Back up charts/navigation in Glass Cockpit

[Marauder]

Hi, Hank.  I tend to be a non-conformist, too.  The last Garmin product I owned was a Garmin 196.  Before that I had a GPS90 and a GPS92.  I resent I would never pay their ridiculous subscription charges for their panel-mounted stuff, but their portable subscriptions seem to be more or less priced in line with the competition.  Hopefully the portable competition is well enough established that they will stick around, because I have a good idea what Garmin would do with their portable subscription pricing strategy if they had the monopoly there that they have enjoyed for the past 20 years or so in the panel-mounted market.

I had ForeFlight and Garmin Pilot running side by side for two years before I dropped ForeFlight. For me, the ForeFlight GUI just didn't work. Seemed like I was always looking for stuff. The Garmin Pilot app made it easy to find stuff and the fact it looks just like my GTN 650 GUI sold me.

All that said, ForeFlight has been adding some serious HP to their app and with the hiring of Scott D, they are now adding more capabilities in the weather department. In addition, the FlightStream integration make it something to look at again.

I may put it on one of iPads again to see what new features are there and whether or not the GUI has improved for me any.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[midlifeflyer]

4 hours ago, bluehighwayflyer said:

I tried Foreflight five years ago and found its programming logic to be counterintuitive. Garmin Pilot didn't exist then and I ultimately went with WingX and have been with them ever since.  WingX has fallen behind though in recent years, in my opinion, and I am right now in the process of transitioning over to the Garmin Pilot / GDL39 3D combo with an EFB on my lap on an iPad Air and synthetic vision on a Ram-mounted iPad Mini 2. So far I am absolutely incredibly impressed. 

Did I screw up not revisiting Foreflight? Even if so, in my opinion, Garmin Pilot is pretty darn impressive and is a logical backup for the OP in light of his primary equipment. 

Probably not. The differences between the main contenders comes down to less than 10% about features, with everything else being the UI. And those have not changed much in ForeFlight, WingX or Pilot since they started.

Since you opted for WingX over ForeFlight at the beginning because you found the ForeFlight UI less inviting, you are not likely to change your opinion after a few years of getting used to WingX. OTOH, the similarity between WingX and Pilot in the use of a home screen menu is likely to make the transition easier, even without the similarity of UI between Pilot and Garmin's panel solutions.

But the connection between primary equipment and EFB is less important to some than you might think. One of the reasons for ForeFlight's overall success in the market is that a lot of people like its UI. A lot. That doesn't change for everyone due to cockpit avionics. In fact, I have friends who have Garmin cockpits started with Pilot for that very reason and are transitioning to ForeFlight now that Garmin panels and ForeFlight talk to each other via FlightStream.

[midlifeflyer]

12 minutes ago, bluehighwayflyer said:

Very insightful and thoughtful commentary, midlife.  Just the kind of feedback I was looking for.  Thanks ...

Thank you for the kind words. Let's just say that I'm not religious about apps and operating systems.

[Jerry 5TJ]

On November 29, 2015 at 12:16:00 PM, DAVIDWH said:

 

Lindberg arrived on the coast of Ireland within three miles of his projected course using an earth inductor compass, a drift sight and a stop watch.

Yes, and Lindbergh had rivals who like him set off for Paris in 1927. Unlike him, several of them were never seen again.   

My late father flew Corsairs off carriers and navigated with a plotting board, compass and watch.  Sort of like Lindbergh. He always found the carrier (or I wouldn't be here).  In the 1990s I showed him my first GPS and he said he sure wished he had had one of those in his F4U.  

Lindbergh installed the best technology he could get.  I bet he would have filled his panel with WAAS GPS gear, if only it had existed.  And strapped an iPad to his knee.

 

 

[gsxrpilot]

This is the last paper chart I'll be using. http://www.sportys.com/pilotshop/charts-and-maps/laminated-vfr-wall-planning-chart.html It's on the wall of my office. When I need a break from the real work, I draw all over it with grease pens, plotting flights I'd like to take.

 

[Jeff_S]

The OP has an interesting set-up...I didn't think there were any GFC700 equipped Ovations that weren't also WAAS.  But it brings to mind an interesting path to various upgrades. I didn't see anybody else mention this, so one additional bit of advice I would add is that you don't really need to have IAP charts on the G1000 if you've also got an iPad. That would seem to be true overkill for me, as once you load an approach into the G1000 the flight path segments (and altitudes!) are easily seen on the FltPlan page. So there's an opportunity to save a little bit of money on your Jepp subscription.

Another dip into the pocket book I would recommend, though, is to get the Synthetic Vision upgrade, especially since you don't have WAAS. This will give you a great deal of confidence on approaches and helps you approximate a glide slope even on an LNAV approach...just keep that little green circle (Flight Path Marker) on the end of the runway and you can't  miss it!  I have also grown really accustomed to the "magenta rectangles" highway in the sky...again, just keep that FPM inside the boxes and you can't go wrong. This is true on an ILS (they're green boxes at that point) and even on a calculated vertical nav descent down to whatever fix you've programmed in.

So for the record, my current setup mirrors what many others have said. G1000 w/ S-TEC 55x A/P (non-WAAS), Synthetic Vision and regular Jepp/Garmin pilot pack for the panel. iPad Air with ForeFlight and Stratus 2 for backup weather, ground and in-route flight planning. And yes, if the panel REALLY hit the fan, I could use the Stratus 2/Foreflight combo in syn-vis mode, which might do a bit better job keeping me upright than constantly starting over at the backup AI on the right side!

[Danb]

Jeff we have exactly the same setup and I couldn't agree more especially with the syn vis on the approaches. I've practiced with a CFI just using the syn vis down to almost zero zero to gain confidence in using the package in and event of some problem and I have to put it on the ground in poor conditions. I also have the jepp. pack but generally never use it instead I use the info. presented on the screen as you outlined.

[Danb]

Jeff in the same vane we need to keep pressure with Mooney to have them accomplish getting us waas and Adsb I'd schedule the install the day it's ready.