A recently updated version of flight tracking app CloudAhoy–CloudAhoy Pro—aims to streamline flight evaluations for flight instructors. A new feature called “CFI Assistant” evaluates multiple parameters of flight, such as indicated airspeed deviation, altitude deviation, sink rate, descent angle consistency, and centerline deviation, and it provides scores for those parameters as well as an overall score for the flight. Scores are recorded on a scale from 0 to 100, and they are color-coded green for 85-100, yellow for 50-85 and red for below 50.

“The CFI Assistant certainly does not replace a human flight instructor–flight instructors are indispensable–but specific aspects of pilot performance and proficiency are objective and measurable, and that’s where the CFI Assistant comes in,” said CloudAhoy’s founder and CEO, Chuck Shavit. Shavit and his team have been working on the CFI Assistant feature for more than two years and tapped feedback from thousands of flights conducted by military, flight-school and individual pilots.

The update also provides improved instrument-approach performance analysis. The app can automatically detect which approach is being flown, and it compares the flight path track to the horizontal and vertical approach paths. CloudAhoy Pro can also be linked to some avionics systems, such as Garmin’s G3X, G1000 and G3000, to stream primary flight data, power settings, configuration changes and more to the app for evaluation.

In addition to adding features, CloudAhoy has made several interface improvements and added more aircraft performance parameters (the app supports hundreds of aircraft models), to help make the flight analyses more accurate.

There are three levels of annual subscriptions. The Pro version costs $150, while the previous “standard” version remains at $65. There is also a free version, which includes 2D flight tracking and flight logging. Creating an account is easy, and CloudAhoy offers a 35-days free trial for new users.

The post CloudAhoy’s CFI Assistant Improves Flight Evaluations appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Premier aviation app maker ForeFlight continues adding features and making improvements to its app. Recently, the company updated its Documents feature, streamlining document management. The new features within Documents will be available with ForeFlight’s next software update.

A ForeFlight subscription provides access to hundreds of documents from official government sources, such as FAA, NAV Canada and Eurocontrol. Documents can now be accessed from a new menu on the left side on the screen once you tap the icon on the bottom of the screen. The files are separated into binders, drives, cloud folders and documents that you have added from other sources. You can download each document separately by tapping an icon to the right of the name, or all of the documents within a folder by tapping an icon in the top right corner. Once downloaded, the app will keep the documents up to date when new versions become available.

The Documents feature will have a completely new interface. To make it easier for ForeFlight users to find their documents, the app now includes the ability to add binders, drives and folders to help with organization. Documents, notes and annotations are synced over the user’s platforms, so there is no need to download the same document more than once. Bookmarks made on one platform are also synced to the others. Another new addition is the ability to access the Documents feature on the iPhone.

With a Pro Plus plan or higher, you can transfer entire folders from cloud storage sites such as Dropbox into Documents. Saved documents can be shown as thumbnails to make them easily recognizable or in a list view that only shows the names of the files.

The update also allows you to search for specific documents. The search feature is available from the Documents, Airports, Maps, and Plates views. If documents with the search term are available, both files that are downloaded and those that are not will be shown. If a document is not downloaded, simply tapping on it from the search list will download it.

The post ForeFlight Revamps Documents Feature appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Aviation app maker ForeFlight has launched a new app to help passengers stay more aware during a flight without having to bother the pilot. ForeFlight Passenger is a free companion app to the company’s well-established aviation app, ForeFlight Mobile, and it allows non-pilots to follow along during the flight to get an idea of where they are and when they will arrive at the planned destination.

ForeFlight Passenger operators can pan and zoom in on any destination around the globe using the app’s worldwide mapping capability. Cities, places, roads, lakes, rivers, parks and more are shown to help the passenger follow along during the flight using landmarks on the ground, or to simply allow for exploration of the world.

ForeFlight Passenger is a free app that is compatible with a variety of portable devices. There is no need for a login or any type of account. The flight data comes directly from the ForeFlight Mobile app. The ForeFlight Mobile operator can simply share the data with nearby devices that have the Passenger app. As long as route sharing is available, any changes to the flightplan will also be reflected in the Passenger app.

To make the flight data easy to read, the Passenger app color codes the flightplan. Past legs are marked in brown, current legs are highlighted in magenta and future legs are blue. An information window at the top of the screen provides time remaining and ETA information and can be expanded to include ground speed, altitude and bearing data.

The post ForeFlight Launches Passenger App appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Since ForeFlight opened up shop in 2007, it, along with other aviation apps, has revolutionized the way we fly making critical charts, approach plates and navigation tools previously carried in heavy flight bags available in a small portable tablet. Along the way, the app has been updated with all kinds of useful tools. This week, ForeFlight announced its latest feature: Airport 3D Views.

