Must-have apps? Flight computers, loggers, etc?

[fuzzybabybunny]

I'm a new PG and PPG pilot and as my flight numbers go up I want to have an easy way to track and log my flights online. Right now I fill in a form manually and it's a pain in the butt. I would much rather download an app (Android) that doubles as both a flight computer and a flight logger.

I've tried XCSoar but I find it VERY confusing and not intuitive. Plus it doesn't seem to do things like overlay air spaces over GoogleMaps satellite view, etc. When I'm flying I find that I'm switching between XCSoar and Googlemaps all the time. 

So, anything out there that is both a flight computer and a logger?

Edited July 7, 2016 by fuzzybabybunny

[ptwizz]

I use Gaggle (which is free) to log my flights. Before each flight, I start Gaggle and put the phone away in a zipped pocket. Gaggle has a live display which can show a moving map or live data (altitude, ground speed, heading, etc.) but I only get it out occasionally to check altitude if I'm near anything sensitive.

For navigation, I use the traditional method of studying a map and planning a route before leaving the ground. The map folds up so that the area of interest is visible and goes in the side pocket of the harness, but I've never yet needed to get it out in flight.

[Hodders]

PPGps is pretty good. But It does seem sensible to prepare for all electronics to fail (paper map/landmarks etc)

[admin (Simon W)]

Runway HD is awesome! Now also available for android devices 

Weather pro is good 

SW

[rsquared]

17 hours ago, admin (Simon W) said:

Runway HD is awesome! Now also available for android devices 

Weather pro is good 

SW

G'day Simon.......how would you compare Runway HD to the new Naviter Oudie 4 ?

I'm a bit of a dinosaur and prefer dedicated instruments as I am not all that into smart phones.

Cheers

[admin (Simon W)]

I had a similar device to the one linked above and it used to go through power like some sort of power sucking alien was stuck to it lol

When I started the heli thing.. I got an ipad mini with Runway HD as my 'dedicated for nav only' device which lasts considerably longer.  

SW

[rsquared]

Thanks for that Simon, I still have my trusted Flytec vario....now looking at cross country and what"s available for maps and airspace.

I have noticed you have recommended Runway HD on many occasions.....I may need to update my brain.

Cheers.

[aljken]

I mainly use my watch with altimeter now for flying locally. Nothing better than keeping it simple.

For long flights I have a GPS vario with waypoints, and a kobo mini with a GPS (just as a moving map).

I found it very difficult to operate a phone screen with gloves (doesn't work unless you stitch in capacitive thread) and you can't see them in bright sunlight.

PPGps is cheap and worth a look at like some others have said if you really wanna use an android device.

[helimed01]

Hi.

Last year I bought a Flymaster SD+. I wanted free airspace updates with a GPS vario with all the usual bits. And also a unit that doesn't need daily battery charge, one that I could use for a week of daily flying without worrying about the battery. It has both moving map and airspace map. The Flymaster units are very user configurable and updatable.

The down side is that the moving map isn't brilliant and nor is it interactive. For example you can't set a waypoint on it and fly to it yet. But Im sure they will sort that out in future firmware upgrades. When I bought it it didn't have a moving map. The airspace isn't fancy looking colourful but is function able and gives you warnings approaching and tells you if you can go under or over it and also how much height you need to lose or gain. It has world wide airspace and ground map downloadable free and updatable. Wherever you go in the world you have the airspace and you know how high you are above the ground you are flying over QFE. 

Of course it tracks your flights in its flight log and can download them to a fancy colourful chart etc which gives you all the useless info for the geeks like how fast or high you were going vertically and horizontally at a given point of your flight, how far you flew and for the tree hugger free flight maniacs triangular and out and return nonsense.

I am very pleased with it. And it's reasonably priced for what you get.

I also fly with an old and trusted Garmin 76csx which has street map view on it which a got cheap from eBay. It goes well with the Flymaster because I can set up go to waypoints to fly to easier, has more village info and can zoom in closer. The batteries only last about eight hours tho. I use 2700 mah nimh rechargeable batts and take four spare which last for a good few full days flying. I've recently worked out how to download Garmin airspace onto its SDmicro but I can't seem to overlay it onto the street level map, it just goes onto the base map. I can switch from one to another. It seems like the MATZ are missing from it. I havnt fiddled with it enough yet I am probably doing something wrong.

