chazking

chazking

Well Known Member
While @ OSH I visited the Airnav EFB booth several times. They have a ForeFlight comparable flight planner, etc., for Android. They claim it uses the same rendering engine as ForeFlight & offers a similar set of features.

It's less expensive and available on Android devices that usually have more advanced technology than Apple ...

In testing the Android devices, they have the same glare issues as the iPhone / iPad ..

What Android devices are best with it? They claim NEXUS works well ..

Any PIREPs / comments / etc.?

http://avnavefb.com/
 
Chaz,

We demoed AvNav EFB @ Oshkosh on Samsung Galxy Tab S 8.4 and we really liked the stability and performance of this device. Some users took it outside the hangar for test and seemed happy with daylight readability. There is an HTC Nexus 9 coming out soon and may be worth the wait. Nexus7 (2013 edition) is indeed the most popular Android tablet amongst our users.

We have been hard at work implementing all the features users like you asked for at the show. Since Oshkosh we have released two major versions with following new features:

  • Animated Nexrad
  • Plates Over map - see plates overlayed on map page in north up or trackup mode. Overlay metar, nexrad etc. on top of plates.
  • Support for Dual XGPS 170 and Pathfinder ADSB receiver. Support for ADSB nexrad messages
  • Preferred routes - see what others are filing.
  • AIRMETs/SIGMETs/PIREPs overlay on map page
  • SUA/MOA/Prohibited Airspace overlays on map page
  • Tappable TFRs

Please give these new features a try.

thanks,

-Sanjay
AvNav EFB
 
PIREP II

Thanks, Sanjay. You're the company. I'm looking for pilots who've used the app in anger!

Do you have a ForeFlight to AVNAV EFB feature / capabilities comparison?

Looks like Nexus 9 compares favorably to the iPad Air 2 (both to be announced later this month ... The 9 is still a work-in-progress; Air 2 is a backorder)
 
Chaz,

I don't have a Foreflight vs AvNav comparison sheet. We do have an AvNav vs other Android App comparisons sheet here (and some of this may apply to Foreflight):

http://avnavefb.com/why-avnav/

You are right, we have to wait for Nexus 9 and Ipad Air 2 to arrive to settle Android vs Apple debate. But right now I would say Galaxy Tab S beats any Apple or Android offering.

thanks,

-Sanjay
AvNav EFB
 
AvNav

chazking said:
Thanks, Sanjay. You're the company. I'm looking for pilots who've used the app in anger!
Click to expand...

I've spent a few days now playing around with AvNav on the ground. I haven't looked at the IFR enroute charts or plates since I'm VFR only. I planned several flights as if I was going to use this as a backup to the 430 on a long XC flight. Here is my quickie review:

Pros
Stitched charts
Wind compensated flight plan with time and fuel between waypoints. This is a big one for me. Of all the android apps I've used this one gives the most useful flight plan info in the most logical layout that I've seen.
Weather overlays
Fuel price overlay
Easy access to airport and aypoint info from the map screen
Flight plan "rubber banding". It took me a while to figure out how it worked because it's not drag and drop like most other apps. You have to click and hold on a waypoint, and then select it from a list of nearby waypoints to add the one you want the flight plan. I actually like this way better once I got used to it beacause you don't wind up accidentally changing your flight plan when you're trying to pan the map.

Cons
I can't figure out how to get airspace info. You can overlay class B,C,D, MOA and restricted areas so they are easier to spot, which is nice. But I can't find any airspace info, and since the charts are stitched you can't zoom in to the edge of the chart and read it.
No terminal area charts, just sectionals.
No ETE, ETA, distance to waypoint, speed,.etc info on the moving map. I like to know how much time I have to my next waypoint right on the map. It might be there when you're moving, but I don't see anything to indicate it would show up if I were moving.


At first this appears to be a great app but the lack of airspace info is a deal breaker for me. Without access to the SUA info you still need either another app or paper charts. I will be watching it though as it progreses and could see myself jumping on board in the future as I think it has a lot of potential.

For now I'll stick with Naviator. While not the prefect app, for me, it's the optimum balance of features and cost.
 
Last edited:
John, we are looking for a good source for SUA/MOA frequency etc and we will add it soon. We just added the overlays.

For rubber banding - you are right, you have to hold on the line and then you can drag it.

To See ETE, next waypoint etc. you - have to turn navigation on. There is a navigation button on right and you have to select North Up or Track up.

As for cost, our $4.99 includes Geo-ref approach plates - this is lowest cost complete package on Android or any device for that matter.

thanks for the pirep,

-Sanjay
AvNav EFB
 
femski said:
As for cost, our $4.99 includes Geo-ref approach plates - this is lowest cost complete package on Android or any device for that matter.
Click to expand...

Femski,

Thanks for the reply. I was able to get navigation mode working and it shows all the info I was hoping to see on the moving map.

If I flew IFR I completely agree with you about the cost, this is by for the lowest priced IFR package with en-route charts, geo-referenced plates and the plate overlay that I have seem. But for a 100% VFR flyer I have to have the SUA info if I'm going to to dump the paper charts or another app.

Another nice to have feature for VFR would be the addition of terminal charts, are there any plans to add them to the downloads?

In the playing around I've done with the app in the past week I'm sold, it's a great app. When you have the SUA info figured out please let us know and I'll be the first in line, so to speak, to sign up for a monthly subscription.
 
Update to my review - Terminal Charts are included

I wanted to post this update to my review of AnNav for Android.

I've been planning a trip from Torrance to Casa Grande for Copperstate, and then onto Marble Canyon using AvNav. In my original review I said that it did not support terminal charts. I realized I was mistaken, the terminal charts are automatically stitched with the sectionals. If you zoom in to say LAX you can see that it's the terminal and not the sectional chart.

For me the lack of terminal charts was a big negative against the app, so I was pleased when I found out I was wrong.
 
A question for Sanjay...

Foreflight has full Canadian charts, VFR, IFR, Canada Flight Supplement etc. At the moment there isn't an Android app that has the same availability of the complete set of Canadian charting information. FltplanGo is close but their Canada Flight Supplement info is spotty, at best.

Are you giving any consideration to having AvnavEFB provide Canadian charting information? If so, do you have a target date for availability?
 
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