Foreflight 4.1

[jetdriven]

Foreflight 4.0 has Canada plates and charts already but if you upgrade to Foreflight 4.1 they are blocked out and says "subscription required".    

[bd32322]

a bit off-topic - but in the upgrade notes at the apple store for foreflight 4.1- it mentioned that they'll have more goodies in the next version including in-flight weather. Ofcourse its nothing definite - because I couldnt see an announcement to that effect on their website.

[mooneyman]

Quote: jetdriven

Foreflight 4.0 has Canada plates and charts already but if you upgrade to Foreflight 4.1 they are blocked out and says "subscription required".    

[BorealOne]

Ok - after a week or so using both Foreflight 4.1 for Canada and the comparable Jeppesen FD product, I'm convinced that Foreflight is a much better buy. A) it's $300 cheaper per year, and WAY less buggy.

The Jepp product for the Ipad is so poor I'd rate it 'unusable in flight'. It doesn't route properly even between two known waypoints (which is inexcusable), doesn't seem to have a complete waypoint database, and is slower than molasses in January - which in Canada is saying something! The only reason I have the Jepp product is that prior to Foreflight 4.1, it was the only option for electronic approach plates in Canada. Now it has competition from Foreflight, and the Foreflight competition is clearly superior, and more cost effective. 

That said, the Foreflight release is not without problems as well - mostly in the routing department. Many waypoints that are used in the most common ATC clearances between major centres are simply not in the database at all. They can be added, but I'd expect Foreflight to do a far better job of digitizing - I mean, we  probably have fewer waypoints, airways and VORs in all of Canada than in California...it's a big country, but there is lots of empty space...

 

[fantom]

Is there any great benefit for loading FF 4.1, if we're not planning on a Canada trip?

[jetdriven]

I don't see much benefit to the weather for the Foreflight coming up. Its been discussed on the Foreflight blog but its basically going to be the Baron Mobile link and XM. So, 1100-1200$ for the mobile link plus the regular XM fees.  For the price of the mobile link, you can (almost)  buy yourself an aera that has XM built in.  Skyradar is the same price but no subscription.

Quote: bd32322

a bit off-topic - but in the upgrade notes at the apple store for foreflight 4.1- it mentioned that they'll have more goodies in the next version including in-flight weather. Ofcourse its nothing definite - because I couldnt see an announcement to that effect on their website.

[danb35]

Quote: jetdriven

[gsengle]

Quote: danb35

[danb35]

Rather than positing untoward motives, consider the comparative market penetration of XM vs. skyradar--XM WX is what everybody knows for WX, it works nationwide down to the ground, and it includes more WX information than ADS-B.  I can't address why Foreflight has made their decision, but it doesn't necessarily seem nefarious to me.  Why don't you ask them?  team@foreflight.com.

[danb35]

I decided to take my own suggestion and e-mail ForeFlight about this.  Here's what they said:

From our ForeFlight newsletter released August 10:

We are hard at work on ForeFlight Mobile 4.2, which will include support for in-flight weather and a good number of oft-requested 
enhancements.


The first in-flight weather hardware we are supporting is the Baron Mobile Link (XM). Mobile Link is available for purchase now, and 
will be supported in ForeFlight Mobile 4.2 as part of your existing subscription. We've been test-flying with it this past month and are 
excited to get this release out as soon as it's ready.


After 4.2 is released, we'll look at other in-flight weather hardware to support. We're very interested in ADS-B and are evaluating 
devices in our lab. Stay tuned!

[fantom]

Bump....

Is there any great benefit for loading FF 4.1, if we're not planning on a Canada trip?

[Greg_D]

Quote: jetdriven

Foreflight 4.0 has Canada plates and charts already but if you upgrade to Foreflight 4.1 they are blocked out and says "subscription required".    

[Greg_D]

Quote: jetdriven

Foreflight 4.0 has Canada plates and charts already but if you upgrade to Foreflight 4.1 they are blocked out and says "subscription required".    