Of course I always fly with an up to date airmap as per the rules..............;-)

So thats what I currently fly with and it works well for me.

Whitters.

 

[poz]

This is what I have used for a while now. It works really well and everything is customisable. Can definitely recommend.

[admin (Simon W)]

The air navigation order is supposed to be changing this year to allow certain 'aircraft powered' devices to replace paper. 

This is happening as they realised that as soon as training was finished, 100% of pilots were opting for i'Device' type nav aids. 

Better to adopt it than to pretend it's not there I guess  

SW

[Hodders]

Like the look of that Garmin - problem with using smartphones is daylight readability in direct sunlight.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Ok, so I got PPGps and I like it a lot. It's really useful how it can figure out wind direction and strength and displays a shaded area for your possible glide areas.

So... I've now got some .KML files. What do I do with these? I'd like to upload them to an online log somewhere and add some additional data like launch notes, landing notes, observations, etc.

Any good online flight log websites that can import your KML data, display your flight on Googlemaps, etc? I've also got about 70-some previous PG flights that I need to manually copy and paste into it as well.

[Hodders]

You can load KML files into Google Earth (not maps). If you then enable the "Show Elevation Profile" you can slide back and forwards through the flight.

[fuzzybabybunny]

I see. But there's no online website or logbook that allows you to upload your KML files and it analyses that to create a log entry for you? 

[admin (Simon W)]

I hate to say it and I have no financial interest in the company (although I have since become good friends with them.

RumwayHD automatically creates a flight log as soon as you take off and stores the data on there thunder cloud.

SW

[fuzzybabybunny]

Just now, admin (Simon W) said:

I hate to say it and I have no financial interest in the company (although I have since become good friends with them.

RumwayHD automatically creates a flight log as soon as you take off and stores the data on there thunder cloud.

SW

Haha, ok, I'm installing the app now. I downloaded both it and PPGps and couldn't be bothered to make a user account with RunwayHD but now in hindsight... like... DUH. You need a user account if you want to store flight logs online.

[rsquared]

On 7/13/2016 at 1:04 PM, admin (Simon W) said:

I hate to say it and I have no financial interest in the company (although I have since become good friends with them.

RumwayHD automatically creates a flight log as soon as you take off and stores the data on there thunder cloud.

SW

Firstly......hope you all are having a great time at the fly-in....wish I was there.

Simon, I have done a bit of homework and I must admit that Runway HD does look good, only from the outside, I have not downloaded it as such. If you don't mind, I have a few questions that I hope you don't mind helping me out with as I have lived in a cave for the last 20 years and am not that savvy with all the new smart phone & app stuff.

So Runway HD is an annual subscription, is that correct?

Looking at iPads....how easy are they to see in direct sunlight (when flying)?

I have been looking at the iPad Mini 4, is that a reasonable size for flying with as I imagine the iPad Air 2 would be just a little bit too big?....and what size GB do you recommend....16, 64 or 128

Am I correct that you do not need internet coverage when using Runway HD, but you do need an iPad that has WiFi + cellular model (these have built-in GPS) also you do not need to be connected to a mobile phone provider?

As I mentioned before....I also was leaning towards the Naviter Oudie 4, but after some homework, your idea of having a dedicated iPad with Runway HD installed is starting to look really good......so is there anything else you can share with this dummy?

Just a note....I live in Thailand and intend to do lots of cross country flying.

Thanks for your time.

Cheers.

[paul_grover]

Simon's right - runwayhd is really great but yes you have to buy an annual subscription, but to repeat what Simon said it's really great. I think you also need a cellular iPad  (or iPhone with 3G connection) to run it in the air (if you want weather) careful when you buy the iPad as they're not all cellular. You pay £100 extra for this.

ipad mini is a great size (unfortunately I have a bigger one for work so too big for the leg/reserve dashboard on ppg - Waiting for the ssd microlight to use it in earnest.)

the naviter oudie is also great and can be used in conjunction with SeeYou for flight planning, which was originally aimed at the gliding community. Love mine - anti glare screen works well in nearly all conditions. The view is intuitive and you can change things even with fat-gloved fingers. Very reassuring when on a xc - easy to reroute back to takeoff or set waypoints. Barometric altimeter is very accurate and the variometer is good (but you'll need earphones in). Airspace warnings are clear on both Oudie and runwayhd (you have no excuses!).

Downside - both expensive. But to repeat what Simon said Runwayhd is really good!