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05-18-2014, 09:28 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Victoria, Canada
Posts: 2,251
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Fltplan Go, free with Canadian Charts and CFS
This is a first look review of the Fltpan Go app for the iPad.
Hardware: iPad Mini, iOS 7.1.1, cellular, 32G
App: Fltplan Go version 2.5.4, May 8, 2014
Preamble: Canada has been terribly underserved by the lack of availability of digital charts and publications due to the inaction of Nav Canada. Recently, Foreflight brought complete mapping/publication data to their slick 'gold standard' App.
Unfortunately, a $175 per year subscription for Foreflight, plus a similar fee for Pocket FMS on my SkyView plus a Jeppesen update fee for my Aera puts my total annual cost north of $400 for databases. For one of my VFR aircraft, this is about $10 per operating hour. Put another way, this is more than the engine depreciation cost! Something is fundamentally wrong.
IFR pilots face much more onerous costs, to be sure, but that's another topic.
So when Fltplan.com announced their Go app with FREE Canadian charts and publications, I was cautiously optimistic. I downloaded the Fltplan Go app from the Apple store and spent a day getting familiar with the basic operation, including a cross-country flight.
....more....
__________________
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V e r n. ====
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RV-9A complete
Harmon Rocket complete
S-21 wings complete
Victoria, BC (Summer)
Chandler, Az (Winter)
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05-18-2014, 09:55 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Victoria, Canada
Posts: 2,251
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...continued...
The executive summary of my short evaluation: Fltplan Go is not ready for prime time.
I found five bugs very quickly, one of which is fatal. Here is my description and Fltplan's official response:
-missing VFR procedures from the CFS. They are available for download into a separate 'binder' section, but they are not searchable. For example, BC has 49 pages of approaches that you have to scroll through one by one to find a particular airport.
RESPONSE: 'In the future we hope to have additional means in accessing this information.'
-on app startup, the map layer selections are forgotten and must be reconfigured. This means that I get a blank map page because the default is the USA.
RESPONSE: 'Thanks for your comments'
-On a fresh startup of the app, none of the Airport Diagrams or A/FD links work properly. Touching the Downloads tab, then immediately back to Airports tab, then everything works fine. (Note, this is not the same as refreshing downloads)
RESPONSE: 'Thanks for your comments'
-When using the graphical flight plan editing, when I attempt to insert waypoints by rubber banding and selecting lat/lon, the app tends to insert the new waypoint after the next sequential waypoint than before it. This requires manual editing to fix.
RESPONSE: 'This is a known bug and will be fixed in a future update.'
-the app becomes slower and slower in response to selections and gestures until it eventually locks up. This happens on the ground and in flight. A cold start of the app fixes the problem for a while, but is not practical in flight because it loses the map settings as reported earlier.
RESPONSE: This sounds like you iPad's memory is 'maxed' out.
Please close out all the other apps you might have open on your iPad (whether you are using them or not), and just run the FltPlan Go app
We have no known problems for this, and no other similar complaints.
As a matter of fact, we have pilots using the app for over 5 hours straight in flight with no lockup or sluggishness.
UPDATE: even with all other apps closed down, this continues to be a problem. A simple test with the app open is to alternately press the Maps button and the Airports button. After about 10 sequences the application slows down and then about 15 sequences it locks up entirely. I can reproduce this at will.
RESPONSE: none
...more...
__________________
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V e r n. ====
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RV-9A complete
Harmon Rocket complete
S-21 wings complete
Victoria, BC (Summer)
Chandler, Az (Winter)
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05-18-2014, 10:15 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Victoria, Canada
Posts: 2,251
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...continued...
At this point I stopped looking for bugs. There are many other features in the application that I did not check, however, I wanted to get the basic operation operating smoothly before diving in too deep.
I also noticed that the maps do not support VTAs yet. These are similar to the US TAC charts. To be fair, Pocket FMS did not support VTA data either until I worked with them to get it included in their databases. Jeppesen does not support VTA data. Only Foreflight currently supports accurate VTA information in raster form.
I am a huge fan of the promise of Fltplan Go and that's why I provided the bug reports directly to them and worked with them to improve their product. Unfortunately because of the fatal in-flight lock up, I can't recommend this product for prime time.
I am very experienced with product development, including the new mantra of 'do it, try it, fix it' that business schools are promoting. I don't think that this model should apply to aviation. In any case, when serious bugs are reported, denial or silence is NOT the appropriate response.
I've had the experience of reporting bugs to Dynon and Pocket FMS recently. Despite my grumblings about the bugs both companies took me seriously and addressed the issues.
I hope that Fltplan can step it up.
__________________
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V e r n. ====
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RV-9A complete
Harmon Rocket complete
S-21 wings complete
Victoria, BC (Summer)
Chandler, Az (Winter)
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05-18-2014, 12:56 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Mosinee,WI
Posts: 72
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I agree with Vern..