If you, like probably all pilots, have ever had trouble finding an airport and/or the runway in use during the final stages of a flight, this new feature will be appreciated. Airport 3D View allows you to explore the airport environment in a 3D image format. The image can be zoomed in and out, placing you at different altitudes shown on the screen. You can also rotate around the airport in various planes, from 3 degrees to 89 degrees, providing views from the final approach segment, directly from above and everything in between. The pictures, enhanced by high-resolution terrain imagery from Jeppesen, allows you to explore the landscapes and structures you will see as you approach the runway.

The Airport 3D View image also includes quick access buttons for each runway at the airport providing a view from the short final segment. A “compass” icon shows the location of north in relation to the airport view, providing additional situational awareness.

Airport 3D View is available for all airports in the ForeFlight database, as long as that database is updated and the software runs on version 11. The feature is not only an excellent preflight tool; it can also be used to explore airport environments in places that you might want to visit in the future.

The feature is included in ForeFlight’s Performance Plus subscription, which costs $299.99. Special pricing is available until February 18 with the promo code AIRPORT3D, increasing the subscription period from the standard 12 months to 15 months.

The post ForeFlight Brings Airport 3D Views appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

If you started flying before the iPad was introduced in 2010 or, even longer ago, before the early 2000s, when aviation-specific portable-flight-bag tablets first entered the market, you remember the days when you got a workout each time you went flying from carrying a hefty bag filled with paper charts, plotters, instrument approach plates and more. Fortunately, the introduction of smartphones and tablets, and subsequently electronic flight bag apps, such as ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot, WingX Pro and FlyQ EFB, quickly eliminated the heavy lifting and the hours spent planning for cross-country flights, studying charts or making calculations to figure out the headwind component and flight time to ensure you had sufficient fuel for a flight. And who misses the days of removing outdated instrument charts from thick Jeppesen binders and replacing them with new pages?

While pilots are most likely still spending most of their flying-related iPad time on the previously mentioned flight apps, there are several other products that can help with different aspects of flying. Here are some examples of apps you can install on your smartphone or tablet that can help you become a better pilot and make flying and the process of making go/no-go decisions more enjoyable.

CloudAhoy

Evaluating the accuracy of flights is not just for those who are training for a private, instrument or commercial ticket. Most likely there is something to learn each time you take to the skies. It’s a great idea to take the time to assess how a flight went to gauge your proficiency and correct mistakes. CloudAhoy makes this process fun and effortless. Having said that, this app is a particularly useful tool for pilots in training and flight instructors as it helps the instructor debrief a flight in detail using actual data.

In the CloudAhoy app, you can watch yourself fly and see where you made any mistakes. Did you keep your speed where it should be during the climb, cruise, descent and approach? Did you maintain your altitude throughout the flight? Were the altitude and bank angle steady during that steep turn? Were you on the glidepath during the RNAV approach? CloudAhoy can answer all of these questions.

Flights can be recorded directly in the app, but if you’re recording the flight with another app or piece of equipment, there is no need to run CloudAhoy while flying. You can simply import the flight data from ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot or a long list of panel-mount equipment and other GPS products.

In the “Debrief and More” section, there are many options for reviewing the flight. You can see a 3D depiction of the flight, overlay the flight track on VFR and IFR charts (international charts are also included), and evaluate various flight parameters, such as altitude and speed. A 3D synthetic-vision cockpit view is also available, and a virtual PFD can be shown too.

You can replay the entire flight, or a certain time segment or phase of the flight, such as the taxi, takeoff, cruise, approach or landing. Each phase of flight is listed in chronological order, so there is no need to scroll through the timeline to find it. When working on a maneuver, such as a stall or hold, the instructor can add the maneuver into the flight log to make it easy to find on the debrief page.

If you’re working on an instrument rating or practicing approaches, you can also show the instrument approach to see how accurately you tracked it. Videos can be integrated into the flight along with audio to truly get the full picture of the flight.

If there is no time to debrief the flight with your CFI right after, you can share the flight with him or her and discuss it later. It can even be used as a preflight tool for the following flight to get a quick preview of what you need to improve on. Or you can share your flight with friends or post it on social media.

LiveATC

Do you find frustration in hearing pilots with poor communications skills on the frequency? Don’t be one of those guys. Using the LiveATC app you can listen in on the communications exchange between air traffic controllers and pilots, and learn to mimic the most professional verbiage during each stage of flight. You can select a specific airport from one of many lists broken down into countries and states.

