Foreflight Desktop Beta

JeppUpdater said:
I don't care what it looks like. I care that it provides much more accurate info than ForeFlight with regards to flight planning.

The overwhelming majority of 91 crews I deal with use FltPlan.com for planning and filing. It is far superior to ForeFlight for accuracy whether you're needing to do detailed planning or just toss in a quick flight plan.
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Quite true. I love FF and have been using it for 4 years. But if I'm interested in accuracy in terms of time en route and even the access to recent ATC clearance to review my likely route, FltPlan is still the go-to. On a desktop, I'd probably have them side by side to have FltPlan's information along side ForeFlight's better graphics and transferability to what I will use in flight.
 
MidlifeFlyer said:
Feel free to draw lines, call Flight Service for a weather briefing, take down those winds aloft, grab your E6B, make the en route wind corrections to figure your time/distance and fuel requirements, and call FSS back to file your flight plan. Then you can join me and wake me from the nap I'd been taking after I finished using a different set of tools.
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FF user since day 1 :)
 
Crop Duster said:
Whoa! Wait!
What? What? What?
You actually like the UI of FLTPLN.com??! I'm rapidly reaching old codger status, but FLTPLN is so 1990, or whenever html 1.0 was invented.
I find FLTPLN horribly antiquated and often times, downright frustrating.
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I've found that Fltpln is useful for printing a good winds aloft grid. And that's about it.
 
You can get recently cleared routes with FF.

I don't know why people think you can't. It will even cough up airway-only routes if you ask it to.
 
Crop Duster said:
True, the FLTPLN comparison page is nice. Other than that, though, I'd put Foreflight up against FLTPLN any day of the week. Once you've got your profiles set up, you can get accuracy with Foreflight just as good as that offered by FLTPLN. You can add preferred routes easily. You can visually assess the various DPs an STARS against where you are going. I find that much easier than having to page through each DP or STAR on paper to figure out which ones make sense for my overall trip, and then having to go back to the computer to enter it into the flight plan. At just a quick glance I see all the DPs, for instance and instantly know which one is most appropriate. I can also see NOTAMs associated with each procedure on the procedure which allows me instantly to know if the procedure will even work or not. That way I don't file, then read the NOTAMs, then have to go back and change the filed flight plan.
I think, as with many things, it boils down to what one is familiar with and comfortable using. They are both good tools.
But....... that interface!!! Aiiiighhh. Drives me batty. :)
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The interface sucks buuuut it's pretty damn accurate when it comes to fuel burns for our Lear 45. If I move to a different airplane I can get "donor" info that some one else has loaded and I'm good to go. Unless FF has added the ability to add Part 25 performance data and I'm just unaware? The UI does suck. Now if Jepp would just license their product to use in the FF app, I'd die a happy man.
 
Have you guys tried the FltPlan Go app? The interface isn't bad, and it's free...I agree that the website interface could use some updating though. I also just started the 30 day Garmin Pilot trial, I haven't used it in the air yet but it seems like a battery hog. Avare wasn't that intuitive but I could probably get used to it. The whole walled garden approach works great initially but I bet Foreflight will be playing feature catch up to something more open within a couple years.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fltplan.go&hl=en

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fltplan-go/id694832363?mt=8
 
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Fltplan consistently gives me good routing, performance, and fuel burn from the FBO. Foreflight (with a Stratus) gets me around the weather, away from TFR's, and provides outstanding SA. Different tools for different jobs.
 
Don't forget about the other features of FltPlan, E-Apis. That's a big deal for the 91 flying that I do.

For the most part, I use FltPlan for everything before take off. Routing, weather, all of the 135 and part 25 performance data.

Then while airborne, ForeFlight (now with Stratux) is great for en route information. However, ForeFlight does have some "before we leave the ground" info. It is really good for fuel pricing, hotel, rental cars, etc...
 
JMK said:
Have you guys tried the FltPlan Go app? The interface isn't bad, and it's free...I agree that the website interface could use some updating though. I also just started the 30 day Garmin Pilot trial, I haven't used it in the air yet but it seems like a battery hog. Avare wasn't that intuitive but I could probably get used to it. The whole walled garden approach works great initially but I bet Foreflight will be playing feature catch up to something more open within a couple years.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fltplan.go&hl=en

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fltplan-go/id694832363?mt=8
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I have. I use it sometimes for planning but little else. I've used it on both iOS and Android but find it too clunky and unstable for in-flight IFR use, even an a backup.

Doubtful that ForeFlight will be playing catch up to anyone. They spent the first 2-3 years in a neck-and-neck battle with WingX Pro which resulted in two fantastic iPad EFB apps. It's still going on and there are updates and new features to both, but IMO we've reached a plateau where, with very rare exceptions, most of the new features we see are are in the "yeah, that's nice to have" category with little in the way of important increased functionality.
 
If Foreflight made their web planning like the old skyvector, using fltplan's calculations, and had 1800wxbrief graphical briefing, it would be awesome. As it stands now it is a stein full of meh. The fltplan go app is pretty legit and I'll likely be letting my FF sub expire.
 
I'm a full on FF fanboy. For the kind of flying I do right now, accurate fuel burn isn't a primary concern. Weather, fuel prices & availability are. In that category, I think FF wins. I can appreciate what fltplan does but right now I"m not their demographic. It'd be nice if FF opened up a few more of the premium features to the standard subscription (IE weight & balance on the app) but that would just be gravy.
 
Blackhawk said:
If only Jepp would be as nimble and responsive to customers as Foreflight.
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Inertia.

Jeppesen pretty much runs the entire market.

Foreflight is largely the general aviation niche.

I can make a phone call to my local delicatessen and ask where they get their pastrami and have a response in five minutes. Calling McDonalds to ask if my burger was made with a happy cow and if he had a name, Portlandia-style, appreciably longer.
 
Derg said:
Inertia.

Jeppesen pretty much runs the entire market.

Foreflight is largely the general aviation niche.

I can make a phone call to my local delicatessen and ask where they get their pastrami and have a response in five minutes. Calling McDonalds to ask if my burger was made with a happy cow and if he had a name, Portlandia-style, appreciably longer.
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That's because corporate lawyers with McDonalds don't wish to disclose there is really no appreciable meat content in that 1/4 pounder whatsoever, save for the pink slime..........
 
Derg said:
Inertia.

Jeppesen pretty much runs the entire market.

Foreflight is largely the general aviation niche.

I can make a phone call to my local delicatessen and ask where they get their pastrami and have a response in five minutes. Calling McDonalds to ask if my burger was made with a happy cow and if he had a name, Portlandia-style, appreciably longer.
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God I love that scene. "Is it USDA Organic, Oregon Organic or Portland Organic?"

 
jskibo said:
That's because corporate lawyers with McDonalds don't wish to disclose there is really no appreciable meat content in that 1/4 pounder whatsoever, save for the pink slime..........
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Of course, but do you expect a 100% beef burger for $0.49? :)

"McDonalds is unhealthy, I'm going to Wendy's for a double-stack".
 
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