Thread creep
I quess some people really don't like the new books!!
MTV did not intend to upset or anything else as everyone has there own likes and dislikes.
As you stated you brought in the GPS culture and ran with it! I agree with you.
I like new technology! It just makes it easier.
If I'm a wussy for using it, so be it.
If my opininon of me is different than yours, that's OK, Mine of you is probably different than yours!
Happy Trails
GT

***THREAD HIJACK***

mtv wrote:One of the reasons I fly into "the backcountry" is to get AWAY from people with generators.....
MTV

mtv you like Skynard..............Right????


***HIJACK OVER*** we now return you to your regularly scheduled program.***

RobBurson wrote:***THREAD HIJACK***

mtv wrote:One of the reasons I fly into "the backcountry" is to get AWAY from people with generators.....
MTV

mtv you like Skynard..............Right????


***HIJACK OVER*** we now return you to your regularly scheduled program.***

Rob,

Nope. Now, if ya wanna play a little ZZ Top......

MTV

Hey MTV, if I ever get the chance to meet you, I'll have to show you my sextant that I carry in the plane. (I'm not kidding) I think that'll be luddite enough for ya!

When you think about it, GPS is just celestial navigation with batteries and satellites.

I have a good friend, who I met as he sat outside the alert shack of an Alaska Fire Service base, while taking sun lines with a sextant. I chatted with him a bit, and he was impressed that I knew what a sextant was. He has a collection of them, actually, and knows how to use them.

I'm not really a luddite in that sense, though. I just don't see much point in having five gadgets if one will do what I need done. For example, my Garmin 396 does have XM Weather, and I'd be hard pressed to fly without that nowadays, especially in thunderstorm season.....

Whatever winds your watch is fine with me, though.

But, again, the REASON I go to remote areas is to get away from most of that stuff, not to tinker with it.

MTV

Zane wrote:Because just flying the airplane gets so....boring.

Yeah, right.....



Gump

GumpAir wrote:
Yeah, right.....

Gump

Was my tongue-in-cheek not strong enough?

Doesn't matter. I just like to watch this video!!!

Gump

The folks at Airguide Publications got back to me regarding their new Flight Guide format:


Bruce,

Well, maybe you'd like to post my letter on the forum as to why we had to make the change...



We too loved the classic style Flight Guide Manual and thought it was perfect. The only reason we had to change the book is because we just couldn't afford to keep making the books in their current format. We don't have as many printed book subscribers as years past and the labor to hand make these books no longer pays off. We were forced to make a decision to stop making a printed book and go with only our electronic products or automate our book making process and keep the book in print. So we opted to do the later. Unfortunately, in automating our book format, not as much information can fit on a page. Therefore the pages had to get larger. Also not as may airports now fit on a page so the books became too big to keep in the existing three regions.

Now we do have many people who like our new books. They like that fact that (1) the type is larger so it's easier to read, (2) they never have to insert a revision if they have the spiral version (3) books are the same size as their IFR instrument approach plates and will fit in that 7-ringed binder (4) and that they now get access to Flight Guide Online, our full-service internet flight-tool for FREE. Data is updated daily on Flight Guide Online, so they can check airport info before flying to make sure they have the most up-to-date information.

To help with cockpit clutter, you could switch over to the loose-leaf service and gain the ability to pull out certain states or airports especially for each trip you take. Then you wouldn't have to carry as many books. You can also pull out pages and clip them to your yoke or kneeboard. Our executive 7-ring binders are $19 each + $4.95 shipping. You will also find our new Executive binders are more durable that our classic style Flight Guide Binders. Please contact our customer service department at (800) 359-3591 from 7:am - 3:30 pm Monday - Friday and they'd be pleased to take your order.

We now have two new Fight Guide Revision Service plans which are still a better value than our competition. Our Basic Service provides one printed Flight Guide Manual per year, with Free access to Flight Guide Online our internet Flight Planning tool for only $19.95 per year plus $3 shipping. We provide over 400 more printed pages per year than our competition, Class B, C & D Airspace Charts and we have a Free Online Flight Planning tool which they don't. The Basic Service is less than our old standard revision service rate of $29.25 that provided less reprinted pages and no access to Flight Guide Online. Our Deluxe Service is $34.95 per region plus $6 shipping, about the same price as our competition, but we provide two complete books during the year (6 - 8 times more pages), Class B, C & D airspace graphics & Free Access to Flight Guide Online. We also give discounts for purchasing multiple regions and our competition doesn't. If you buy 2 regions you get a $5 discount, 4 regions qualifies for a $10 discount & six regions a $20 discount.