The communications feeds come from frequencies linked by volunteers, so there is no guarantee that the airport you’re looking for has a connection. Functionality is indicated by a simple green “up” or red “down” indication. For the most part, the listed feeds are up.

In addition to the live communications feed, LiveATC shows the current metar for the airport and includes a link to the airport diagram and a radar image of the surrounding area. You can also listen in on some ARTCC stations around the United States, as well as oceanic HF frequencies.

So, if you’re a proper aviation geek, now you can hang out and listen in on what goes on at airports around the world. LiveATC has a one-time cost of $3.99, with no subscription fees.

WeatherSpork

A couple of decades ago, the only way to get aviation weather was to call 800-WX-BRIEF. But today, the number of resources to help determine the conditions for your route of flight are nearly limitless. One terrific app that breaks the weather down into components that are easy to decipher is WeatherSpork.

WeatherSpork offers a highly detailed meteogram that shows weather information in a graphical format, with forecast periods ranging from 12 hours to three days. There is also a seven-day general forecast without the detailed graphs.

The app color-codes the weather conditions for quick initial go/no-go information: green is VFR, blue is MVFR, red is IFR and pink is LIFR. Colored circles show cloud coverage in a pie format — a green ring indicates clear skies, while a solid green dot indicates VFR conditions under overcast skies.

The precipitation window is also color coded: blue for rain, orange for thunderstorms, red for severe thunderstorms, pink for snow and maroon for freezing precipitation.

In addition to the meteogram, you can enter a route of flight and WeatherSpork will show the weather en route, either in a grid or a profile view showing cloud levels, freezing levels, potential precipitation and more. A map view shows color-coded weather conditions at the airports en route. WeatherSpork also includes a long list of weather imagery, such as radar, airmets, sigmets, satellite images, prognostic charts and much more.

Another helpful section in the app is the “Workshop” section, which offers weather-related educational videos from AvWxWorkshops.

WeatherSpork requires a subscription to AvWxWorkshops, which costs $79 per year. Be aware, however, that WeatherSpork is not an approved FAA source of aviation weather. For that, you have to use a flight service station or a weather source that uses DUATS.

FRAT

If you’re looking for help making non-weather-related go/no-go decisions, FRAT could become your new best friend. While the makers of the FRAT app are adamant that the tool should not be used as a go/no-go decision-maker, this app provides a quick way to evaluate a wide range of parameters that have an impact on risk management.

After a very short questionnaire to input your name and total flight time and most common type, you can test your luck with a hypothetical flight. Parameters such as recent flight experience, time of day for the flight, recent instruction, ratings and proficiency, airport environment, weather conditions and more are input through quick, simple taps on the screen. Some parameters lower the risk, such as if you’ve had instruction in the past 90 days. Others increase it; for example, if you had less than eight hours of sleep the night before.

At the end of the questionnaire, the tool reveals a number from zero to 70 to grade the flight, with 70 being the highest level of risk. In addition to the number, the evaluation is color coded: green for “operational risk low” (zero to 10 points) or “increase risk awareness” (11 to 20 points), yellow for “consider mitigating risk” (21 to 30 points), red for “reduce risk exposure” (31 to 39 points) or “evaluate continued operation” (40 to 46 points), and blinking red for “risk factor very high” (47 to 55 points) or “risk factor extreme” (56 to 70 points).

FRAT also includes resources such as TFRs and notams, and some weather data, though the app makes no attempt at making the information easier to decipher but rather links to other resources.

FRAT has a one-time cost of 99 cents, a worthwhile investment in helping reduce your flight risks.

FlyQ Insight

The creator of FlyQ Insight calls it “aviation’s first augmented-reality app.” The app takes the guesswork out of finding airports by using the viewfinder on the camera of a smartphone or tablet to show the pilot where the airport is in relation to reference points outside.

After a quick and easy calibration process, the app will show airports that are in front of the viewfinder on the camera portion of the tablet and display them on the outside image. Main airports are shown, but you can select whether to display the following types: private airports, heliports, seaplane bases and airports with runways shorter than 2,500 feet (this is a default setting — the minimum runway length can be changed). You can also choose the range at which the airports are displayed.

Airports are displayed with signlike icons that display the airport identifier and the distance from your current location. As you turn the tablet left and right, the airports in the peripheral areas show up on the screen. The screen always shows the airports in front of the viewfinder. Simply click the “airport signs” to get detailed information about each airport, such as runway length, radar images, metars and more.

Airport information, weather data, saved flight plans and more can also be accessed through a menu on the bottom of any of the FlyQ Insight pages.

FlyQ Insight is offered free by Seattle Avionics.

