FltPlan Go. Free moving map and more

[ryoder]

I don't know why I hadn't found this before.  Flat Plan Go is an iPad and android app that gives you free moving map features and more.

I just downloaded it to my second ipad and then got all the sectionals, procedures, and TACs, and AFDs for my area.  It looks pretty easy to use.  I will try it in the cockpit and post the results.  Garmin pilot is great but only works on two devices, requires a subscription, and of course you can't beat free.

http://tampabayaviation.com/ourfleet.htm

 

[midlifeflyer]

It's been around about 2-3 years.

You'll probably find it a bit more cumbersome and a bit less stable for in-flight use compared to the others out there. Not a big deal for VFR flight but it doesn;'t give me warm fuzzies for IFR.

I've been a subscriber to FltPlan.com for a long time and love the accuracy of their flight planning, but Go! is pretty much a ground-based tool for me.

Edited October 25, 2015 by midlifeflyer

[Piloto]

I use Garmin Pilot on my Samsung S3 and I am very happy with it. Weather via Internet works pretty good up to about 8,000ft. On recent flights noticed that cell phone connectivity at 10,000 has improved. I was able to text and read email with minimum delay. I dropped my XM subscription in favor of Internet WX.

José 

Edited October 25, 2015 by Piloto

[Mooneymite]

Hard to beat Fltplan Go.  They are constantly adding features and making improvements.  The only thing that has never changed is the price:  totally free.

Combined with Fltplan.com, it is about the only pre-flight/in-flight app I need.

Check it out.  You'll  be amazed at all the features.

 

[FlyDave]

I agree with Mooneymite - it's the only thing I use on the iPad for flight planning. Among the many features I really like the ability to overlay the prog charts on the map - neat!

In the cockpit I use Garmin Pilot. I like their interface best and I bought a GDL 39 for ADSB. But I also have fltplan GO installed on my iPad - backup to pilot AND primary for checklists - and as primary on my android phone in a pinch or when I'm flying the little taildrager I have (not that I'm going to get lost 30 miles from my home field ).

I've had fltplan GO installed on my iPad for a few years and last week I noticed that I had used up 4.5 GB of storage. Over time and the many updates it must not have deleted old charts. So I deleted the app and reinstalled it and it's back down to 1.2 GB, but I'll keep an eye on that.

While we're on the subject, has anyone yoke mounted an iPad Air on the pilots side? If so, can you post a picture or two? I have an old iPad 1 which never fit comfortably but the after looking at the iPad Air I thought it might since it's about 3/4" narrower.

[ryoder]

I had to take garmin pilot off of my second iPad since it's already on the phone and iPad air 2.  So flt plan go will be on my backup iPad Air.  When the main ipad air shuts down due to heat I can use the backup with flt plan.  I fly vfr only and do ifr training with laminated paper charts I print out.

[Marauder]

I have been using fltpln go since it became available. Like midlifeflyer mentioned it is a bit cumbersome in flight. I do like the checklists feature and have transferred my checklists to it. It is a real "check and move on" checklist that you can also have it say the checklist item verbally.

What I didn't like about it until recently was the download function. It would take forever and you would see frequent "failed downloads". They made changes a few months ago and it has been much better. I only keep the area charts and maps loaded while using Garmin Pilot for the full database stuff.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[midlifeflyer]

 

While we're on the subject, has anyone yoke mounted an iPad Air on the pilots side? If so, can you post a picture or two? I have an old iPad 1 which never fit comfortably but the after looking at the iPad Air I thought it might since it's about 3/4" narrower.

Not an Air but I fly with a full-size iPad on a yoke mount and it works fine for me. Here's a photo.

It's a capture from this video...

 

Edited October 25, 2015 by midlifeflyer

[Shadrach]

I've just downloaded it and after a half hour or so of playing with it, it seems pretty comprehensive. For a free EFB I'm impressed. The "enable ship" feature is a nice touch when in approach plate mode. Can those of you that have been using it for a while, elaborate on its short comings in the cockpit? Is it buggy? Unrealiable? Poor UI?

Edited October 25, 2015 by Shadrach

[Mooneymite]

The only problem I had is not understanding/implementing the various options properly.  I'm  mostly a trial and error guy, so it's  taken me awhile to get the functions working like I  like them.

