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Android aviation navigation Apps?

Oscarm98

Member
Not sure if this is the best place to start this thread but I did look through other Forum headers and this seemed the most logical.

I know that the iPad has good apps for aviation Navigation.

Does anyone have a suggestion for a ANDROID app that provides navigation backup data while airborne?

I just bought the Galaxy TAB "for" my wife and am looking to steal it from her for my trips :p

Oscar
 
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Just got a Droid a few weeks ago and downloaded a bunch of apps I want to try in the air in the near future... For now I downloaded and have heard about:

My Tracks
Share My Position
RMaps (VFR and IFR charts)

Obviously if anyone else out there has previous experience with a good app let us know!
 
I've been playing with Navzilla and Oruxmaps on my Nook Color with TetherGPS (shameless plug :) ).

I still haven't found anything as nice as foreflight for IOS. Getting an ipad just for foreflight seems tempting, but I'll continue to hold out a bit longer.
 
I was able to follow myself pretty closely on my Droid's google maps while having the GPS turned on last week while in my Piper Archer. Was able to get enough cell signal <3,500ft to refresh the GoogleMaps fast enough to keep up with my track (obviously not at RV speeds...lol).

I want to try those other apps I mentioned because it supposively allows capability to upload "breadcrumbs" like a Spot Messenger to "My Maps" on GoogleMaps even if you dont have cell signal. However I still haven't tried them out in person so I wont vouch for them quite yet
 
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Android Operating System

I edited the thread title from Droid to Android. Android is an operating system used by many mobile phones. Droid is a specific line of Motorola phones.
 
LOL... I call mine a Droid because its easier then saying HTC Thunderbolt by Verizon Wireless!

....which is an awesome phone compared to any of the other Motorola Droids :)
 
There's a new app out called Naviator. I've been playing around with it, but haven't taken it flying yet. The developer has been very responsive so far.

It's on the Android market, or you can download it from their website.

http://forum.naviatorapp.com/
 
openflightgps was just released. also you can download sectionals TAC, enroute low alt. WAC on their original app openflight.
 
Fltplan.com also makes an app for Android. Very nice app.

agreed. Allows you to download airport diagrams, approach charts, ect that can be accessed without an internet connection.

I also downloaded the OpenFlight Map App after reading the above reccomendation (OpenFlightGPS is meant for Android Tablets) and found that its a pretty cool app to let you view VFR sectionals without an internet connection (after doing the original download of the file).

Lots of very cools aviation related apps out there and new ones are coming out every day!
 
PDF Approach Plates

I have been considering the Galaxy Tab because I like the compact size over the iPad. Anyone have experience or a screen shot using the Galaxy with PDF files with approach charts?
 
Bought the Galaxy tablet but having questions myself

I just bought a Samsung Galaxy tab online last night. Also purchased a Dual electronics bluetooth GPS antenna to go with it.

I plan on downloading Openflight and Fltplan.coms Android apps. No photos yet of setup.

Has anyone else tried this set up in their plane?

a few questions for anyone:

I currently have been using an older Ipaq PDA with WXworks box, and the bluetooth antenna quit working.

1) Does anyone know if I can use older generation Wxworks bluetooth with new Bluetooth tablet? (I'm not as tech-savvy as some) wondering about backwards compatibility

2) is it possible to download the Anywhere software from my Ipaq PDA to the new tablet by using the SD card? I dont want to pay Anywhere map another $300 for their software a second time.

Thanks in advance for any responses!

Rick
 
Not sure if this is the best place to start this thread but I did look through other Forum headers and this seemed the most logical.

I know that the iPad has good apps for aviation Navigation.

Does anyone have a suggestion for a ANDROID app that provides navigation backup data while airborne?

I just bought the Galaxy TAB "for" my wife and am looking to steal it from her for my trips :p

Oscar

Hi Oscar- just curious now that you have had this a few weeks- what apps have you installed on the Galaxy Tablet, and how is it working? I just bought one yesterday. Are you subscribing to a data plan or XM weather to show Nexrad images in flight? I bought mine to show moving map GPS and Weather, but haven't figured out the weather aspect yet.