MyRadar

Radar imagery provides critical information during cruddy-weather days. Like all weather, radar imagery can be found on many different apps. But often you have to dig around to find the most applicable image. MyRadar provides a clear and current radar image of the area immediately around your current location. You can, of course, pan around on the touchscreen to take a closer look at other areas, but it makes sense for the image to default to your location.

In addition to radar imagery, the app provides current, high and low temperatures; winds; likelihood of precipitation; and cloud coverage, as well as hourly and five-day forecasts. The basic version of MyRadar is free, but you’ll have to live with ads on the top or bottom of the screen. The ads disappear with the purchase of the premium subscription at $9.99 per year. An aviation chart subscription is also available for $24.99 per year, allowing you to superimpose weather imagery over VFR sectionals and low- and high-IFR charts.

The post 6 Practical Aviation Apps appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Garmin International has made enhancements to its FltLogic scheduling program. The comprehensive program can be used from the initial trip request phase through post flight planning through an app or online.

With the new updates, FltLogic allows the user to create multiple reports by date, aircraft, pilot, passenger and more. Pilots can easily file post flight reports from a mobile device. Multiple reports can be generated to show information such as a pilot’s flight activity with details such as total and average number of legs, distance, and hours flown. The amount of fuel burned for each aircraft can be broken down into specific date ranges, and expenses, operating costs and invoicing can be easily managed through the program. The generated reports can also be exported in .csv format.

The service integrates with FltPlan.com, which Garmin acquired last year. Events created in FltLogic can be transferred directly to FltPlan to be used for flight planning and filing. Conversely, information such as airport and FBO data transfers from FltPlan to FltLogic. Users who subscribe to FuelerLinx can also use FltLogic to determine the best FBO to use for fuel. The service includes more than 70 contract fuel providers.

The cost for the program for one aircraft is $1,500 per year or $2,500 for multiple aircraft. Both subscription programs cover an unlimited number of users.

The post Garmin Updates FltLogic Scheduling Program appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Here’s an emerging safety story that hasn’t received much attention: Fatal accidents caused by weather are declining. Nobody should be popping Champagne bottles just yet, but there is enough data to suggest a steady downward trend over the past few years.

What’s the cause of this encouraging course reversal? There are probably many, but the increasing use of datalink weather in the cockpit deserves serious attention. Over the past 15 years, the number of pilots flying with some type of cockpit weather, typically either ADS-B or SiriusXM, has exploded. Portable ADS-B receivers in particular really took off about eight years ago, right around the time the fatal weather accident rate started declining.

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Datalink weather is hardly a miracle cure, as the National Transportation Safety Board and FAA have frequently reminded pilots, but the data certainly is suggestive. The limitation we constantly hear about is that radar is not real-time: Those images are delayed, sometimes by as long as 20 minutes, so they should not be used for close-in storm avoidance. That’s critical to remember during thunderstorm season, but unfortunately, the government drumbeat about this minor limitation has obscured the huge increase in safety that’s possible with this increasingly advanced equipment.

The key word there is possible. Technology is rarely good or bad; it’s merely a tool. To make datalink weather a tool that improves safety, it has to be treated with respect. That means understanding the onboard avionics at a deep level, whether it’s a fully integrated glass cockpit or a portable ADS-B receiver, and making it part of regular recurrent training.

Some real-world weather flying experience is also a must, since the most valuable lessons simply cannot be learned from a textbook. A safe pilot is a weather geek and seeks out opportunities to fly (safely) around dynamic weather conditions. After more than 15 years of making these flights with datalink weather, I’ve changed how I fly cross-country trips, both VFR and IFR. I’ve also developed a few rules for using datalink weather. These aren’t comprehensive, but they help structure my decision-making.

• Understand the big picture first. A doctor wouldn’t operate on a patient without first understanding the underlying condition, and neither should you read a metar without first considering the overall weather system you are flying in. The first step to safe weather flying starts on the ground, where you develop a theory about what’s going on in the atmosphere. That comes from reviewing the surface analysis, the upper air charts and the forecast discussions. Find out where the lows are, where the fronts are moving and what the winds aloft are doing. This big picture sets the rest of the weather information in context, but it often isn’t given the importance it deserves.

• Take in enough data, but not too much. Once you have a theory, it’s time to go flying and test that theory by applying real-world data to it. Fortunately, pilots have more data at their fingertips than ever before, so it’s easy to get a detailed picture of the atmosphere around the airplane. Unfortunately, all this data can lead to two mistakes. First, you can’t get so locked into the colorful radar image that you neglect other weather products, such as metars, TAFs, pireps and winds aloft. Radar is fantastic, but it’s only a part of the story.

