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WingX or Foreflight

RV8Squaz

RV8Squaz

Well Known Member
I just received my new Ipad mini in the mail today. I must admit it is my first and only Ipad. I have played with both Wing X and Foreflight a bit over the last couple of months and I stil can't decide which one I want. My primary objective in purchasing the Ipad is to involve my 9 year old boy Max in the flying some more by providing him with a map for situational awareness and basic GPS derived flight instrumentation. He has over 300 hours in the back seat and can follow directions very well like " fly to 2 o'clock" and others. It's time to take the next step with him. A very important secondary objective is to get rid of paper sectionals, enroute charts, approach charts, and etc. And finally I eventually want to join the inflight wx bandwagon at some point in the future. I'm still not ready to plunk $700 or more on an ADSB receiver. What do you guys think?

Jerry Esquenazi
RV-8 N84JE
Flying since 2007, 780 hours
 
I use Foreflight and my buddy bought WingX at the same time. We have used them side by side in the cockpit for over 25 hours. When his subscription ran out he switched to Foreflight.
Their package for $149 has a lot of features that can't be beat. I especially the moving map of the approach plates, airport taxiways and the large flashing warning that comes up just prior to crossing a runway.
WingX is a good product. We like Foreflight better.
 
Our flight department bought foreflight 3 years ago and I personally have foreflight on my IPAD and have never used Wing X. I understand if I am correct that WingX does have a computer modeling with the ability to fly an aircraft on a PC, but I could be wrong.
There are just so many features with Foreflight and the accuracy with its display using a Dual GPS or Stratus.
I have used the IPAD alone up to about 4 thousand feet and it seems to work well with out an external GPS. Above that you'll probably need some type of GPS which will run between 99. To 899. In order to have the geo reference of the aircraft moving on the map and plates.
It will take you a while to rapidly move between all the features but the Foreflight pilot handbook is great.

Foreflight uses a lot of computer processing and will drain your battery in about 4 hours with out an external battery source. The Dual or stratus will run about 8-10 hours.
 
I am also a big Foreflight fan. I have used wing X a little, but didn't like it nearly as much as foreflight. I have heard people say that foreflight is better for preflight planning and wing X for in flight, but I am extremely happy with Foreflight in flight, with probably 300-500 flight hours using it. If you get a 3-4G version, the GPS works very well at all altitudes up to 18,000. No need for an external GPS. Don't even fly with someone who has ads-b or it will be a $700 flight. I won't go anywhere without the Stratus.

Overall, you will get used to the one you get and will like it best. Get the 30 day trial for both and see which one works best for you.
 
Last commercial flight , I was getting moving map at 37K and 600 MPH with wing x. Sitting in coach.
 
Really like WingX and Skycharts Pro

WingX is my main choice. I like its ability to show fuel prices or airport surface winds on the chart as I fly. But most of all, through the cellular data connection as I fly, it automatically provides me with current weather.

I've had good experience with it not losing contact. Have had overheating - it likes shade.

SkyCharts Pro is worth having. Not many features but a very clear, crisp picture, easy to access the airport directory, and it always has current METARS.

Both Recommended.

Dave
 
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A tag-along question . . .

I'm in somewhat the same boat as the original poster on this thread, except that my airplane has all the navigation capability I need in the panel. I have three primary objectives for an iPad and the application: 1) perform all the pre-trip planning and preparation, 2) efficiently update my planning at fuel stops and re-file if weather or other factors dictate, and 3) provide my wife with a way to follow along inflight.

She's not a pilot, and some years ago on one of our first trips in an RV with much-less-capable avionics, I set her up with a portable GPS and "assigned" her the important task of keeping track of the closest emergency fields by asking her to look for them and point out their position in relation to the airplane. My unstated objective at the time was to combat boredom on longer flights, but since then she's become very interested in keeping up with what's going on.

The two screens in our new airplane are positioned on my side of the panel and not very convenient for the passenger. But with an iPad, she will have her own screen inflight. I haven't as yet had the opportunity to try either application, but I'm leaning toward Foreflight on a retina-display 16GB iPad with Wi-Fi. I wasn't planning on paying for 3/4G because my primary use is on the ground where Wi-Fi is all I need.

Replies to this thread, however, seem to indicate that real-time inflight positioning in relation to charts requires 3/4G, and I'd appreciate any advice on whether my proposed use is workable.

Thanks in advance for letting me tag along here.

Tosh
 
My 2 cents

I've been using foreflight for VFR / IFR for the past year and really like its capabilities. I am moving to WingX only because of Foreflight's unwillingness to support ADS-B information from any device except the Stratus. Not saying Stratus is a bad product, but planning ahead to the ADS-B equipment that will be installed in my plane.

Both Foreflight and WingX are easily hooked into your computer flight sim for training using FSXFlight.
 
bret said:
Last commercial flight , I was getting moving map at 37K and 600 MPH with wing x. Sitting in coach.
Click to expand...

I think that's more a function of the device and GPS signal strength than the app. I've seen that with not only Foreflight but also AppleMaps as well as apps we've developed.
 
get the trial version of each...

and see which one suits you best. I did this and it was a tough decision because they are both VERY capable. I think it's just a matter of which interface makes most sense to you and which is most intuitive. Actually, even that may be beside the point if you have something specific you want to do, or a specific way you want to do it, if one does it but requires reading the manual, and the other doesn't, then the decision is easy. I think the choice is similar to Paul Dye's post about choosing EFIS systems, but less involved...decide what you need or want and then look at what each does. My reality is that much of what I have in the panel and in foreflight does way more than I need or thought I wanted.
 
Everything You Need

I use Foreflight, AirNav and Weathermeister - with XM weather on the 496. Haven't found a need for anything else.
 
I use both until my Foreflight subscription runs out. I use WingX because I purchased Skyradar. If Skyradar had worked with Foreflight I would have stayed with that one. Nothing to chose between the two, they just have different menus and keystrokes.
 
Tango Mike said:
....Replies to this thread, however, seem to indicate that real-time inflight positioning in relation to charts requires 3/4G, and I'd appreciate any advice on whether my proposed use is workable....

Tosh
Click to expand...

The GPS comes with the 3/4G model, but if you don't have that version you can get an aftermarket GPS for it. You'll need some sort of GPS. Note that if you get the iPad version with GPS you don't need a cellular data subscription to use it.

There are several varieties of after-market GPS, including with ADS-B. Hint - if you're getting one with ADS-B you probably won't need to spend more for a GPS dongle too.

In my own case, WingX and a cellular data subscription, which I'd have anyway (I use mine away from wi-fi often) gives me in-flight weather. I'm happy.

Dave
 
David Paule said:
The GPS comes with the 3/4G model, but if you don't have that version you can get an aftermarket GPS for it. You'll need some sort of GPS. Note that if you get the iPad version with GPS you don't need a cellular data subscription to use it.

There are several varieties of after-market GPS, including with ADS-B. Hint - if you're getting one with ADS-B you probably won't need to spend more for a GPS dongle too.

In my own case, WingX and a cellular data subscription, which I'd have anyway (I use mine away from wi-fi often) gives me in-flight weather. I'm happy.

Dave
Click to expand...

Excellent, Dave, thank you.

My panel has two G3X screens with an internal VFR GPS and ADS-B in. I'll add the out function at some point in the future. The builder didn't include an IFR GPS or a second in-panel radio, so I'm adding them now.

The only inflight capability I need in the iPad is GPS positioning, and if that's available without cellular data through a dongle, great. If the iPad can piggyback onto the GDL-39 portion of the G3X, even better. Wirelessly, maybe?
 
Just flew the -6A

from PA to Florida yesterday. I have both Foreflight and WingX on my iPad -- I also use the iFly 720. I played with all of them (filled up the spare seat) -- all have strengths and weaknesses, but, if I had to give up one, it would probably be Foreflight ---- I intend to get an ADS-B box that will work with both WingX and iFly -- there are several to choose from.
 
Tango Mike said:
Excellent, Dave, thank you.

My panel has two G3X screens with an internal VFR GPS and ADS-B in. I'll add the out function at some point in the future. The builder didn't include an IFR GPS or a second in-panel radio, so I'm adding them now.

The only inflight capability I need in the iPad is GPS positioning, and if that's available without cellular data through a dongle, great. If the iPad can piggyback onto the GDL-39 portion of the G3X, even better. Wirelessly, maybe?
Click to expand...

Building a 10 that will have the G3X, but bought the GDL-39 at Osh. It provides the iPad ADS-B and GPS data, so no need for the 3G/4G version. Works wirelessly. I am very happy with it, and G-Pilot App. Not quite as full featured as Foreflight, but has everything I need and was free for 6 months with the GDL-39
 
Hey Guys,
Thank you very much for your replies. The free trial idea is a good one. I think I will try them both. The IPad mini I purchased is indeed the 3G version with the GPS. My understanding is that with WingX will get real time wX while flying via the cellular network? Will Foreflight do that as well?

On a separate note, does anyone know of an app that will show basic GPS-derived flight instruments on the IPad? Is that feature available on WingX or Foeflight? Thank you very much for all your help. I feel like such a newbie with all this tech stuff!

Jerry Esquenazi
RV-8 N84JE
 
At low level, you can get some decent data connection, but once you get more than a few thousand feet agl, it will die. I don't know the legalities of using cellular data while flying, but you certainly can't depend on it unless you are on the deck..also, you have to have a data plan. Data on the ground works great for preflight planning and to see what you are taking off into, but from there you will want an in-flight weather source like ads-b if you want to be able to get reliable weather en route.
 
Both WingX Pro and Foreflight can get weather over a data connection, but as mentioned above, a data connection is not reliable while flying. You might have one up to a couple of thousand feet, but I wouldn't count on it.

I thought I'd want a round instrument page for a while. They were high on my list of requirements. However, once I started using these apps, I came to the conclusion I'd never use it. You have all the basic information (speed, altitude, bearing, track, ETA, ETE, etc.) on the map page. VOR or HSI indications aren't nearly a nice as a magenta line and an airplane symbol showing you exactly where you are. No need for a page with dedicated dials. It is much easier to just read the basic performance numbers off the respective boxes on the map page. An artificail horizon with data from an AHRS unit is nice. WingX supports that, but not FF (in the current version - I'm sure they'll add it in the future now that Stratus can provide the raw data).

