

Show HN: Our new iPad app for pilots - totally free for now - andrewljohnson
http://www.gaiagps.com/news/article/EFB%20-%20Charts%20and%20Weather%20for%20Aviation

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devindotcom
Very cool. Posting this on TechCrunch (with artmageddon's concerns below
noted).

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mronge
If you're interested in this app also take a look at Garmin Pilot My-Cast.

I work on that app along with a small team here at Garmin and were are really
proud of what we've done. We are passionate about making great apps and I
think Pilot My-Cast really shows that.

[http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/garmin-pilot-my-cast-
aviation...](http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/garmin-pilot-my-cast-
aviation/id340917615?mt=8)

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cameldrv
What's your advantage over ForeFlight or WingX?

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andrewljohnson
You know, I was at the Sun 'n Fun airshow at the end of March (I was helping
man the GlobalNavSource booth). Those other apps were also in attendance, and
I answered that question a lot :)

WingX and FF are both great apps, but one main thing is we really tried to
tailor the app to in-flight use, as opposed to preflight planning. You can see
this in how we did the UI to give the pilot fast access to the plates (swiping
and sets of favorites), and also in how we do the search features
(autocompleting searches, nearby and recent airports).

We also have really great maps, and part of this is a legacy from approaching
the same problems in both the marine and hiking apps we have worked on. For
example, we can compose any base map with any overlay in our app (i.e. VFRs +
METAR data, and in the next version of the app, VFRs + METAR + radar). EFB
also nicely does a course-up view of the map, which lots of people at the
airshow appreciated.

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toadlicker
Ah, aren't you the guy who admitted to the ForeFlight founder at the show that
you copied their app? I hear you're in for some courtroom time . Why don't you
post some screenshots of your airport page and their airport page side by side
so everyone here can see your "original" work.

You should study this link:

<http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap5.html#506>

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pshapiro
The type appears quite small. Do you know if this is a problem for pilots?

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artmageddon
Private pilot here(I don't fly jets but I've have been trained in instrument
flight rules so I can talk about the chart). It simply depends on how well the
various approach plates(i.e. the diagram shown) or other things are shown on
the map, and if multi-touch zoom is supported.

If they are, then this would be awesome. It would beat the crap out of having
to flip through a book to try to find that one specific approach plate. Typing
a few alphanumerics and having all the frequencies show up is so much nicer
than flipping through Airport Facility/Directories.

In addition, you can look at plates or airplane sectionals and see that there
are a number of items printed in small type and multiple colors that pilots
have to contend with. If you want an example, try <http://skyvector.com> .
Someone with flight knowledge can tell you what each of the symbols and colors
represent, but that's exactly what we deal with up there(even single-propeller
folk like me).

I highly doubt the iPad will be much of a hindrance to that. What I fear the
most is:

1) Pilots who rely solely on an iPad[1] and forget to charge it, leaving them
without the information needed when the battery goes(assuming they also don't
have an alternate power source to charge the iPad).

2). The brightness(adjustable, of course) interfering with night vision. Lit
items(instrument panel) are kept to a minimum in the flight deck because of
the constant need to be able to keep a watch on other airplanes. Of course,
pilots _do_ need to turn on a light to read the plates when it comes time to
land, but wise pilots will carry a soft light for reading the plates. Not sure
how the iPad light affects it.

If I owned an iPad, I would definitely be interested in this app.

[1] Pilots who do this, without having any alternative source available in the
flight deck are heavily frowned upon.

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johnm
Alas, the minimum brightness on the current ipads is a no-go for night flight
use, IMHO -- it's still too bright.

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artmageddon
Thanks for your insight-I wonder if a tinted film on the screen would help
matters in that regard? I get the feeling though that might just cause eye
strain...

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vervex3
It bodes well for this app to still have a few problems to address that are
inherent in the current platform - its indicative of any real technological
advance. I'm reading a huge success here.

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toadlicker
This app is a blatant ripoff of ForeFlight (<http://www.foreflight.com/ipad>).

TechCrunch caught the ripoff:

[http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/04/18/efb-for-ipad-will-
your-...](http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/04/18/efb-for-ipad-will-your-pilot-
be-using-this-in-2012/)

