ForeFlight Logo


FOREFLIGHT  July 2013 NEWSLETTER 

Greetings Pilot!

The fifth major ForeFlight Mobile update of the year is available for download from the Apple App Store. The latest update - version 5.2.2 - expands chart coverage, adding support for Visual Navigation and Visual Terminal Area Charts for Canada, as well as metro helicopter and Gulf of Mexico VFR / IFR helicopter charts. Also new are dynamic distance rings on the moving map and a more powerful documents engine for your aircraft flight manuals and aviation docs.

We have much to share this month, so please read on for more about:

  • AirVenture 2013
  • Canada VNCs and VTAs
  • Documents Enhancements
  • FAA Helicopter and Gulf of Mexico Charts
  • New Tech: Hide and Show Chart Collars
  • ForeFlight for FBOs: ForeFlight Directory
  • ForeFlight and Stratus Reviews
  • ForeFlight for CFIs and Educators
  • Stratus 2 Firmware Update
  • GPS Accessories Bulletin
  • Job Openings at ForeFlight

As always, blue skies!

-Team ForeFlight


Short Final to AirVenture 2013!

The booth is shipped, travel is booked, and we are headed to Oshkosh in just over a week! Our Pilot Support Team members, along with founders Jason and Tyson, will be on hand to answer questions and demo the latest and upcoming ForeFlight Mobile capabilities. We are in Hangar A, booth 1147.

For those flying to AirVenture with ForeFlight Mobile, data downloads will be available this weekend, giving you plenty of time to update your ForeFlight Mobile databases and charts before departing. 

If you need to make changes or update your subscription before AirVenture, here are three website links to help you gear up:

Purchase / Renew ForeFlight Pro

Purchase / Renew ForeFlight Standard

Purchase / Add Canada Coverage

We are hosting four iPad proficiency seminars at AirVenture. These are typically popular forums, as shown in the picture below. Here are the AirVenture 2013 forum dates and times:




Canada VNC and VTA Charts

As a result of our expanded relationship with NAV CANADA, we are excited to announce the availability of digital Visual Navigation Charts (VNC) and Visual Terminal Area (VTA) charts in ForeFlight Mobile. The new Canada VNC map layer shows the entire mosaic of VNCs, with VTAs automatically appearing as you zoom into metropolitan areas.  These charts can be downloaded to your iPad or iPhone for offline use.  The VNC and VTA charts are geo-referenced and optimized for display on the iPad and have two unique features: the ability to dynamically hide or show chart legends, and the ability to change the stacking of charts to maximize clarity of chart features.

Watch the Video

The complete set of VNC, VTA, IFR enroute (low and high) charts, and Canada Air Pilot (CAP) are included with the ForeFlight Canada subscription, $149.99 USD per year.  Pilots can purchase or add Canadian coverage at http://www.foreflight.com/buy-canada.  Pilots who have an existing ForeFlight Canada subscription can immediately start downloading VNC charts upon upgrading to ForeFlight Mobile 5.2 – the new data is included in the existing Canada plan.

Click to Buy a Canada Subscription



Documents Enhancements

Pilots love the Documents system in ForeFlight Mobile, using it to store airplane flight manuals, checklists, standard operating procedures, and documents synced from the cloud. Load your own or download documents from the ForeFlight catalog, which includes over 100 free downloads ranging from the latest Aeronautical Information Manual to the Terminal Procedures Supplementals.

In the latest release, we revamped the document engine to make it faster and more feature-filled. New features include:

  • A new search feature, enabling fast keyword search through multi-hundred-page documents. We use this feature frequently to search through avionics and aircraft manuals. 
  • Named bookmarks, making it easier to locate sections later. We use this to bookmark performance tables in our AFMs, for example.
  • Close documents using the familiar 'pinch-to-close' gesture and quickly return to the documents binder.

The documents catalog has grown, too. New titles include:

  • Stratus 2 Pilot’s Guide
  • 2013 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh NOTAM
  • NOAA Imagery Legends
  • FAA Domestic Flight Plan Form
  • AOPA's 'What to do if stopped by law enforcement' guide



FAA Helicopter and Gulf of Mexico Charts

With the latest release ForeFlight Mobile has evolved as a solution for helicopter pilots and operators. Chart coverage is expanded and includes FAA Helicopter, Gulf of Mexico VFR, and Gulf of Mexico IFR charts. The helicopter charts also benefit from the new hide-and-show collar technology, as well as the ability to change the stacking order to maximize visibility.

To enable these map layers, go to More -> Downloads, tap on "United States" in the top Download Settings, then set Helicopter Charts to ON.  Go back to Maps and you'll see the new layers in the Map selector.




New Tech: Hide and Show Chart Collars

The new VNC and Helicopter charts include two helpful features we will soon apply to the US VFR and IFR charts: the ability to hide and show chart collars, and the ability to bring any chart forward on top of the other surrounding charts, which avoids any obscuration created by stitching the various FAA charts togther.

