BTW both the WingX and Foreflight HD can be downloaded and used for 30 day free trial. Only WingX, SkyRadar ADS-B and IPAD are compatible it appears.

Thanks to all for the feedback! I went with Foreflight and am very happy and impressed. This is good stuff! I did discover that it keeps the IPad on and so will eat batteries if left alone.

flyingzebra wrote:Thanks to all for the feedback! I went with Foreflight and am very happy and impressed. This is good stuff! I did discover that it keeps the IPad on and so will eat batteries if left alone.

That is for obvious reasons, but you can go into "more", "settings" to toggle it to "allow device to sleep" if you want.

Not that this thread (dead horse) needs any more input (beating)...but....

I've used Foreflight in uh...flight...and it is fantastic as a flight planner and sort of EFB, but I think most of the software I am aware of kind of sucks as an actual replacement to a purpose built moving map GPS (in my case a panel mounted 696). They are not (yet) really that user friendly for some basic functions related to actual flight navigation/moving map. But it is a really great compliment for about everything paper we used to carry.

I was without ipad for a while, now back in business and will be trying WingX on the 30 day free trial next week for a flight down to SoCal mountain areas.

First impressions are that it might be a bit more rich a moving map program, but not nearly as mature of a flight planner/EFB. But thats not a tremendously educated opinion.

I love the pilots guide publications and may get that for the ipad. It gets pricey when getting more than your home state though.

emflys wrote:Not that this thread (dead horse) needs any more input (beating)...but....

I've used Foreflight in uh...flight...and it is fantastic as a flight planner and sort of EFB, but I think most of the software I am aware of kind of sucks as an actual replacement to a purpose built moving map GPS (in my case a panel mounted 696). They are not (yet) really that user friendly for some basic functions related to actual flight navigation/moving map. But it is a really great compliment for about everything paper we used to carry.

I was without ipad for a while, now back in business and will be trying WingX on the 30 day free trial next week for a flight down to SoCal mountain areas.

First impressions are that it might be a bit more rich a moving map program, but not nearly as mature of a flight planner/EFB. But thats not a tremendously educated opinion.

I love the pilots guide publications and may get that for the ipad. It gets pricey when getting more than your home state though.

You will like the multiple screen views that WingX provides. The lack of on screen drag and drop in the WINGX flight planning program is being addressed for release in May sometime. The pilots guide IPAD version is 89.00 for NW,SW,& CA. per year. But IMHO worth the additional cost but like you I really like the presentation. (PAUSE) The WingX does provide a photo of the airport, runway diagram,& comm but it doesn't give the Approach and Departure info that Pilot guide provides. The bottom line one could live without the Pilots Guide & use the AF/D. They should get into partnership with WingX

Foreflight 4 is out and you are now able to add user waypoints by just tapping the map. Some other nice features as well. Foreflight really does Rock.

emflys wrote:Foreflight 4 is out and you are now able to add user waypoints by just tapping the map. Some other nice features as well. Foreflight really does Rock.

I'm liking that new ForeFlight, but seems slower on my firest gen Ipad

I too use a first gen iPad. I have the Bad Elf GPS as well as the iPad Kneeboard Pro C from MyGoFlight.com http://mygoflight.com. I also use a Night Vision Pen http://nightvisionpen.com which is lanyard attached to the clipboard. The funny thing is that I bought all of these things separately, but you can get them all now from the MyGoFlight.com store.

Anyway, I first downloaded both ForeFlight and WingX. For me at least, the user interface and ease was far superior for ForeFlight. WingX had the geo referenced approaches and ForeFlight didn't, but now ForeFlight does too. I haven't been using those though because I'm just not flying that much IFR so I have the regular annual subscription. Also, I don't download the entire country for charts and plates, I only download my area so right now I just have Nevada and California. It saves a lot of storage space by not downloading everything. If I were to fly to a different state then sure I would download those before I left too.

As has already been said, it is perfectly legal for Part 91 ops and commercial outfits are starting to use them too. Heck, even the military has an interim clearance for some aircraft!

I love the weather and planning capabilities. I love that it can file your flight plan for you if you want to do that. I think the moving map feature to see yourself on a sectional or IFR low chart is awesome. Not having played with the new version yet (downloading now) the only thing I think that is missing is the ability to have your course line for your route plotted on the map also to see your position relative to it as you fly along.

And to be able to update your course line should you go astray, checking out landing spots on your way.

I do have to say that flying GPS makes you a lazy navigator. With the Garmins, you just hit "Direct to" button after you've strayed from your original course line and it just gives you a new course line to your next waypoint - no interruption to the active flight plan, etc. I know, lazy. But easy!

Cooperd0g wrote:I too use a first gen iPad. I have the Bad Elf GPS as well

I love the weather and planning capabilities. I love that it can file your flight plan for you if you want to do that. I think the moving map feature to see yourself on a sectional or IFR low chart is awesome. Not having played with the new version yet (downloading now) the only thing I think that is missing is the ability to have your course line for your route plotted on the map also to see your position relative to it as you fly along.

That is the plus of IPAD 2 with WIFI, 3g it has GPS chips therefore it shows your course line and position as you fly along route.