I have FltPln GO on my Nexus 7 tablet and their newest GO software is really NOT user friendly. I used their previous software and really liked it. Faster downloads, easier access to the info I was looking for. New version, if I pinch (zoom in ) too far the map disappears. And yes I have tried the zoom lock On and Off. Anyway, thought it was just me being computer dumb, Happy to see it isn't that.rolleyes: Other issues too. Guess I'll have to pony up for a pay per view map program.
__________________
JimS
Built and flying a Kitfox IV / 912
Bought and flying an RV-6 / 0-320 FP slider
Built and maintaining a 1800' grass runway
LIVING THE DREAM!!!
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05-18-2014, 05:43 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Victoria, Canada
Posts: 2,251
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JimS
I have FltPln GO on my Nexus 7 tablet and their newest GO software is really NOT user friendly. I used their previous software and really liked it. Faster downloads, easier access to the info I was looking for. New version, if I pinch (zoom in ) too far the map disappears. And yes I have tried the zoom lock On and Off. Anyway, thought it was just me being computer dumb, Happy to see it isn't that.rolleyes: Other issues too. Guess I'll have to pony up for a pay per view map program.
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I too have the zoom in problem. Didn't report it as a bug, though. I also found the app is not very user friendly. For example, if you forget to load the airports database, it just does nothing rather than notify you.
I really want these folks to be successful, but they have to be more responsive.
__________________
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V e r n. ====
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RV-9A complete
Harmon Rocket complete
S-21 wings complete
Victoria, BC (Summer)
Chandler, Az (Winter)
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05-19-2014, 10:33 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Victoria, BC, Canada
Posts: 3,932
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Interesting report on functionality on the iPad Mini. I installed FltPLan Go on my Android phone (Nexus 5) and did a bunch of testing as well. I haven't flown with it yet, so my usage maxed out at about 30 minutes when I was putting it through its paces at home. I later installed it on my wife's Nexus 7 tablet and tried it there as well. Apart from being a little slower on the Nexus 7, the functionality was the same (but the larger screen was nice).
I didn't have any issues with maps not defaulting properly, or AFD pages not coming up.
The CFS pages, apart from not having procedures as you mention (CYYJ was the first airport I looked up...), also don't have small grass strips (try finding CAK3, for example). Not a problem for most commercial pilots, who I think the app is targeted towards. But for recreational pilots of light singles, it might be an issue.
No VTA makes it less useful as well. Here around Vancouver, a lot of us never leave the VTA... But I suspect this is something that will change over time. Looking at how they've handled the Seattle VNC to Seattle TAC chart transition gives me hope that the Canadian map will be just as nice soon.
The thing that kept running through my mind is "how are they able to do this for free?"
__________________
Rob Prior
1996 RV-6 "Tweety" C-FRBP (formerly N196RV)
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05-19-2014, 11:21 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Victoria, Canada
Posts: 2,251
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowflake
The thing that kept running through my mind is "how are they able to do this for free?"
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There are embedded ads.
Anyway, I keep finding bugs (e.g. heading -7 degrees??). Lots of features, few of them work.
Good, fast, cheap, pick two.
I finally bailed and purchased PocketFMS. They have all of the VTA frequency data embedded which is a big help. I worked with them on this and they were very responsive to suggestions.
__________________
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V e r n. ====
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RV-9A complete
Harmon Rocket complete
S-21 wings complete
Victoria, BC (Summer)
Chandler, Az (Winter)
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05-20-2014, 05:24 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Prescott, AZ
Posts: 741
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I've been using Avare on my Nexus 7. It's free and works very well. You can download the App from the Play Store.
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05-20-2014, 05:55 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: 8I3
Posts: 3,564
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FasGlas
I've been using Avare on my Nexus 7. It's free and works very well. You can download the App from the Play Store.
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Avare works well, needs just a small bit more polish. Since the code is open source I downloaded the code and got it to compile in Android Studio. I can change things around as I please
The code is well structured and I recognize a few RV guys working on the project.
__________________
Please don't PM me! Email only!
Bob Japundza CFI A&PIA
N9187P PA-24-260B Comanche, flying
N678X F1 Rocket, under const.
N244BJ RV-6 "victim of SNF tornado" 1200+ hrs, rebuilding
N8155F C150 flying
N7925P PA-24-250 Comanche, restoring
Not a thing I own is stock.
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05-21-2014, 08:03 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 2,291
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I have Avare running on my Nexus 7, as well as Avilution - I like them both. The only problem is the lack of Canadian charts. Have looked at PocketFMS but for the $$ it's hard to beat the slick operation of the iPad with Foreflight and Canadian charts.
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