Chart Legends are enabled from the Settings menu on the Map page. Once enabled, the topmost chart's margin information appears. Tap the map to bring forward another chart, and its collars are shown.

These new charts are packaged in a special database format called "Flight Bag Tiles" (FBTiles for short) created by ForeFlight that facilitates incremental updates. Incremental updates mean only the changed chart content is updated, reducing download times by as much as 80%.

The FBTiles database specification is an open standard that is free for all app developers to use. Visit the ForeFlight GitHub page for more information.




ForeFlight Directory

With the latest update, we greatly improved the FBO and service provider displays inside the app.  There is now room for more detailed descriptions and photos of FBOs and other service providers inside of ForeFlight Mobile.

FBOs and organizations can use the new ForeFlight Directory website to update their information, upload photos and logos, tweak service and amenity information, and manage fuel prices.  This information is then downloaded to ForeFlight Mobile and available in the cockpit without an Internet connection.

Businesses or organizations interested in ForeFlight Directory services can get more information by visiting our ForeFlight Directory website or by emailing directory@foreflight.com.



Flying Magazine Reviews

 

ForeFlight Mobile 5 Review

"If you love ForeFlight Mobile, you will be pleased - the company has provided a lot of new capability. It also offers free upgrading for current users. If you are using some other app, the bar has officially been raised.

--Robert Goyer, Editor-in-Chief

Stratus 2 Review

"Stratus 2 is as good as it gets, and is competitively priced to boot. Win, win, win."

--Robert Goyer, Editor-in-Chief

Plane and Pilot on Stratus

 

Stratus 2 Review

"I have no complaints -- $899 for subscription-free weather, dual-channel traffic and a backup attitude reference is a pretty good deal! Appareo, Sporty's and ForeFlight had a hit with the original Stratus. This one's even better!"

---John Ruley, Plane & Pilot Magazine


ForeFlight for NAFI and SAFE Members

ForeFlight recognizes the importance of flight educators in our quest to become competent, proficient, and safe pilots. We extend special benefits to CFIs and educators who are members of either SAFE or NAFI. Click either of the logos below to check your eligibility.



Distance Rings


Enabled in Settings, the new Distance Rings feature displays three concentric rings around your aircraft’s current location, allowing you to quickly get a sense of distance to features around you.  Based on either time or distance values, the rings give quick estimates for time enroute or nautical miles to a nearby storm cell, traffic target, shoreline, or anything else shown on the Map.

ADS-B Build Out

The FAA continues to build out the ADS-B network and is on plan to finish by the end of 2013. The graphic above shows the current coverage.

Click here to see an animation of the ADS-B system build out over the past year. It's interesting to see how fast coverage has expanded.


Stratus Firmware Update

The latest ForeFlight Mobile release includes firmware version 1.1 for Stratus 2. Here's a video that demonstrates how to update if you are running an earlier firmware version:




iPad Proficiency: Say your BBCs

A phrase we created and use before our flights that can help you ensure your iPad is ready for flight is "Say your BBCs". This stands for:

  • Battery: make sure your device(s) have enough power to make it through the flight. That includes the iPad, your mobile phone, and any backup battery devices carried aboard.
  • Backup: helps you remember to have a backup for the data on your iPad, whether that is a second device or paper. This is also a reminder for backup power, either via external battery packs or ship's power.
  • Current Charts: helps you make sure you have all the current charts needed for your flight. If you typically only download charts for your local area, this is a reminder that you may need to download charts for additional areas. If charts are expired, this is a reminder to update. 

Bulletin: GPS Accessories

Due to a bug in Apple's iOS 6, life for folks using iOS Bluetooth GPS accesories has been a bit aggravating in recent months. iOS 6 contains a bug affecting all apps and many GPS accessories. The latest ForeFlight Mobile release adds a direct connect driver provided by Bad Elf to communicate with its GPS devices, thus working around the iOS 6 bug.

We expect to add direct connect support for the Dual XGPS 150 in the near future. You will, however, need to update your XGPS 150 firmware in advance for direct connect to work sufficiently. Get the firmware here: http://gps.dualav.com/firmware/xgps150/. Contact cs@dualav.com for questions or assistance with XGPS 150 firmware updates.


ForeFlight is Hiring

To help support ForeFlight's continued strong growth, we are looking to add Software Developers and Pilot Support Team Members to our team.  These opportunities are in our Houston, TX and Austin, TX offices.

Visit our jobs page for more information and instructions on how to apply.




Fanatical Pilot Support On Request!

As always, our Fanatical Pilot Support team is on frequency and ready to help when needed. Contact us any time at team@foreflight.com





You’re receiving this because you’re an awesome ForeFlight customer or subscribed via our site.

Purchase or Renew    |   Support    |   Training    |   Unsubscribe

Follow us on Twitter Visit us on Facebook

ForeFlight, LLC

2323 Shepherd, Houston, Texas

612 East 6th Street, Austin, Texas