At the other extreme, it’s easy to get overloaded with data and either forget to fly the airplane or talk yourself in circles without ever making a decision. In particular, be careful about confirmation bias, where you search for any piece of information that confirms what you want to believe. If the weather is below approach minimums at all three airports near your destination, don’t keep searching until you find one good metar. That’s false hope, and it’s dangerous.

It takes practice, but the goal should be to review enough data to have a complete picture of the weather in front of you, but without getting mired in the weeds.

• Watch the time stamp. Here’s your required warning about the delayed nature of datalink weather. Yes, that radar image could be anywhere from five to 20 minutes old, and a lot can change in a thunderstorm in that time. Carefully watch the time stamp on the app or MFD to make sure you’re getting current weather, and remember that “four-minute-old” radar only means the receiver got that information four minutes ago —it could actually be 10 or 15 minutes since the radar sweep.

That’s why the oft-repeated advice to use datalink weather for strategic avoidance instead of tactical penetration is smart. But there’s more to it than that. If you have a good idea of the big picture, it’s easier to fit changing weather reports into your mental model. Is that storm building rapidly because of a fast-moving cold front or because it’s a hot summer day with unstable air? Another tactic is to animate the weather charts (if possible)to see any trends. Often, the direction and speed of change matter as much as the specific imagery.

• Make big deviations early on, and change flight plans. The obvious lesson from the previous tip is to avoid severe weather by a wide margin. That requires a change in mindset for many pilots. With datalink weather on board, I spend a lot less time flying up to weather and then asking for “10 degrees left, 20 degrees right” as I pick around cells. Instead, I look at the weather map and change the route of flight 50 miles ahead of time: “Requesting direct Boiler VOR, Victor 97, Chicago Heights to avoid weather.” This might add four minutes to the flight, but it provides a margin of safety, reduces stress, increases passenger comfort and makes life easier for air traffic control (since they can enter it into their computer and pass your new route along to the next sector).

• Your eyes get a veto. The best weather sensor in any airplane is an observant pilot’s eyes, backed up by datalink weather, not the other way around. In the end, weather avoidance in light airplanes is very much a visual process—even when flying IFR. Instrument pilots can and should fly through clouds, but the best strategy is to stay visual as much as possible and avoid nasty-looking clouds. Never let an iPad screen talk you into flying through weather that your eyes don’t feel comfortable with. I’ve deviated around plenty of buildups that were not showing up on the radar yet simply because they looked ominous to me.

No matter how many hours you’ve logged, weather is a challenge. Unlike instrument approaches, which are static and reward rote practice, weather is constantly changing and demands nuanced decision-making skills. We must approach every flight with a flexible mindset and be disciplined enough to play the hand that Mother Nature deals us. She does not care about the forecast, so the only sure thing is the late Richard Collins’ first rule of weather flying: “What you see is what you get.”

The post Flying with Datalink Weather appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The maker of one of the most successful aviation app producers, ForeFlight, has an added feature called Trip Assistant. The new resource adds a whole new layer of support, making general aviation journeys more predictable.

ForeFlight’s founder and CEO Tyson Weihs says the feature was developed to help ForeFlight’s employees who needed to know how long a trip would take or when to leave their homes to get to a meeting on time. “Trip Assistant is a tool that any aircraft user – assistants, flight support staff, passengers and pilots – can use to quickly compute total trip time, even when fuel stops are required,” Weihs said.

Trip Assistant is easy to use. You simply enter business names, street addresses or names of places as the departure and destination points and the system suggests airports near the departure and destination as well as driving directions. Setting a departure time will make the system calculate an estimated arrival time and setting an arrival time will produce a departure time required to get to the destination on time.

Trip Assistant also recommends fuel stops on the way, if necessary. Criteria such as fuel prices, performance parameters and leg times are used to calculate the best options for landings enroute. Airports with insufficient runways for the performance of the aircraft are not shown. You can also filter out airports based on several other parameters, such as availability of desired instrument approach types, the existence of a control tower and more.

Trip Assistant is free with a subscription to either ForeFlight’s Performance Plus or Business Performance Plus services.

The post ForeFlight Offers Trip Assistant appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

At the NBAA Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition in Orlando, Florida, Jeppesen introduced a new software product aimed to streamline the work of flight departments. Jeppesen teamed up with BoldIQ, experts in on-demand flight operations and optimization, to create Jeppesen Operator, which integrates the many levels that go into managing aircraft and crew in an on-demand flight department, such as aircraft maintenance, crew currency, flight planning, weight and balance, flight permits, and more.

Once trip planning begins, the software creates an all-inclusive checklist. The checklist allows multiple operators to work on the same trip plan, and since the software is cloud-based, a plan can be accessed from multiple locations by several operators, allowing a trip plan to be started in one location and finished in another if need be. Operator can be managed through a computer or mobile app.

Jeppesen Operator also combines with Jeppesen’s EFB app to allow flight departments to seamlessly push the trip information to the pilot. In the future, Operator will also connect to Garmin’s Pilot app.

The software allows the operator to pick and choose services offered by Jeppesen. Jeppesen’s concierge service, which is incorporated into the software, allows flight departments to pick and choose the services they are able to handle themselves and hand off more complex ones, such as international permits and handling arrangements, to the professionals at Jeppesen.

Pricing varies depending on the services selected and are paid per tail.

The post Jeppesen Launches New Operator Software appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Lynx fans can rejoice, as three of its ADS-B systems are now compatible with ForeFlight Mobile.

L-3’s Lynx NGT-9000, -2500 and -2000 series ADS-B systems can now connect wirelessly with the ForeFlight app, allowing users to overlay traffic, weather and GPS data on the app’s numerous charts and maps. The systems can connect via Wi-Fi, which comes standard on the compatible Lynx ADS-B models. In order to connect, ForeFlight Mobile version 7.7.2 and the L-3 wireless ADS-B module are required.

ForeFlight continues to expand its connectivity options; the app is also compatible with Avidyne, Garmin, FreeFlight and Appareo systems.

The post Lynx Systems Now Connect to ForeFlight appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

While learning to fly can appear daunting at times, another challenge lying in wait for would-be aviators is learning to maintain a pilot logbook, a struggle that demands keeping a calculator and plenty of Wite-Out close by. Or at least it used to.

Ready to become one of the solutions to the problem, Pilot Partner’s new electronic logbook debuted at this year’s AirVenture. Creators Ken VeArd and Jacob Rodrigues Pereira told Flying their product will “reinvent the way logbooks are kept.”

Pilot Partner makes flight-data entry for any level pilot a snap, even when working from a smartphone, thanks to the cloud technology engine under the hood. Pilot Partner offers a bright, easy-to-read front page that instantly calls attention to an aviator’s flight currency, whether it’s IFR, tailwheel or the next flight review. Rather than simply listing a due date, Pilot Partner counts them all down, making aviators aware they’ll be out of night currency in nine days, for example. Pilot Partner offers a series of YouTube videos to help familiarize new users with the system.

Enter the tail number of an airplane not already stored in the profile and Pilot Partner searches the FAA database to retrieve an accurate aircraft manufacturer and type ID. The logbook’s report feature makes a 10-second chore out of generating a summary of aircraft types and hours flown within specific date parameters that’s perfect for insurance or check ride demands. Realize a mistake anywhere along the way and a pilot’s correction quickly populates the system, generating accurate numbers everywhere down the line.

One of Pilot Partner’s flagship features allows a CFI, also using the system, to access a student’s, or any other pilot’s, logbook to directly add times, dates and session notes, including the instructor’s signature to verify those summary reports when necessary. Accurate detailing also makes it easier for an instructor to review a pilot’s past progress on a smartphone just before the next flight, which should eliminate that infuriatingly popular phrase, “What did we do last time?”

Another important feature of the subscription-based Pilot Partner system is the availability of all flight data to the original user. As this Flying writer learned during the early years of electronic logbooks, all the work spent entering data from a paper logbook can be lost if that information is stored in a format that goes obsolete. Pilot Partner allows users to store a digital copy of their valuable logbook information on their home computers, or print out their entire logbook, in a variety of formats that should make obsolescence nearly impossible.

Canceling your Pilot Partner subscription doesn’t mean your data disappears, however. “We promise we’ll keep your data for at least five years after you cancel,” VeArd said. “We’ll probably store it for much longer, though, since it’s actually too much work to delete.” Pilot Partner subscriptions cost $29.95 per year.

The post Pilot Partner Logbook Links Pilots With CFIs appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Avidyne announced at an EAA AirVenture press conference a long list of new updates to its panel-mounted IFD-series software and ideas on how to create low-cost, high-tech solutions in the cockpit. The avionics company recently launched its IFD100 app, which talks to the panel mounted IFD-series FMS/GPS/navcom systems. Avidyne’s CEO Dan Schwinn showed off new innovative ways to use a mobile tablet to mount in front of the round gauges on the panel, providing a glass display that incorporates the functions of the navigators.

With Avidyne’s IFD550, which is expected to start shipping soon, the FMS/GPS/navcom and the IFD100 app can display synthetic vision and a 3-D exocentric in-trail view showing the airplane on the screen.

Avidyne is also about to release a new software update for the IFD series, which will allow for the same views to be displayed on the IFD440 and IFD540. R10.2 will also increase the systems’ capability to connect with other hardware, such as weather radar products, EVS and NVG cameras, Garmin’s GDL 88 and more.

Avidyne currently offers six IFD models ranging in price from $11,399 to $21,999. The systems can easily replace Garmin’s GNS 430/530 GPS/navcom slots with minimal installation costs in most cases. The top of the line IFD550 is expected to be available in the next two months. IFD540 customers can easily upgrade to the new system. The presale cost for the IFD550 upgrade is $5,000. The cost will increase to $7,000 after the presale period.

The post Avidyne Showcases New Panel Solutions appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Two big names in aviation navigation products announced yesterday the integration of Jeppesen terminal charts with Garmin’s industry-leading Pilot app.

Pilots can now view Jeppesen charts in the Pilot Charts page and in split-screen mode with a moving map, making Garmin’s iOS app an even more comprehensive cockpit tool. The charts can also be overlaid on the moving map.

“Garmin and Jeppesen are dedicated to ensuring pilots can more easily access pertinent chart data across all of the Garmin products in the cockpit, now including the Garmin Pilot app on iOS mobile devices,” said Carl Wolf, Garmin’s vice president of aviation sales and marketing. “This partnership benefits our joint customer base as pilots flying behind Garmin avionics with Jeppesen charts are offered an even more seamless experience when transitioning between the app and installed displays in the cockpit.”

Jeppesen says it also will continue to support its Mobile FliteDeck app.

The charts are available to pilots with subscriptions to Garmin Pilot IFR Premium and Jeppesen data. Otherwise, customers can purchase the required Jeppesen chart subscription for the Pilot app at jeppesen.com/garminpilot.

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The Garmin app has been updated for Pilot aviation, adding a slew of functions to improve the user experience. The app now integrates both iOS and Android devices with the company’s recently released GTX 345 ADS-B In/Out transponder. New views, airspace labels, access to X-Plane version 10 or higher through Wi-Fi, and VFR charts for the United Kingdom have also been added.

The integration with Garmin’s GTX 345 ADS-B transponder means that your portable device, whether iOS- or Android-based, can get subscription-free weather, traffic, GPS positioning and backup attitude data streamed directly from the panel-mounted device to the Garmin app for pilots.

The Garmin app has also added a flight profile view that allows iPad users to see the vertical track for each flight. The profile view shows weather, airspace and obstacles, and terrain in a different color, allowing the pilot to quickly evaluate the safety of the targeted cruise altitude.

On the moving map display, the Garmin app now has airport widget tabs that provide quick access to altitudes, frequencies and other pertinent airport information.

The Trip Planning section of Pilot has also been enhanced, adding access to the Altitude Selector Guide and warnings for IFR conditions. Selecting an alternate airport has become easier through Garmin’s Alternate Airport Selection Guide that displays airport information and weather.

Pilots flying to Europe can now access VFR charts in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales with an additional $34.99 annual subscription. The Garmin app expects to add VFR coverage in France in April.

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About a year ago, car service giant Uber began offering on-demand helicopter rides occasionally at certain locations around the country. This week the service, named UberChopper, is available in Las Vegas as part of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2016) through local helicopter operator Maverick Helicopters.

You may imagine yourself traveling on an UberChopper from casino rooftop to casino rooftop. However, unlike the car service Uber offers, UberChopper won’t pick you up in the actual helicopter. After you schedule your flight, an Uber driver will come to your location, pick you up and take you to Maverick’s Las Vegas strip terminal at the McCarran International Airport.

You will then get a scenic night flight over the Las Vegas strip at the reduced price of $99. The helicopters seat up to seven people and UberChopper rides are offered between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. from January 6 through 9. To book a ride, simply select the Chopper option on the app.

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The FAA has completed the beta test phase of its UAS operations app B4UFLY, which aims to educate operators about where they can and cannot fly their unmanned aircraft. The app can now be downloaded from the iTunes store and Google for use on a variety of smartphones and tablets.

While any mode of the app is active, there are four icons along the bottom of the screen that represent different functions. The first icon, “status,” shows the status for UAS operations in the airspace at your current location. You can also get more information, such as why flight may be prohibited at a particular location, by tapping icons on the screen.

In the “map” mode, the app shows airports (which operators have to avoid by a 5 mile radius) and other areas that you must avoid as a UAS user. Areas to avoid are highlighted on the map and you can tap on the icons on the map to get more information about each location. There are also two view options: a regular map view and a satellite view.

The “planner” mode allows the user to check the flight status at a particular location at a specific time and date. Finally, the “more” mode provides additional resources that could be helpful to UAS operators.

So far it appears the FAA could use some improvements for the app. It comes with all kinds of disclaimers (for example, there is no guarantee that it will keep your operations within the scope of FAA regulations. We’re not sure whether that means that operators need to do further research to make sure there isn’t additional airspace to avoid), and its rating (based on ratings of seven responders) at the Apple app store was just 2.5 stars.

The post FAA Releases UAS Information App appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

In a move that could put some pilot logbook app makers out of business, ForeFlight has added its own integration into its popular flight planning app, allowing users to automatically log flights, track hours, review currency and receive electronic flight instructor endorsements.

The new feature includes a web-based import tool that lets you pull in data to the iOS app with a couple of taps, plus smart quick-fill buttons and fast automatic entry designed to make keeping your logbook up to date as automated a process as possible.

Logbook data is securely stored in the ForeFlight Cloud with an automatic sync feature that keeps all your data updated across all the Apple devices linked to your account.

A Basic Plus subscription to ForeFlight with the logbook functionality is $99 a year, or $199 a year for a Pro Plus subscription.

The post ForeFlight Adds Integrated Logbook Feature appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

SocialFlight, which, just like it sounds, is a website/application for finding social opportunities in the flying world, has added a new spin to its services that lets pilots find cool new places to fly into.

These new SocialFlight destinations, called Hotspots, include both famous and little known sites to flight plan to, along with member reviews, aerial tour connections, photos and more.

When pilots create a free membership at SocialFlight.com, they get a weekly email with numerous aviation activities in their local and regional area. The service is only a couple of years old, but it already has more than 200,000 members. With the addition of Hotspots, SocialFlight will now let pilots discover and get information about great new fly-in destinations.

SocialFlight was recently featured in our “8 Offbeat Aviation Apps” feature here.

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The WingX Pro7 aviation app has added a feature that could come in handy next week as aviation enthusiasts descend on Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for the annual EAA AirVenture. With thousands of general aviation airplanes flying in, the AirVenture Oshkosh NOTAM is an extensive document designed to keep pilots safe as they fly in to the Wittman Regional Airport and surrounding airports. Rather than to print out a stack of papers for the NOTAM, pilots can now import and display a PDF file in the WingX Pro7 app.

Using a tablet or smartphone, you would simply go to the AirVenture homepage and open the NOTAM in PDF format. Tapping on the notam gives you options, one of which is “Open In.” After you tap it, select Wing X Pro7. The file automatically imports into the app and you can open it in the documents section. You can also import PDF files via iTunes.

Once opened, you can pinch zoom to get better readability. Scrolling through the many pages is accomplished by swiping the screen or you can tap on the screen to display icons for the pages at the bottom to skip easily from page to page.

The same procedures can be used for importing and viewing any PDF file. The files can be displayed as a full screen or split screen mode.

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Cats and dogs will probably never live together in true harmony, but at least ForeFlight Mobile app users can now wirelessly link to their Garmin cockpit avionics after an announcement that is being described by the companies as a “groundbreaking collaboration.”

ForeFlight has long sought to tap into the market for Garmin panel avionics connectivity, but as competitors in the flight app business the two have been fiercely battling to win over the same customers. That’s all changing as of right now with the news that ForeFlight Mobile users can use Garmin’s Flight Stream wireless gateway to receive Garmin ADS-B weather and traffic, GPS data, and dynamic pitch and bank information on their iPhones and iPads running ForeFlight Mobile 7.2.

Flight plan transfer capability is “currently in development and will be available in a future app update,” ForeFlight says.

Through the collaboration, ForeFlight Mobile now connects to the Flight Stream 210 ($999 retail price) and Flight Stream 110 ($549 retail). These are Garmin’s Bluetooth wireless units that will allow display of, among other things, the full suite of ADS-B weather and traffic information received via the GDL 88/84. The Flight Stream 210, with its internal attitude sensor, powers ForeFlight’s Synthetic Vision and adds a backup attitude capability with dynamic pitch and bank information.

WAAS GPS position information from GTN 650/750, GNS 430W/530W navigators, or GDL 88 with an internal WAAS receiver can also be used to power features like ForeFlight Mobile’s moving map, geo-referenced approach plates, and taxi diagrams to enhance situational awareness in the air and on the ground.

“We’re pleased to welcome ForeFlight into Garmin’s connectivity ecosystem which will enable even more aircraft owners the opportunity to utilize the excellent benefits of Connext,” said Carl Wolf, Garmin vice president of aviation sales and marketing. “Both Garmin and ForeFlight loyal customers will find this collaboration attractive as it emphasizes ForeFlight’s commitment to serve their customers with a quality app, and Garmin’s commitment to offering practical solutions that optimize the flying experience.”

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