smokes that I was quite sure were the basis for TFR's, but which weren't depicted on either chart. We got a memo a few weeks ago about it; the various charting and service providers use different sources, and update at different times. Most of them don't update over weekends, and many of them stop updating in the evening and don't update again until the morning. The result is that the TFR information you are displaying may be old or incorrect data. Always verify, and in the case of fire TFR's, if you see the smoke, stay out unless specifically cleared in by a leadplane, helicopter coordinator, incident commander, or air attack. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonic04GT Posted September 7, 2013 Report Share Posted September 7, 2013 The iPad Mini is the absolute perfect size for a helicopter kneeboard. I used mine with the AppStrap initially but wanted a little more capability so I attached the soft case included with the Appstrap to my Flyboys kneeboard with velcro and I love it. I'll post some pics when I get in to work on Monday. As far as iPad models go, I have the 16GB and it's more than enough unless you're flying across 48 states. I have everything downloaded in Foreflight that I could possibly need to fly within Florida and it's only using 2.1 GB. I jumped the gun and bought the Wifi model on sale not knowing it didn't have integrated GPS capability so I had to buy an external Bluetooth GPS receiver. I quickly decided it wasn't worth saving a few bucks and having to charge/carry around 2 items, so I returned both devices and just bought a 16GB AT&T cellular model. I've been satisfied since. Foreflight is the way to go. $75 a year. By the way, if you already own a Wifi-model iPad, the Dual GPS receiver works well. It just wasn't worth it for me since I had the option right off the bat of buying the Cellular model iPad instead. http://www.amazon.com/Dual-Electronics-XGPS150A-Universal-Bluetooth/dp/B006M49G80/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378570806&sr=8-1&keywords=dual+gps+receiver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helifool Posted November 13, 2013 Report Share Posted November 13, 2013 Hey guys just ordered the new Ipad Mini Retina! I was all set on getting ForeFlight but then I realized you have to use the Sectional for moving map! For me this is a huge negative as Garmin Pilot has dynamic maps that let you apply filters to the map such as only show airspace, and be able to add user way points on the fly. So I guess Im going to go with Garmin Pilot. Does anyone else think this is annoying that ForeFlight forces you to use uneditable/user filtered sectional maps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avbug Posted November 13, 2013 Report Share Posted November 13, 2013 Foreflight is the way to go. $75 a year. I think I paid about 150 a year or so. I have all the VFR and IFR. Carrying IFR charting is always a good idea, even if you're only a VFR pilot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supergokougt Posted November 13, 2013 Report Share Posted November 13, 2013 I use my cell phone - Galaxy Nexus. I built a knee board to angle it up at me using wood, velcro and map strap. It connects to one of those gps bugs and I use avilution maps from the play store. I like it a lot! Not as nice as foreflight but gets the job done and I have it all hooked up the way I like. Practice with it first while riding shotgun in air or ground. to get the feel of things first. Mine the screen is small so had to get use to zooming in and out. Also it gets the data connection so i saved on hooking in a tablet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WolftalonID Posted November 13, 2013 Report Share Posted November 13, 2013 (edited) The Foreflight app allows moving map in all maps. VFR/IFR and plates. I use it and it works in all three. You can even make hand written notes on your plates for distances or position callouts allowing you to zoom the plate and still see any details cut off from zooming it larger. Oh yes..one more thing, the wifi model connects very nicely to the iphone for moving map and saves you buying one more electronic device. Edited November 13, 2013 by WolftalonID Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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