[jetdriven]

such as CYGK or CYAM you can view it with foreflight 4.0 but not 4.1

 

[Becca]

Quote: Greg_D

Not entirely true.  If you have a US data plan, you will still see the Canadian data that is provided by the FAA.  This is with version 4.0 or 4.1.  Version 4.1 is required to load the new Canadian data plans.  With those new Canadian data plans, you won't be able to see the aforementioned Canadian data that is provided by the FAA unless you have a Canadian and US plan.

There are a couple of bug fxes in 4.1, and still more in 4.1.1m due out this week.  But the major reason fro 4.1 is to get Canadian data.

[Greg_D]

Becca, I'm not sure how you got Canadian charts with version 4.0, becasue 4.1 is required to load the Canadian data plans. Could it have been that you saw the limited Canadian data that is provided by the FAA as part of the US data plan?

The contract ForeFlight has with NavCAnada does not allow for anything other than annual subscriptions.

[jetdriven]

Foreflight 4.0 is still on my iPhone and I can get the southern portion of canada charts as well as IFR approach charts for the southern region of Canada.   The plates match the Canada Air Pilot book exactly.   Specificaly CYAM and CYGK.

[Greg_D]

Quote: jetdriven

Foreflight 4.0 is still on my iPhone and I can get the southern portion of canada charts as well as IFR approach charts for the southern region of Canada.   The plates match the Canada Air Pilot book exactly.   Specificaly CYAM and CYGK.

[Becca]

Quote: Greg_D

Becca, I'm not sure how you got Canadian charts with version 4.0, becasue 4.1 is required to load the Canadian data plans. Could it have been that you saw the limited Canadian data that is provided by the FAA as part of the US data plan?

The contract ForeFlight has with NavCAnada does not allow for anything other than annual subscriptions.

[jetdriven]

i took this screen shot yesterday.   Yes it is expired and I haven't tried to update it.  It is clearly NavCanada and upgrading to foreflight 4.1 you cannot get it free.

[Greg_D]

There was a small window of time when the new data was being uploaded and some folks were able to download Canadian data into version 4.0.  To get the NavCanada data now, you need to have version 4.1 installed.  Those few who got it during the overlap will not be able to update that Canadian data.

[jetdriven]

I just updated the Ontario section and have current canadian plates. 

[Becca]

Quote: Greg_D

There was a small window of time when the new data was being uploaded and some folks were able to download Canadian data into version 4.0.  To get the NavCanada data now, you need to have version 4.1 installed.  Those few who got it during the overlap will not be able to update that Canadian data.

[scottfromiowa]

Which is better Foreflight or WingXPro?  Why?  I'm trying to decide what product to load on my wife's Ipad II.  I have the yoke mount but couldn't get the charts to load (I think you can't load them in the "trial" period).  What do people have and what do they recommend?

[TLSDriver]

Quote: JimR

I prefer WingX Pro7 for use in the cockpit and Foreflight for preflight planning, Scott.  They are even categorized that way in iTunes.  WingX Pro7 under "navigation" and Foreflight under some other category.  I have also heard quotes to this same affect attributed to the executive management of both companies.  I think that this is instructive and since I was looking primarily for use in the cockpit I went with WingX Pro7 and have had no regrets.  Unfortunately, WingX Pro7 blocks most of it's true functionality from it's free version, so you'll have to pony up in order to see for yourself.  Foreflight is also a very well refined product, so in some ways it comes down to which one you learn first, I suspect. 

I particularly like WingX Pro7's split screen feature and I'm excitedly waiting for an industrious third party vendor to come out with an ABS-B/AHRS/WAAS GPS box that will allow WingX Pro7's ABS-B and synthetic vision capabilities to be used simultaneously.  I'm VFR only and very, very rarely fly at night so the synthetic vision would for the most part just be a novelty for me, but it sure would be cool.  I hate to pony up an AMU for the existing Sky Radar ADS-B box when I'm pretty sure that this will be coming, probably at a nominal extra expense.

Jim