Thanks! Rick
 
HTC Flyer Tablet

I picked up the new HTC Flyer a couple of weeks ago. Very nice 7" tablet but like probably all the others is not the best in full sunlight. One of the nice features is the stylus so you can also use it as a writing pad as you fly. Anyhoo....this being my first experience with Android I've downloaded a few aviation apps and so far I like Naviator the best. http://www.naviatorapp.com/It still needs improvement in the user interface but overall seems to a powerful program. Geo-referenced sectionals, TACs, & L-Charts but so far not on the IAPs. It has them as PDF's. Full flight planning, user waypoints, airport info, Victor airways, runway extensions, but so far no approaches. They have a 30 day free demo then it's $50/yr. Not sure how well it will do on an Android phone but the free demo is worth a shot. First Android phone to replace my antiquated sloppberry coming in a few weeks.

Anyone find anything else rivaling this one so far?
 
Wing-X

Wing-X has an Android app as well. Here. Another product is their Wing-X Pro7 is only for Ipads and Iphones right now but when that is available for Android look out, it's sweet, and can interface with a stand-alone ADSB receiver to give in cockpit weather and radar.
http://www.hiltonsoftware.com/ is the link.
Also there is InFlight
I bought a Superpad II Flytouch 3 tablet from Amazon, it was $175 shipped. I just want to run Naviator. They upped the price today to $232 but it's still a lot of machine for the money. 10" screen, 1ghz processor, built-in GPS, external GPS antenna, Android 2.2, wi-fi , 3g, 4gb ram, 32gb micro SD card upgradeable. I am just BLOWN AWAY by the power of these new tablets. I have owned many laptops and desktop computers with less computing power, in fact my current desktop is a 1ghz processor. These new tablets are the perfect pilot companion because you can surf the net and check weather and do flight planning with it in a hotel room, then have a moving map display in the cockpit. Hopefully the ADSB receivers will come down in price from their current $1000 level.
-Tom in Colorado
 
Avilution is another suite of aviation apps. I've seen user reviews saying it's at least as good as ForeFlight is on the iPad. It also shows your position over a moving map. Has anyone else tried it and compared it to ForeFlight?

The app is free, but has a $4.95 subscription rate.
 
Avilution

The screen shots do look appealing. I don't like that their web page says "NEVER, EVER use for navigation!". Another statement on their site, and this is verbatim, "Really, if you get lost because your phone ran out of batteries, that is so not our fault". Is it a nav app for use in a cockpit or is it a computer game?
 
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Avilution is another suite of aviation apps. I've seen user reviews saying it's at least as good as ForeFlight is on the iPad. It also shows your position over a moving map. Has anyone else tried it and compared it to ForeFlight?

The app is free, but has a $4.95 subscription rate.

I have been using Avilution on my Xoom and HTC Thunderbolt for the past few months. I like it so much that it has replaced all of my paper charts in the airplane. I don't think it has all of the spit and polish of ForeFlight yet, but the developer pushes out updates adding new features about once a week. He is also extremely open to suggestions. I have emailed him requests and they have been incorporated that week:eek:. He will even email me and other users to ask us what we think about certain ideas etc.

IMHO, there is absolutly no question that it is the best EFB for Android out there.

Stay away from WingX for Android. It is an absolute, steaming pile of dog $41T.
 
I wish Avilution had a 30 day free trial like Naviator so I could compare the two. Yeah I know $4.95 ain't gonna kill me, heck it's less than a gallon of fuel but I guess it's principle. If they feel their program is the best they should let people try it first. I downloaded it free but it doesn't work unless you pay.

Has anyone compared the two and if so what are your thoughts between them?
 
Avilution

That good news from user civenge, I can't wait to try it out. Basically the base software is free, and there's a $4.95 subscription, a real bargain for a nav app.
 
I just chatted with the owner/developer and he stated that if anyone was not happy with the product he would be more than happy to refund them their $5.

I asked him about the free trial thing again and he stated that he is really trying to focus all of his energy into adding new features.

I have Navzilla installed and it is a fine program, but does have some limitations that I don't really care for. First is that there is no way to zoom in or out directly from the map page. You have to click Options - Settings, then drag a slide bar. I may be missing an option somewhere, but this is a PITA. Second is that there are no actual charts. It is a vector representation of the data. This is nice in some respects in that you can turn on and off certain items, but what I want is an EFB that has the actual charts. Approach plates? SIDS or STARS? I can't find them. They may be there, but I have given up looking. With Avilution I just tap the airport on the screen and they all pop right up.

