Jump to content

Flight distance and choice of instruments?


ganers

Recommended Posts

Hi all,

This maybe a bit premature at the moment as I only have a few flights under my belt, but I want to start wandering a little bit further afield during a flight, I've got quite a few interesting things to aim for that a really close and no worries about airspace, theses range from 4 miles away to 12 miles away.

So with this in mind I am wondering what the average bumbling about distance people take on when going for a simple flight not an XC mission, it looks like my motor is around the 4 ltr an hour mark, but its not had a really good steady run to get accurate data yet.

Also Im wondering what instruments people carry, this may sound like a lame question but the reason I ask is that after mauling about with an Iphone4 for a while there are some cracking app's that seem to pretty much replace everything! I know the requirement for an up to date map, so I was thinking that a map, altimeter and Iphone would pretty much cover everything, I also hae a compass stuck in the harness just in case.

Obviously with a small trip of 4 miles I doubt I would need them but its easy enough to carry them anyway.

Cheers Lee

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wouldn't rely on an app on an iphone personally. I have a Flymaster GPS - brilliant thing. Ive set it up to tell me where I took off from (follow simple arrow), height above take off, flight duration, wind speed and direction, vario diagram. altitude and time.

I can put waypoints in easily enough - well worth the money.

David

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started off not trusting the Iphone apps, but now with the RunwayHD app and the amazing stability of it and the iPhone I am more than happy to use it for XC planning and execution.

If I am in a place that I dont know, I will always draw a line on a map. (you just cant beat that for reliability)

SW :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll have a look for that app simon, so with regards to Flights what's a reasonable distance to look at. Unfortunately due to shifts more often than not ill be on my jack jones whilst in the air but will have some one on the ground. Just wondering what others routinely do.

Cheers lee.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If your going to get equipment IMO your better off getting sperate items.. Vario. GPS. Compass, map. If you have separate item if one goes down you have a back up. I use a Garmin for my GPS and has many functions. I have alway got one of the Paramaters set to glide Ratio to destination and Glide ratio.

As most of our sites are noise sensitive and i like to switch of a few km's away and glide in.

If your going to Stay Local you dont really need to take a map as long as you know the air space or if you have it on your GPS.

In the early days your better of with minimal equipment go with a Vario Map and compass and learn to fly with just these. You will be screwed if you can read the air map on an XC if your GPS goes down...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most of the flights down here on the south coast are mainly small XC's circa 100km We normally take of from seymores farm and head for the coast. Then head along the coast and then back down the river following it a low as possible...

We also do a great XC over too and around the isle of Wight Summer only!!!

our minimum flight will be around 1 hour up to 5+hours sometime it includes a pub lunch :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ive had a look at this runway hd and I must say like the look of it. I have no navigational experience at all save for compass work from hiking and diving, but thats it. Initially I was playing with memory map on a demo version and was impressed but runway hd seems to offer a lot more to assist you. However when I went to look into getting the app and CAA maps it's looking very expensive compared with memory map. Unless I'm missing something it was coming around £140 for the1/4 mill maps does this sound about right?

Cheers Lee.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...