Well it's time for the yearly Flight Guide re-up. With all the new electronic gadgets out there, I wanted to ask what others rely on the most. I have a 396 and GRT EFIS with a free navigation database. However old habits die hard and I normally just reach for the Flight Guide, especially if I'm approaching an airport I hevn't been to.

What does everyone else use?

I like using the flight guide. It allows me to preview and familiarize myself with where I'm going from the comfort of home. I usually take out the airport pages that lie along my route and clip them into my knee board. Then, just in case, they're easily at hand. They are moving to a bigger format. Not sure I like that but we'll see. One problem is: I can no longer by the "West" all at once. I have to buy two guides; one for the northwest and one for the southwest. In any case, I'm not giving up on the flight guide - yet anyway.

Same here, I like it. The updates are a pain, but it is a darn good backup to the "new" stuff. Wouldn't be flying without the Flight Guide within reach!

Same here also.
I have never had a Flight guide page go black on me.
to paraphrase an acquaintance who once wrote on this forum:
"Sometimes you just have to get your head out of your glass."

Analog to the end.

Chris C

That is good enough for me. Thanks for the input guys - paper as you say is still the way to go so N. & S. Western States versions will soon be in the mail...

I haven't had a flight guide in years. I have gone from Ohio to Alaska several times and other places. My gps (696) has all the radio stuff I need and it shows airport diagrams too, but then I don't land at places where I need to see that stuff.

I use the electronic version of Flight Guide on my tablet PC.

PatrolGuy wrote:My gps (696) has all the radio stuff I need

&

RobBurson wrote:I use the electronic version of Flight Guide on my tablet PC.

Modern electronics are very reliable, so I can certainly understand using all electronic data. I'm just not very good at things like remembering to update the databases (already have 2), and remembering to put things back in the plane after I take them out. (maybe I need a new memory) Also with a PC tablet I'd wind up stringing more cords to keep it charged, etc. How fast do the PC tablets boot-up. I see us all going electronic eventually, I'm just not there yet. Rob, what kind of tablet are you using? I was looking at an ipad, but couldn't justify the up-front price tag just to store flight guide and sectionals on; are you using it for other stuff, too? I'm really interested in learning the pros and cons of the digital tools.

With the 396 and EFIS, I have a lot of the data available, but it takes too many button pushes to get there for my likes. The paper copy to glance at just seems so much simpler. Perhaps I just need better tools?

I fly into everything from Class B to off airport in BFE.