The difference between the two programs, once again in my opinion only, is that Navzilla looks and feels more like AOPA's flight planning software and Avilution looks and feels more like runwayfinder.com

In case you are not aware, the $4.95 includes all charts for the entire US as well as all approach plates. The approach plates are not Geo referenced yet.

I am not affiliated with Avilution in any way. I just like to spread the word when I find a product I really like.
 
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I have been using Avilution on my Xoom and HTC Thunderbolt for the past few months. I like it so much that it has replaced all of my paper charts in the airplane. I don't think it has all of the spit and polish of ForeFlight yet, but the developer pushes out updates adding new features about once a week. He is also extremely open to suggestions. I have emailed him requests and they have been incorporated that week:eek:. He will even email me and other users to ask us what we think about certain ideas etc.

IMHO, there is absolutly no question that it is the best EFB for Android out there.

Stay away from WingX for Android. It is an absolute, steaming pile of dog $41T.

Yeah, I wasn't impressed with what I saw of WingX, and ForeFlight for the android is a joke. I want to get an android pad at some point and wanted to make sure I can get a good EFB for it. I just got Avilution on my phone, but I'm still working my way through the features. You're right about their support. I asked them a question yesterday and received a response within an hour.
 
Where are you hangered? I'm out at Ellington:D

Yeah, I wasn't impressed with what I saw of WingX, and ForeFlight for the android is a joke. I want to get an android pad at some point and wanted to make sure I can get a good EFB for it. I just got Avilution on my phone, but I'm still working my way through the features. You're right about their support. I asked them a question yesterday and received a response within an hour.
 
Hey everyone. I just wanted to take a minute to introduce myself as the developer of the Naviator application. I've been a lurker here for at least five years (hope to own an RV some day...), and now I finally have a reason to create an account :D

If anyone has any questions or suggestions for the app, I would be more than happy to talk to you!

Cheers,
Mike
 
wx display? knee board set up?

I am currently trying it out. I am not tech savy at all but so far I like it.

Can it display weather over the map... and if so how?

Does anyone make a knee board set up like the I pad has?

Suggestion: So far the only way to display an airport map is from a NOS Approach Chart.... anyway to make it come up without going to the approach charts..... I would make the dept and dest airport avail directly from the map.

so far I like...

CM
 
I am currently trying it out. I am not tech savy at all but so far I like it.

Can it display weather over the map... and if so how?

Does anyone make a knee board set up like the I pad has?

Suggestion: So far the only way to display an airport map is from a NOS Approach Chart.... anyway to make it come up without going to the approach charts..... I would make the dept and dest airport avail directly from the map.

so far I like...

CM

If you press the layers tab, there are options there for weather.

One feature of this program is that the most recent charts that you have viewed are listed in the drop down in the upper left of the screen. When I fly IFR, I view the airport diagrams and expected approach plates prior to take off. That way they are easy to access in flight.
 
Any have aknee board set up for the samsung galaxy tab

I picked up a rubberized back cover for my HTC Flyer off of eBay for $4.95 which included shipping. Seems to stay on my leg pretty well without slipping.

By the way, the Flyer is a really nice tablet for the cockpit when paired with the stylus. You can write on any screen so having a second knee board to write on is not necessary. You can take notes or write down ATC stuff right on the map, approach plate, or any other screen.
 
Weather function

If you press the layers tab, there are options there for weather.

One feature of this program is that the most recent charts that you have viewed are listed in the drop down in the upper left of the screen. When I fly IFR, I view the airport diagrams and expected approach plates prior to take off. That way they are easy to access in flight.

I dont see anthing about weather on the layers menu or weather even mentioned on the manual pages. I must be missing something.
CM
 
I dont see anthing about weather on the layers menu or weather even mentioned on the manual pages. I must be missing something.
CM

Are you asking about Avilution's program or another one? When I open the layers tab there are the following options: Nexrad, Sigmets/Airmets, Metars and Winds Aloft.

IMAG0025.jpg
 
App Question

Is anyone concerned that a weather app wants permission to access your contact list?
The last app I looked at had this in the permissions and I booted it. Don't use apps at all now. No, I'm not paranoid, I just don't see why that is necessary and, as I found out today, the MSNBC app wants permission to access my phone calls...........no, I'm not kidding, check it out.
If you are comfortable with these permissions - go for it, not me.
What in the world is going on with these things??!!
 
I wish Avilution had a 30 day free trial like Naviator so I could compare the two. Yeah I know $4.95 ain't gonna kill me, heck it's less than a gallon of fuel but I guess it's principle. If they feel their program is the best they should let people try it first. I downloaded it free but it doesn't work unless you pay.

Has anyone compared the two and if so what are your thoughts between them?

I just finished a 22hr flight in a C-182 from KTAN in MA, to KAST in OR. We had both my Xoom with Avilution, and the owners iPad with Foreflight. It was the first time I have gone paperless on a flight, and I don't regret it. It made the flight much easier with moving map over the chart, absolutely splendid. For less than $60/yr its a no brainer if you ask me, and one fee gets it on your tablet and phone so you have a tiny backup. It is a quick selection to go back and forth between geo-ref VFR sectional and IFR en-route. There is also a runway finder feature that Foreflight doesn't have and is slick for newer pilots, and a flight pad feature that is growing that has some really neat potential.

Foreflight is more mature as apps go, and has a few more customizable features and geo-ref IAPs vs just .pdf copies, but overall I was entirely pleased with the Avilution app which could do 85% of what Foreflight can. I am sure Foreflight will have an Android version eventually, but by then Avilution will likely have the main missing feature available, geo-ref IAPs. I sent the developer a list of changes that would be nice after the trip and a bunch of them were implemented the next morning. Avilution appears to be built from the ground up in Android. Foreflight and WingX will have to convert, which isn't going to be easy given how different the developer tools and languages are between the two operating systems.

I should note that I am a computer engineer by day, flight instructor by night, and I started beta testing for Avilution last week. I wouldn't hesitate to check it out. It only costs $4.95 to have a look see.
 
Hey everyone. I just wanted to take a minute to introduce myself as the developer of the Naviator application. I've been a lurker here for at least five years (hope to own an RV some day...), and now I finally have a reason to create an account :D

If anyone has any questions or suggestions for the app, I would be more than happy to talk to you!

Cheers,
Mike
Welcome to the forum. I purchased your app for my droid X a few weeks ago...tested it out on a flight from Ocean Shores, WA to Nampa, ID...was so impressed I bought a motorola Xoom primarily to run your program as a back-up/additional nav aid while flying.

Without getting into the vast ways where the Xoom is better than an Ipad.....

Let me say that I'm very happy with your software for now.

Keep developing.

The BIG way to make it successful, is to find a way to superimpose your position on an approach plate.

So far everyone I've shown the app to, people who use foreflight on their Ipads, say if it'd do that....they'd switch.

So that's what you've got to work on.

I'm working on a mount for my Xoom in the RV, trying to figure out where to put the behemoth of a tablet. I've already got a mount setup for use in my company's skylane.

I'll get back to you with any ideas I have for improvement.

Thanks again!
 
Avilution Aviation Maps after 4436nm of usage

I just finished a 4436nm trip over 21 days from Colorado to OSH to NY to NC to ID back to CO, and I had an Android tablet that I gave up trying to see after the first fuel stop. I had Avilution also loaded on my HTC Aria phone as backup, and after velcro attaching it to my panel, completed the rest of the trip using the phone. The screen was small but my RV-4 doesn't have enough room for a 10" tablet anyway. This was all I ever needed. When I was away from the plane I could pull weather and plan the next trip, then just velcro it back onto the panel. I used it in tandem with my Garmin GPS III Pilot which has the vertical navigation and superior enroute navigation, but I went paperless, updating charts as necessary when the month ended. There are a lot of things I'd recommend to the developer but just as it stands I would do another 4436nm trip with the phone as my hardware platform and Avilution as my moving map app. I was actually able to get the Nexrad image at 3000' agl when near a town, and was able to see the TS and make a route change that saved some time. If you buy a tablet that doesn't have 3G and you expect to find Wi-Fi at your fuel stops or hotel room you will be disappointed. The phone has 3G already paid for. This was great for pulling weather. Chart updates are huge and have to be done on Wi-Fi just so they get finished and also to hold costs down. $60 a year is the total cost, it's a great value.
 
Here is one that might be worth checking out (http://www.rmstek.com/index.php) I have used "Flightsoft" for YEARS and love it. Experimented with "VISTA" and liked it but there was no hardware that made it usable in the RV (well that I found any way). I went to there booth at OSH and liked what I saw. Flightsoft is old it is simple and I always go back to it for flight planning (that and weathermeister.com). It simple easy to get up to speed on and it works for me. If I ever find hardware that can be seen at least as well as the iPad and there Android version comes out I will probably dump the iPad for Flightsoft.