Green Hornet wrote:That is the plus of IPAD 2 with WIFI, 3g it has GPS chips therefore it shows your course line and position as you fly along route.

The first gen iPad had GPS with the 3G version also. However, it is assisted GPS (same as your iPad 2 built in GPS). That means it needs a cell signal to gain initial acquisition. It also has crapy reception inside of a high wing plane like a 182. If you lose lock and don't have a 3G signal you won't get GPS again. If you take a look at the info on the MyGoFlight website. They talk a lot about how even with the built in GPS it is better to get the external GPS as well. I bought the iPad before any flight apps were available and I didn't need GPS or 3G so I got the wifi only model. I would do it that way again if I were buying a new iPad 2 even planning on flying with it. Imagine you go out backcountry flying and land in some remote valley. The likelihood of having a cell signal to pick up GPS is slim, but the Bad Elf will still get a signal on its own.

By the way, I played with the latest download of ForeFlight HD and if you have a planned route it will show your route course and your current position. Pretty sweet. It probably always did that and I just didn't fly with a planned route to look at it.

Cooperd0g wrote:

Green Hornet wrote:That is the plus of IPAD 2 with WIFI, 3g it has GPS chips therefore it shows your course line and position as you fly along route.

The first gen iPad had GPS with the 3G version also. However, it is assisted GPS (same as your iPad 2 built in GPS). That means it needs a cell signal to gain initial acquisition.

It does not NEED a cell signal for initial acquisition. Depending on how recently you activated the GPS function and where, it will aquire a viable GPS location faster using a cell signal than it would without. I've used mine numerous times without a signal and it has never taken longer than 60 seconds personally. With a cell signal of course it aquires in less than ten seconds.

I agree that the external GPS units like BadElf have much better reception though quite often I use my iPad GPS in the car and airplane fine without them.

I have a bad elf and it works great, but kind of awkward sticking out the end. There's a blue tooth gps as well.

emflys wrote:I have a bad elf and it works great, but kind of awkward sticking out the end. There's a blue tooth gps as well.

My only problem with the bluetooth ones is that they need to be charged separately. Just one more thing I don't have to remember to charge.

I will continue to depend on my Garmin 396 with ZAON traffic avoidance for NAV but having the IPAD2 with updated sectional is a plus and from what I'm told it works well enough for positional awareness w/o wifi. If I buy and additional GPS it will be an ADS-B receiver or Transceiver whereby WX real time is free & TCAS is included. WINGX, portable SkyRadar Receiver and IPAD2 are compatible.

When loading up Foreflight VFR sects, IFR low alt enroute and approach plates for the entire US, how much space does this take up on the Ipad? Does is fill up a 16 or 32 GB memory? When buying a desktop or even a laptop, I am more inclined to get the most I can, but is the same mentality needed for the pad?

If you have an Iphone are you really needing the 3g, especially if you get the bad Elf GPS?

With the advent of the Ipad 2, have people found a surplus of Ipad original series available for cheap? Any recommendations for buying a used first gen? eBay and Craigslist seem to put them at about half of the new Ipad 2 models, but seems there should be some for less? Seems that the setup is for a third version in another year with some basic improvements...

Thanks for any thoughts. I am all for getting the Ipad for use of cockpit mapping, etc when we return to the states. I think it would have been a great thing to have hauled around the past year instead of the laptop. Forget Foreflight, I needed foresight! The ATT 3G would have been nice here in NZ with the capability to utilize a sim card - which is exactly what I am using now with a plug in key fob for the laptop.

Matt, the 3G lets you get weather data without having to be connected to a wifi access point. This is one of the main reasons I'm interested in this solution is the weather data and overlays. I currently use the XM Wx on my 496 which costs what now? $35/mo? That's 3 mos worth of Foreflight. Plus you can surf BCP or get any Internet data.

The other option that I think is still on the horizon with ATT is tethering your iPad to your 3G iPhone for the data connection.

As far as storage memory, how much space the charts actually take up on the device is a good question, but I can't imagine needing more than the 32 GB model. Airport data is really lightweight, so it's just the bitmap charts that would take up the most space.

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Matt 7GCBC wrote:When loading up Foreflight VFR sects, IFR low alt enroute and approach plates for the entire US, how much space does this take up on the Ipad? Does is fill up a 16 or 32 GB memory?

5gb or less, not counting the Foreflight app itself.

Matt 7GCBC wrote:When loading up Foreflight VFR sects, IFR low alt enroute and approach plates for the entire US, how much space does this take up on the Ipad? Does is fill up a 16 or 32 GB memory?

I have the Ipad2 with 32GB that is really 29GB after the initial programs that come loaded. I added ForeFlight and WingX7PRO with all charts, bells and whistles that come with both programs plus other apps, 3 books , 61 songs, & 17 videos with 24.8 GB left for more programs, etc. I believe 16GB is probably plenty but I went for 32GB because I enjoy making videos and reading books.
As for WX and TCAS, like I said If I buy and additional GPS & WX it will be an ADS-B receiver or Transceiver whereby WX real time is free & TCAS is included. WINGX, portable SkyRadar Receiver and IPAD2 are compatible. The SkyRadar receiver is about $1000.00 but XM weather has a pricey monthly charge and all you get is weather & TFR's!