I have subscriptions to WingX Pro (my favorite), Foreflight, and AOPA's FlyQ EFB. The latter has potential, but I haven't used it much yet. I tried Garmin Pilot, but didn't like it enough to get a subscription. If I had to keep just one, it would be WingX, but you really can't go wrong with any of them. Personal preference plays a big part in deciding which one is best.
 
Garmin has a gauges page

eldt8x.jpg
 
Foreflight for me!

I fly my RV-7 with Foreflight and Stratus. I can do all of my flight planning at home, check fuel prices, and load my waypoints into my GPS when I preflight. With Stratus, the wife (a somewhat nervous flyer) can follow the flight progress, local airports, weather developments and check out the terrain. With Foreflight Pro, I also have runway and traffic alerts. I am hooked. It's my 'poor man's Skyview'.
 
WingX Hands Down is the way to go

Fore flight has better marketing and is in lock step with Sportys. Since they spend a lot of $$$ on advertising you will never see any negative comments in the pop aviation press about fore flight.

For the longest time fore flight did not support track-up displays nor were they interested in doing so. As a pre-flight planner not a big deal, but inflight it led people down a slippery slope - north-up completely ignores the human response to stress. Unless of course you happen to be going north.

WingX on the other hand was extremely responsive to this pitfall and made a track-up display option a priority.

That 2 year long experience left me with the lasting impression that one outfit is made up of programmers who fly, and the other, pilots who program.

I choose to support WingX because of their willingness to listen, more open system, and support.

The products may be equal in functionality now but I dislike fore flights attitude and marketing practices.

My $0.02.
 
Is wingX the same as FLYQ?

I used FLYQ for 30 days. Now using foreflight 30 day trial and just did a FL-NC round trip.

Very close in product. However, I do like FLYQ better for several functions.

Going back to FLYQ after foreflight trial.

Double tap selection. Split screen. Retained weather when no data connection. Winds aloft at currency location giving dynamic tail/head wind levels.

Huge for me: google maps of airport included in the AP page. Black and white depiction from AFD can't compare to looking at where the fuel pumps are, outdoor seating for the fields restaurant and where everybody parks.
 
WngX is not the same as FlyQ EFB. try it out! It also offers a 30 day trial.

What I like about WingX is that obstacle reporting and geo-referenced airport diagrams come with the basic subscription. Others require the IFR/Pro subscription. I don't fly IFR much, so I'd only need the basic subscription. I like what FlyQ offers, but still find WingX easier to use during actual flight.
 
Not to get too far off track but one option for the IPAD mini is to get the cheap version and then get a MIFI adapter for internet access. That allows pre-flight planning and WX on the ground. Might work a bit in the air too but the FCC frowns on that. You still need to get a GPS puck but my plan is to buy the combo ADSB/GPS puck from someone to use in the plane.

I've only played around with Wx so far so I can't offer an objective opinion on comparison. Seems like a Ford/Chevy decision to me.

I get service for my MIFI adapter for something like $25/month.
 
rbibb said:
Not to get too far off track but one option for the IPAD mini is to get the cheap version and then get a MIFI adapter for internet access. That allows pre-flight planning and WX on the ground. Might work a bit in the air too but the FCC frowns on that. You still need to get a GPS puck but my plan is to buy the combo ADSB/GPS puck from someone to use in the plane.

I've only played around with Wx so far so I can't offer an objective opinion on comparison. Seems like a Ford/Chevy decision to me.

I get service for my MIFI adapter for something like $25/month.
Click to expand...

I got a MIFI connection for the trip to Oshkosh. It worked, sort of. It was better than dial up when it worked but most evenings it didn't work. It doesn't get a signal at my home airport. FWIW, the service provider is T-mobile and by getting it at Walmart, my 3 gig, 30 day card will rollover giving me 60 days.

I was thinking about seeing how well it worked in the plane to give me weather but have not tried it yet.
 
emuyshondt said:
WngX i ... geo-referenced airport diagrams come with the basic subscription..
Click to expand...

Really? I have been missing that feature. How do I access that feature?

The only thing I dislike about WingX is the "Route" page. Com, runway info require seperate button pushes. I like seeing Frequencies, Runway info/depiction and TPA in one area not seperate pages.

They all have unique features that you will like. None have everything. For me WingX is close having it all if it was not for that "Runway" page.
 
N64GH said:
Really? I have been missing that feature. How do I access that feature?
Click to expand...



Selet view #2 "charts" and options "landed"
It is supposed to swap views automatically to the airport diagram when you land, slectable by ground speed. But I have not been able to do it yet, must be doing it wrong.
Tim
 
tim2542 said:
Selet view #2 "charts" and options "landed"
It is supposed to swap views automatically to the airport diagram when you land, slectable by ground speed. But I have not been able to do it yet, must be doing it wrong.
Tim
Click to expand...

Ok that was way to easy. How did I miss that.
Thanks
 
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