If you are thinking about purchasing the Airport Facility Directory (AFD), they are $27.50 per region per year or $189 for USA and are missing critical airport data that Flight Guide provides such as (1) an airport diagram for each airport, about 2000 less than Flight Guide (2) all taxiways depicted (3) business on field with all services & locations (4) food, transportation, lodging & recreational destination information (5) Class B, C & D airspace graphics (6) all traffic pattern altitudes, about 50% less than Flight Guide and (7) extensive flight operational information.

If you are considering getting your airport information from Free websites, you will be greatly disappointed with the quality of airport data. The Free sites get their airport information from the FAA and as stated above, it is incomplete. Furthermore, if you try to print out a page to use during flight, they are poorly formatted. The pages you can print out via Flight Guide Online, are high resolution and formatted in 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 or 8 1/2 x 11 with information organized in a useful format for flight.

I'm truly sorry we were forced to change the format of Flight Guide. If our new printed books won't suite your needs maybe you'd like to check out our application for the Apple iPad, Flight Guide iEFB. It has all the Flight Guide airport and supplementary data, fuel prices, METAR, TAF, sectionals, TACs, Approach & Departure Procedures and IFR Enroute Charts with high res color graphics with a cool touch screen interface. We also have the FLY-Wi WAAS GPS that enables moving map on our seamless charts. Coming soon are the geo-referenced Approach Plates, geo- referenced Flight Guide Diagrams, Flight Planning & Filing and in flight Weather. The iPad weighs about 1 pound, is only 9 1/2" x 7" and will fit nicely on a custom kneeboard. If you switch over to the Flight Guide iEFB, you wouldn't have to carry paper charts or any Flight Guide printed books. Check out our website http://www.flightguide.com for more details.

If the iPad is too big for your cockpit, you could always consider a Sony eBook Reader. The Pocket Edition is only 6 1/2" x 4" and the Touch Edition is 7" x 4 3/4". Both are about the size of a Flight Guide Manual but thinner (less than 1/2") and lighter (only 8 - 10 ounces). You can store 2/3rd of the USA on the Pocket Edition and the entire USA & Approach Plates on the Daily Edition. Either one of these devices should be able to be put in the same pocket or space you previously stored your Flight Guide Manual(s). Our annual membership plans for the Flight Guide eBook are $35 per region (West, Central or East) or $89 for the USA. We provide bi-weekly updates on our Flight Guide Airport Data, Airspace Charts, Fuel Prices & Off Field information. I think you'd be very happy with this solution since size is so critical. Check out this link for more details http://www.flightguide.com/flight_guide_ebook.html

We are still the best value around for quality airport data GA pilots can depend on. Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance.

Best Wishes,
Brenda Garcia

One of the reasons I fly into "the backcountry" is to get AWAY from people with generators.....

Besides I'd rather suck on real tittys.
(No Batterys Required)

The letter Brenda sent you is a perfect copy of the letter she sent to me last week.

51E wrote:The letter Brenda sent you is a perfect copy of the letter she sent to me last week.

If I was Brenda, I'd have a canned reply saved too. It probably gets old writing out the same thing over and over. Custom replies do not necessarily equal better customer service, if that is what you are implying.

What was so great about Flight Guide, anyway? I never got it. Is there some custom information that they provide that is not in the A/FD? The pages being so thin gave me the willies, maybe I am a little autistic. Unfortunately, I think their paper product is destined for retirement anyway. I have one that belonged to my grandfather, and I keep it only for sentimental reasons.

The iPhone/iPod Touch AOPA/Foreflight app is wonderful.

Zane wrote:

51E wrote:The letter Brenda sent you is a perfect copy of the letter she sent to me last week.

If I was Brenda, I'd have a canned reply saved too. It probably gets old writing out the same thing over and over. Custom replies do not necessarily equal better customer service, if that is what you are implying.