Just thought I would throw it out there for something to think about.
 
Hi LarsonAero,

Thank you for the feedback, and it's great to hear that you enjoyed using Naviator! I do hope to be able to add georeferenced approach plates in the not-too-distant future. I would say that georeferenced plates and satellite weather are the two top priorities at the moment.

Cheers,
Mike
 
Hi LarsonAero,

Thank you for the feedback, and it's great to hear that you enjoyed using Naviator! I do hope to be able to add georeferenced approach plates in the not-too-distant future. I would say that georeferenced plates and satellite weather are the two top priorities at the moment.

Cheers,
Mike
Good to hear!
 
Naviator-Geo Referenced Appr Plates

Naviator just released v1.2. Big update that now finally has geo-referenced approach plates and night viewing options. It is a partnership with Seattle Avionics with an additional charge but still a great value.
 
That's good news - partnering with SA signals to me that they'll make it through the AeroNav pricing changes and I really like the software.

Dan
 
Avilution

Just flew with the Avilution package on a ASUS EEPad this weekend across SoCal. Great addition to the cockpit. With a good leather case I was able to leave it on my leg for the cruise and simply drop it between the seats during TO and landings.
The only two feature request would be different ordering of the airport chart data (pattern Alt etc) and if possible a track up display option
 
Avilution is a great app, but it's limited by my hardware. I haven't stepped up to an Android pad yet, but I am using it on my Samsung Captivate. The GPS in the phone is ****. How good is the GPS in android pads? Or do you use a real GPS that's blue-tooth tethered to your device? If so what do you recommend?
 
I would not hesitate to try Avilution if they had a free trial like Naviator. Too bad they don't, I'm sure it has cost them many potential customers who got hooked on Naviator like I did because of the full featured 30 day trial. Avilution has a free download but you can't do anything with the app unless you pay upfront.

I have the HTC 7" Android tablet and use it's internal GPS. I have never lost the signal and it has always been dead on when compared to my moving map EFIS. It is also easier to read in sunlight than an iPad.
 
GPS is great

Avilution is a great app, but it's limited by my hardware. I haven't stepped up to an Android pad yet, but I am using it on my Samsung Captivate. The GPS in the phone is ****. How good is the GPS in android pads? Or do you use a real GPS that's blue-tooth tethered to your device? If so what do you recommend?

No problem with the internal GPS in the EEpad anywhere in the plane.
 
Samsung Galaxy

I have a Samsung Galaxy 8.9" tablet and running Naviator 'free trial' and have not lost a GPS signal yet (Been as high as 11,500). Have completed 4 round trip flights from San Diego to phoenix and it works great. Naviator is a great app, only wish you could have a 'track up' option instead of having to freeze the screen rotation.
Not sure if I am going to purchase Naviator, (although I think it is a great app and worth the money). I have GNS-430 and really only use the pad for digital charts and approach plates. I get those from OpenFlight GPS for charts and Flightplan.com app for approach plates.

Dan
 
How good is the GPS in android pads? Or do you use a real GPS that's blue-tooth tethered to your device? If so what do you recommend?

Using a Nook Color with a SD card that boots it as an Android. Using BT to get to a separate GPS - GNS 5870 MFI.

Dan
 
I like the BT-368i GPS receiver

I'm running Android on a Nook Color too. Using a BT-368i that can be found for under $60.

I tried using the XGPS150, but they are having issues with Android. Not sure if it's been cleared up or not.
 
Galaxy tab mount

Hey guys, in case you're still looking for a kneeboard-type mount for the Galaxy Tab our similarly-sized tablets, RAM Mounts makes one:
www.ram-mount.com/NewProducts/ramadaptacradle/tabid/3616/Default.aspx

I have the original Galaxy Tab and two mounts. One has a suction-cup backing so I can use it as an (awesomely huge) GPS in the car, and the other has leg straps for cockpit use. I've been extremely happy with both - I think the GT is the perfect size in a small space (even 152s), much better than a clunky iPad, and the leg mount is preferable to a yoke mount, IMHO.

I haven't used Wingx or Naviator, but I have been using Avilution for about a year now, and have been thrilled with it. I'm a little old school with approach plates, so I haven't missed the geolocation features that ForeFlight has. But AviationMaps has saved me a lot of headache in non-GPS-equipped aircraft.
 
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