Foreflight for iPad is amazing!

We borrowed one with the built-in GPS for a short VFR positioning flight in a Lear. Lost the GPS signal at 15,000'. Otherwise it's an amazing program. Jepp should be worried (but I suppose they're not).
 
Now I want an iPad!!
Convincing the wife will be a challenge...

I think a $600 iPad plus the software is still a good deal compared to an aviation GPS about the same price and with a display 4 times smaller...

Not only Jeppesen should worry; Garmin too.


Lance F said:
We borrowed one with the built-in GPS for a short VFR positioning flight in a Lear. Lost the GPS signal at 15,000'.
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Probably the loss of signal was due speed, not altitude, but that's just my guess...
 
Rodelu said:
Probably the loss of signal was due speed, not altitude, but that's just my guess...
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Regardless of exact cause, it does show a major deficiency in the iPad/ iphone GPS. I lose signal often in a 182 at 4000 ft, 8000 ft, etc. I doubt that has anything to do with speed, and more to do with lack of 3g signal. Next time I go up I'm going to uses a bluetooth GPS receiver and see how that works.
 
TFaudree_ERAU said:
I still don't understand where all this "Jeppesen should worry" is coming from. Anyone care to enlighten this JeppTC user?
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I don't think selling every IAP, every low altitude and high altitude enroute chart, every AFD, flight planning, weather, fuel prices, etc, etc for $75 per year matches Jepp's business model. Hard to get Jepp to answer the phone for $75.
That's why Jepp should worry.
 
TFaudree_ERAU said:
I still don't understand where all this "Jeppesen should worry" is coming from. Anyone care to enlighten this JeppTC user?
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You're probably right... Only general aviation pilots see the advantage of paying $75 bucks for the complete US NOAA database vs. thousands at Jepp...Why should Jepp worry?? after all civil-general aviation is only a minuscule share of their business...

Corporations will never consider cutting their chart and publications costs...
 
This is what I found on an apple discussion forum:

The GPS chip does not use 3G data. Therefore, you do not need to pay to use the GPS that comes with the iPad 3G/wifi model. Without 3G it does take longer to lock on to the satellites but one locked it tends to stay locked. To use if for navigation without 3G service you have to get apps that allow pre-downloading maps that work with GPS.
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Lance F said:
I don't think selling every IAP, every low altitude and high altitude enroute chart, every AFD, flight planning, weather, fuel prices, etc, etc for $75 per year matches Jepp's business model. Hard to get Jepp to answer the phone for $75.
That's why Jepp should worry.
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I'll keep that $75 US subscription in mind next time I fly to the Caribbean islands. I'm sure it'll do me a lot of good down there.

Fact of the matter is that Jeppesen is a company that offers worldwide coverage for airlines and corporate flight departments regardless of latitude or longitude. Can ForeFlight and NACO say the same? It's no different than the cost differences that we're used to between NACO and Jepp paper charts. They've both been doing just fine up to this point. I doubt ForeFlight is going to drive a nail in anyone's coffin.
 
Rodelu said:
Do all iPads come with GPS receiver?
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Only the 3G models do. Wifi only does not. The GPS receiver they include with the 3G model is pretty low budget and I have found it doesn't work well in aircraft faster than 200kts or so and above several thousand feet. Just like the phone, the stock receiver also relies on the cell network to quickly orient itself. It has a hard time trying to get a fix without a cell signal and or going fast.

My student has one jailbroke with a WAAS gps mouse and it seems to always be accurate within 5 meters. The reality is that it is probably more accurate than that but that is the lowest foreflight supports. The bluetooth GPS mouse seems to work much better than the stock receiver IMO.
 
Rodelu said:
You're probably right... Only general aviation pilots see the advantage of paying $75 bucks for the complete US NOAA database vs. thousands at Jepp...Why should Jepp worry?? after all civil-general aviation is only a minuscule share of their business...

Corporations will never consider cutting their chart and publications costs...
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Actually, I know a couple corporate flight departments that are in fact thinking of adding the iPad/FF combo to supplement the Jepp e-charts that they have on the ProLine 21, simply because it is a great tool and you can use the iPad for other things (scheduling, maintenance tracking, etc) when you are sitting around.

I spent some time at the Jepp booth at NBAA last week and they have enough other products that are not in direct competition with the iPad that they really don't have anything to worry about. Each has its own place. Not to mention having all the airline business.

All that said, I've got the iPad/FF (without 3G) and it is an awesome tool without the GPS functionality. Still keep the paper right next to me though.
 
Rodelu said:
Corporations will never consider cutting their chart and publications costs...
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Sarcasm? Every pilot at my old company was issued a set of jepps, with revisions. Eventually, they did away with sets for the pilot for one set in each airplanes pubs bag.
 
Chief Captain said:
I'd be game for an ipad if jepp made a chart app. it would have to be cheaper than their print volumes though...
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Then head on out to the Apple Store and get one. Like I said previously, JeppTC is working just fine and is in active development to add more features with every release.
 
Lance F said:
We borrowed one with the built-in GPS for a short VFR positioning flight in a Lear. Lost the GPS signal at 15,000'. Otherwise it's an amazing program. Jepp should be worried (but I suppose they're not).
Click to expand...

and thats why Ill just stick with my Garin Aera 560. Its pretty much awesome with XM WX
 
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