What was so great about Flight Guide, anyway? I never got it. Is there some custom information that they provide that is not in the A/FD? The pages being so thin gave me the willies, maybe I am a little autistic. Unfortunately, I think their paper product is destined for retirement anyway. I have one that belonged to my grandfather, and I keep it only for sentimental reasons.

The iPhone/iPod Touch AOPA/Foreflight app is wonderful.

I liked the small form factor. It never needed batteries and I didn't care if it got stolen. But then, I work for a newspaper so call me old school.

Zane wrote:
What was so great about Flight Guide, anyway? I never got it. Is there some custom information that they provide that is not in the A/FD? The pages being so thin gave me the willies, maybe I am a little autistic. Unfortunately, I think their paper product is destined for retirement anyway. I have one that belonged to my grandfather, and I keep it only for sentimental reasons.

The iPhone/iPod Touch AOPA/Foreflight app is wonderful.

I agree on the paper being to thin. I have several pages that have ripped out and are hard to find after they have been tucked somewhere in the book. Or when you open the door and the wind takes them.
I still keep Flight Guide in the plane for when MTV's theory happens.

Zane wrote:

51E wrote:The letter Brenda sent you is a perfect copy of the letter she sent to me last week.

If I was Brenda, I'd have a canned reply saved too. It probably gets old writing out the same thing over and over. Custom replies do not necessarily equal better customer service, if that is what you are implying.

What was so great about Flight Guide, anyway? I never got it. Is there some custom information that they provide that is not in the A/FD? The pages being so thin gave me the willies, maybe I am a little autistic. Unfortunately, I think their paper product is destined for retirement anyway. I have one that belonged to my grandfather, and I keep it only for sentimental reasons.

The iPhone/iPod Touch AOPA/Foreflight app is wonderful.

Z..not everyone in the world has iPhone/Blackberry/Strawberry/ or whatever your flavor is..I liked this little book and I hate to see it leave. If I had tons of money to spend on every new fangled electronic gadget that came out, I wouldn't have any monety left for avgas..besides there are lots of places these electronic wonders won't get a signal and all you have left is an expensive calculator.

Sorry for the rant..if it works don't fix it!!

Hi, give me a big high five.

FloatFlyer wrote:Hi, give me a big high five.

X2

FloatFlyer wrote:Hi, give me a big high five.

Let's see you make a phone call or surf BCP with your FlightGuide. I can tell you one thing you'll never catch me without, and that is my phone.

I never said I didn't like printed books, I said the tiny parchment that comprises a Flight Guide makes the hair on my neck stand up. I predict they get more expensive as their elderly market (FloatFlyer) continues to thin out and unit cost goes up.

What I wanted to know was, why is it better than a cheap A/FD?

Z
What I did was to buy an extra binder and kept only Calif., Nev., Oregon, and Idaho in it.
All the others went into the second binder or were thrown away.

Nice thing was that you could pull out a page and put it in a yoke clip
for quick reference like an approach plate.

AFD will NOT stay open where you need it, when you need it,
and can be dropped out of reach etc.

I always carry the AFD as a backup, now it will be my primary.
Just may have to tear out the few airports I use and keep them up to date manually.
Ludite enough that I still do not trust lectric thingies yet -
Had way TOOO many lectrics go south when needed.
Never had a chart of a paper page go black on me yet.

Chris C

PS: The only instrument the Wright bothers allegedly had was oil pressure -
In my opinion it is still the most / only critical instrument.

Zane wrote:
What I wanted to know was, why is it better than a cheap A/FD?

1 ) diagram of every airport showing orientation of runway, position of windsock, length, width, overrun areas, where it's dirt/turf/rough/holes, etc.
2 ) phone numbers of FBOs and their location on the field
3 ) phone numbers of terminals
4 ) phone numbers of car rentals
5 ) phone numbers and distances to local restaurants
6 ) phone numbers and distances to hotels/motels
7 ) phone numbers and distances to recreation sites / parks / etc.
8 ) radio frequency of local AM station
9 ) maps of Class B, C, D airspace with reporting points flagged, runway numbers, expected runway/pattern direction.
10 ) cheap flimsy paper less likely to cause deep paper cuts