Useful Apps

[MooneyBob]

We have talked about the navigational apps for iPads and Androids. A lot of people use them and like them.

How about other apps for aviation? Can you share what you use and how good are they?

I use

MyFlightbook as a log book. You can even set it up to log your flight automatically based on TO & L speeds.

Aviation W&B for instant W&B calculation and graphic interpretation. I really like this one.

GenAviation - CFI Tools for instant weather, TAF, route WX, etc. It is on my phone so the info is available all the time. This one has bunch of other features ( graphical crosswind interpretation, E6B, VOR, Duats, Nearest, etc.).

[yvesg]

When doing my IFR training I did screw up once on a hold entry... I found this free app called NavTutor that helps figure that out...

Yves

[Marauder]

I use these along with FLTPLN Go and Garmin Pilot: Sent using Tapatalk

[Hank]

I love "Aviation Weather from NOAA" and "Flyover GPS" can be fun. "SpeedView" is nice to look at on descent, too. And, of course, you can't forget Flight Aware.

 

I'm still working on Apple apps, having picked up a [cellular] mini at Christmas. Everything above runs well on my Samsung SIII phone and 7" (wifi) Galaxy tablet.

 

One droid app that I use every day is My-Cast Weather [Lite], a free version not available in the Apple store.

 

As a new owner, I made a quick spreadsheet with various loading configurations and printed it out. Now I rarely use the W&B spreadsheet unless I think it will be close.

[jlunseth]

I have tried a bunch of aviation related apps, but there are only four that I really use.  They are Foreflight (Pro), Log Ten Pro, SkewTLogP Pro, and a FAR/AIM app.  I have a 430AW that couples to the AP, and initially when Foreflight came out I would follow along on the iPad, look up NDB's and VOR's and dial them in, in the event of a GPS outage.  Have never seen a GPS outage, so I now tend to use Foreflight a little for planning, but mostly for terminal operations like an approach, getting information needed for a landing (what are the runways, alt., etc.) and navigating runways and taxiways.  I don't use Foreflight much during cruise anymore. 

 

If you plan a flight in Foreflight, then when you fly it, it can be exported to Log Ten Pro and logged.  I use Log Ten Pro to log all my flights, but I also log them manually, in my paper log book, which is my authoritative record. 

 

SkewTLogP Pro helps simplify the unnecessarily complex problem of finding the right SkewT diagram.

 

I have a FAR/AIM app, but not sure why, legal regs. being what they are, Boolean searching is not always very helpful and sometimes you just need to sit down and page through the book.

[MooneyBob]

This is the first time I hear about the skew charts. They look very useful. Any hints how to read them properly?

[Oscar Avalle]

I use jeppview, aeroplus (weather), aviation W&B and LogTen Pro.

[Txbyker]

For W&B I use FlightPlan Pilot's Toolbox.

 

Russ

[Mooneymite]

Flightplan.com app.

About all I ever need.

[Marauder]

This is the first time I hear about the skew charts. They look very useful. Any hints how to read them properly?

 

I'm in the process of learning them. There is a two part series on YouTube that goes through the basics: http://youtu.be/2pMYkSwZp0g

 

What I have learned about the skew-t chart is that it forms the basis for many of the other aviation weather charts. It just puts them into a single chart. I have pulled up some of the RUC soundings for airports in my area and have compared them to the actual METARs. Pretty accurate. http://rucsoundings.noaa.gov/

[MooneyBob]

Thanks

[jlunseth]

This is the first time I hear about the skew charts. They look very useful. Any hints how to read them properly?

The best hint is to direct you to www.avwxworkshops.com , Scott Dennestaedt's site, where you can find videos explaining them.  There are also some good write ups on the internet if you just google them.

 

Basically, they are some weather metrics graphed on logarithmic scales.  They reflect radiosonde readings at the particular station, and they are also available as forecasts.  Along the right side are the winds graphed on an altitude scale, as to direction and velocity.  On the graph itself, the two principle lines are the temp aloft (the right line, usually red) and the dew point (the left line, usually blue).  Wherever red and blue are the same you will have clouds, so you can see the exact cloud bottoms and tops.  You can also see if there is a temp inversion, for example if the two lines head left on the scale, merge, and then head right (meaning the temp is going up with altitude) until the lines separate again and the temp starts to fall.  Also displayed is the CAPE (convective available potential energy) which tells you the potential for convective activity.  I am no expert.  Go read about it on Scott's site. 

 

The biggest problem for me was just finding them amid all the gobbledygook on the noaa website, especially since the name of the graph was changed.  The app I mentioned is simple, it just finds the graph you want for the location you want.

[midlifeflyer]

I'm in the process of learning them. There is a two part series on YouTube that goes through the basics: http://youtu.be/2pMYkSwZp0g

 

What I have learned about the skew-t chart is that it forms the basis for many of the other aviation weather charts. It just puts them into a single chart. I have pulled up some of the RUC soundings for airports in my area and have compared them to the actual METARs. Pretty accurate. http://rucsoundings.noaa.gov/

 

I'm pleased to say I had a (very) small part in this one. I came across Ed's pdf and mp3 while searching for information on the Skew-T and offered to combine them into these two movies. I also joined Scott Dennestaedt's www.avwxworkshops.com, also mentioned, to get more in depth.

[midlifeflyer]

In addition to ForeFlight, I use WnBPro for weight and balance calculations and Sporty's E6B app for miscellaneous in-flight  calculations

 

And although not aviation dedicated, Notability is my in-flight note pad,  Chronology prompts me to change tanks, and both are open on every flight.  Goodreader stores POHs and other materials for quick reference. 

[ncdmtb]

Avaition W&B

LogTen Pro

RocketRoute (IFR flight planning, plates)

Jeppesen VFR FD for VFR charts

iBooks for pdf manuals

AeroWeather

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[DaV8or]

I use ForeFlight, Pilot's Guide for California, WnB Pro, Myflightbook and one that hasn't been mentioned yet- Big Calculator. It's just as the name implies. It turns the entire iPad into a big ol' ten key calculator with really big buttons and a big display. It's free. I find the hugeness useful in a bouncing cockpit if you need to make a calculation and if you are metal math challenged like me.

[wishboneash]

"Metam" for Android. Weather app, metars etc. Allows you to specify a route and it will pick up all the METARs of airports found along the route.

[Seth]

Any other good apps?   I'm thinking of using a myflightbook.com for loggin time, but now I'm looking at those suggested.  Will start a different thread.

 

-Seth