By now, it seems to do everything I  want/need.

Fltplan  Go does seem to be fairly battery hungry on my $160 Samsung pad, so I  keep it plugged into a USB charger.  

[midlifeflyer]

I've just downloaded it and after a half hour or so of playing with it, it seems pretty comprehensive. For a free EFB I'm impressed. The "enable ship" feature is a nice touch when in approach plate mode. Can those of you that have been using it for a while, elaborate on its short comings in the cockpit? Is it buggy? Unrealiable? Poor UI?

Poor UI is very much a personal preference thing. I find it poor compared to other EFB apps, but that's just me.

Reliability is a big issue to me . Whether iPad or Android I have never used it in flight without it crashing at some point. Others I know have reported the same.

I'm one of those who doesn't carry paper charts at all. My primary EFB is ForeFlight on my iPad and I use a different EFB on an Android tablet as backup. Not FltPlan Go! I don't find it reliable or usable enough for even that.

YRMV but that's my take. And I'm a long-time user and fan of FltPlan's website.

[eman1200]

Coupl'a features I like about it but so far haven't used it in flight.

[Hank]

For the Samsung crowd, I have been using Avare. It's also free, has all of the sectionals, enroutes and approach plates that you care to download. There are numerous YouTube videos people have made showing how to do things, but I've not found any "official" how-to videos.

I'm mostly a ground user, preflighting and studying, but I'm trying to remember to take the tablet, not load it in the baggage area still inside my bag, and then turn it on. It's a challenge, but it seems to work pretty well and is not battery hungry.

try it, you'll like it!

[laytonl]

I love fltplan.com for filing flight plans.  I load up all known trips for the next few weeks in advance.  The format is great for seeing up coming trips.  I use Go on my cellphone as a backup to Foreflight.  Lee

[wishboneash]

I use Garmin Pilot and Fltplan. Fltplan has the sharpest graphics among all the apps out there. I use Fltplan for georeferenced approach plates. I usually download the flight plan to my Nexus since it has all the airport info, phone numbers etc along with all pertinent information for the flight. You can also file flight plans through Fltplan, but I usually do it through Pilot. Since I am in bed with Garmin and with the GDL-39, there is no way out if you want Wx and Traffic on a portable like the Nexus or iPad. 

[22 others]

I've used it for about a year with good results.  Zero crashes using an ipad mini 2. It' feels quicker than FltplanGO or Avare on my Android Nexus 7.  

Like any program, it takes some practice to become proficient. The downloads are easy now, and it does a nice job overlaying the aircraft on approach plates. I don't entirely trust the way the program stitches the edge of sectional charts together. My home airport is "hidden" in one the stitched areas.  

It plays nice with my $100 Stratux ADS-B receiver. 

 

[kris_adams]

Thanks for the tips.  I've been using fltplan.com for quite a while but haven't seen the ipad app.

 

[HRM]

I find it quirky and would not use it for serious flight.

That said, it has ADS-B and was the only software I could get for free to test my Stratux with.

[MooneyPTG]

Worked well with the $100.00 adsb device that some of us built.

[Browncbr1]

I have the iPad mini 2 with stratux.  The only thing I can really see missing from fltplan go is ahrs.   They made big improvements to weather recently.  Now, I create and file plans in the app and I can also print via wifi to my printer, as I prefer to have paper backup in the cabin.    However, the iPad mini has yet to fail me....  However, i incorporated a heat sink in cradle that mounts to the yoke.   If fltplan.com adds ahrs to go!, then I don't know how the pay apps will survive.  

[Marauder]

I forgot to post what the checklist function looks like:

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[ryoder]

I also created some checklists and they work well.  

[Marauder]

I also created some checklists and they work well.  

You get the speech piece working? I have it linked to my Zulus

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[RocketAviator]

Any of you that have already created a checklist want to share it with me so this Lazy Bum won't have to make one from scratch? 

I see in the App that a share option of some sort is available!

thanks in advance 

[Marauder]

Any of you that have already created a checklist want to share it with me so this Lazy Bum won't have to make one from scratch? 

I see in the App that a share option of some sort is available!

thanks in advance 

You can have mine. Pretty easy to edit. Let me see if I can figure out how to share. One of the attributes my mother always beat into me.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk