Garmin or Foreflight??

[GeneralT001]

My plan is to eventually have a Garmin setup (GTX3 Touch/GTN 750Xi/etc).

Does it matter if I use Foreflight for the flight planning or would it make more sense to convert to Garmin seeing as how thats the way I'm leaning wrt avionics....or does it not matter?

[toto]

13 minutes ago, GeneralT001 said:

My plan is to eventually have a Garmin setup (GTX3 Touch/GTN 750Xi/etc).

Does it matter if I use Foreflight for the flight planning or would it make more sense to convert to Garmin seeing as how thats the way I'm leaning wrt avionics....or does it not matter?

You can do flight plan uploads with either Foreflight or Garmin Pilot, but if you want to do database concierge it will require GP and if you want to display Garmin EIS, you'll need GP.  FWIW

 

[AerostarDriver]

I personally prefer Garmin Pilot, but the only thing you will miss out on if you use FF is database concierges and EIS.

[Niko182]

I used foreflight for the last 7 years. I tried garmin pilot for a couple days and wasnt into it. It literally does everything the same with a slightly different user interface. Both do exactly the same thing but I didnt want to relearn how to use the interface so i stuck with foreflight. Fwiw, i have a full garmin panel. G3x, gnx375, gfc500, g5, gnc255, and gtr225. Only thing that isnt garmin is the pma450b. Foreflight works fantastic with that setup.

[midlifeflyer]

Generally, it doesn't matter. Both have a robust feature set. Foreflight has enough market share that Garmin has not excluded FF from interactions with its panel equipment as it has with other EFBs.  

One consideration which favors Pilot. The Pilot user interface is almost identical to its touchscreen panel systems. It's a very individual thing, but it's like any other software.  Changes in interface and flow which aren't even noticed by some make life difficult for others. For many, the consistency in look, feel, and logic between panel and EFB can be a real plus.

And yes, as @Niko182saud, there is the familiarity factor. How deeply are you into one where changing means a significant learning curve.

Edited December 1, 2021 by midlifeflyer

[Patrick Horan]

I first started using foreflight in the beginning of my Aviation journey. Omce I got my Mooney M20C and installed the GTN750, that changed. I have been using Garmin Pilot for 4-5 years and I really enjoy it. For once Garmin makes something that is actually cheaper than a competitor . Besides that though, I like the interface and the regular map that Garmin created. It doesn't have every feature that Foreflight has, but it does have a lot. Since Garmin owns Flight plan go. It is nice to be abke to created detailed flight plans on flight plan go directly in Garmin Pilot. Getting your weather briefing on Garmin pilot is nice aswell. Database concierge is a feature that I didnt think was going to be that great until i tried it and used it! I never have to take the card out of my GPS (I have the special flightstream 510). Bottom line, both are great, foreflight does more but at a significantly higher price and to me I cant justify that.

[exM20K]

9 hours ago, Niko182 said:

I used foreflight for the last 7 years. I tried garmin pilot for a couple days and wasnt into it. It literally does everything the same with a slightly different user interface. Both do exactly the same thing but I didnt want to relearn how to use the interface so i stuck with foreflight. Fwiw, i have a full garmin panel. G3x, gnx375, gfc500, g5, gnc255, and gtr225. Only thing that isnt garmin is the pma450b. Foreflight works fantastic with that setup.

Same.  Too lazy to learn a new UI and import all my data.

-dan 

[LANCECASPER]

I use ForeFlight but now that I buy a Garmin OnePak, the Garmin Pilot Premium Upgrade is included, so I may re-think that.

[toto]

4 hours ago, Patrick Horan said:

foreflight does more but at a significantly higher price

Foreflight does both more and less.  If you're a database concierge user, you'll still have to pay for Garmin Pilot just to update the databases.

[toto]

31 minutes ago, LANCECASPER said:

I use ForeFlight but now that I buy a Garmin OnePak, the Garmin Pilot Premium Upgrade is included, so I may re-think that.

I'm still annoyed that Garmin doesn't just give you a GP subscription with a database bundle, especially since those needing bundles have already bought enough Garmin avionics to pay for a single-family home.  Including the upgrade but not the base subscription seems petty.

Anyway, the GP pricing is pretty straightforward.  You pay $75 for VFR and $150 for IFR .  The Foreflight pricing is confusing to me.

[bmcconnaha]

spent the last four years with FF.  tried GP back to back for the last 45 days.  

here is what i have found:

foreflight has much better weather layers.  clouds (with altitude slider) turbulence when connected to the internet, etc.

foreflight has a better logbook.

garmin pilots MOA notams alert is supeior

touching the screen on GP gives you an manu asking what you want to do.  i find i have a ton of accidental clicks on FF not on what i am actually trying to click.  probably one of the bigger complaints.

I really liked the cloud top imagery from FF for planning purposes.  if i switched over to GP i would still have to use 1800WXBRIEF online to get this, and turbulence data.  

a big one...... FF is MUCH better to fly an approach with in my opinion.  plate displays better on the map, and selecting the mins on FF is great. 

performance calc on GP i like better.

for garmin avionics, the databse concierge is cool, as is autologging your engine data.

so, mixed bag here.  GP is better in some areas, foreflight is better in others.  i would say FF is the better EFB personally.  ill probably keep GP for the database concierge and the engine data.  but ill mainly use FF

 

 

[Healthpilot]

I use FlyQ since I find it easier to use. I also got a lifetime subscription and the deal was too hard to pass. It does have all the core feature of FF and Garmin Pilot at least the ones that I would use the most. Seattle Avionics | FlyQ EFB

[jamesm]

 Don't know what setup you have ....

I have GNC355 (GPS/COM) in 67'C  and ForeFlight.  Since the GNC355 has BT (BlueTooth) built it. I am able to upload/modify from i pad mini 4&6 models no problems and it modifies flight plan on GNC355.

I had  originally thought that I needed the Flight Stream 510 data card  for this capability but as it turns out that isn't the case. 

So if I alter my flight plan on the Ipad using ForeFlight, it will ask to send it to the GNC355 and works the same way if I alter the flight plan on the  GNC355 it will notify the ipad of the changes. Not expert on this feature but still learning the capabilities.

Hope this helps,

James '67C

 

[hammdo]

As @jamesm noted, I do the same with FF. Db updates are via sd card - very simple...

-Don

[Nstarbf]

I started out using GP but switched to FF.  For me the choice to switch was more of a matter of resources.  There were far more pilots at my field that were on FF than GP (like 10 to 1) so it was much easier to ask questions or seek out input from others on how FF worked than it was GP.

[McMooney]

bit of backstory, the plane came with a stratus installed but as I didn't own any apple products I couldn't use foreflight; purchased a gdl393d and happily used gp on android for years.  2 years ago the accountant got me an IPAD mini for christmas.  So as my GP sub is coming to it's end i decided to try foreflight.

Side by side, Garmin Pilot seems a bit cleaner, i prefer it's maps.  

foreflight does have slightly better weather layers but GP is def not a slouch.  also for me, GP displays all data from 1800wxbrief including your weather briefing.

foreflights weather briefing is a bit more integrated.  I say for me as that may be dependent on the provider you select in the setup.

To be honest, I was actually disappointed in foreflight, mainly due to it not being head and shoulders better than GP.

Now this may be a recent thing as Garmin seems to be updating Pilot at a furious pace.  

Mostly due to the cost, i'll be staying with GP.     can't handle anymore boeing fees, they charged me 617$ this year for maps for my GNS480. 

[stevesm20b]

I have used wingx and garmin pilot. I think wingx is better. Much easier to use.

 

[toto]

Just now, stevesm20b said:

I have used wingx and garmin pilot. I think wingx is better. Much easier to use.

 

I really really wanted to love WingX, especially because they have a free subscription for CFIs, but for some reason the interface just never made sense to me.  I used it for a month or so, and always struggled to find what I was looking for.

[PeteMc]

I originally used WingX, but had to drop it when I discovered Garmin wouldn't give them access.  I'm assuming the only reason FF has it was originally due to their market share then connection to Boeing.  And if they had been on the outs before, I'll bet that would have changed as soon as the sale to Boeing when through.

 

[toto]

2 minutes ago, PeteMc said:

I originally used WingX, but had to drop it when I discovered Garmin wouldn't give them access.  I'm assuming the only reason FF has it was originally due to their market share then connection to Boeing.  And if they had been on the outs before, I'll bet that would have changed as soon as the sale to Boeing when through.

 

Interestingly, I just saw today that the new GP release supports the Appareo Stratus device, which I always understood to be an exclusive product made under an agreement between Appareo and ForeFlight. Could be a shot in the arm for GP subscriptions. 

[midlifeflyer]

3 hours ago, toto said:

Interestingly, I just saw today that the new GP release supports the Appareo Stratus device, which I always understood to be an exclusive product made under an agreement between Appareo and ForeFlight. Could be a shot in the arm for GP subscriptions. 

Pilot now supports the Stratus 3, which was put on the market about 3-4 years ago after the exclusive arrangement between Foreflight and Appareo ended. The 3 is a GDL 90 receiver that can be used with most EFB apps.

Not supporting it until now was Garmin's choice.

Edited December 23, 2021 by midlifeflyer

[toto]

4 minutes ago, midlifeflyer said:

Pilot now supports the Stratus 3, which was put on the market about 3-4 years ago after the exclusive arrangement between Foreflight and Appareo ended. The 3 is a GDL 90 receiver that can be used with most EFB apps.

Not supporting it until now was Garmin's choice.

Oh, interesting. Thanks for that. I have never owned a Stratus, and wasn’t familiar with the model designations. 

[Andy95W]

I’ve paid for Garmin Pilot, and thought it was okay.

I get Foreflight for free from my work, but I have never really liked it.  It’s a pig for data and the user interface is good but not that great IMO.  It does have some nice features.

What I use is  FltPlan Go, and it’s FREE.  It works with my Garmin GDL-39 for ADS-B In, it transfers flight plans to/from my Garmin panel mount GPS, and it has geo-referenced charts (to include taxi charts).  It does 98% of what I need it to do.  I can find the information I need as quickly as GP or FF, and in case I forgot to mention, ITS FREE.  So yes, even though my company gives me Foreflight, I actually prefer and use FltPlan Go.

For flight planning I use 1800wxbrief.com, which works well and gives me a good briefing product.  I then copy/paste my route into FltPlan Go. It will text message me when my flight plan is accepted, and then texts me again if my routing is changed.  It does all of this for FREE.

But hey, I’m a cheap SOB.

 

[toto]

7 hours ago, Andy95W said:

I’ve paid for Garmin Pilot, and thought it was okay.

I get Foreflight for free from my work, but I have never really liked it.  It’s a pig for data and the user interface is good but not that great IMO.  It does have some nice features.

What I use is  FltPlan Go, and it’s FREE.  It works with my Garmin GDL-39 for ADS-B In, it transfers flight plans to/from my Garmin panel mount GPS, and it has geo-referenced charts (to include taxi charts).  It does 98% of what I need it to do.  I can find the information I need as quickly as GP or FF, and in case I forgot to mention, ITS FREE.  So yes, even though my company gives me Foreflight, I actually prefer and use FltPlan Go.

For flight planning I use 1800wxbrief.com, which works well and gives me a good briefing product.  I then copy/paste my route into FltPlan Go. It will text message me when my flight plan is accepted, and then texts me again if my routing is changed.  It does all of this for FREE.

But hey, I’m a cheap SOB.

 

I used FltPlan Go for many years, primarily because of the price, but I finally got tired of its instability. The app would crash at very inconvenient times, and went through update after update without fixing the crash problems. Had the same thing happen on multiple Android tablets and an iPad. 

I still use FltPlan as my primary software for flight planning, and I’m happy that plans transfer to GP pretty easily. But I have to wonder how long Garmin plans to keep FltPlan Go around. I suspect they will kill the product and come out with a GP Lite version at some point that’s free but has very limited features. 

[Andy95W]

4 hours ago, toto said:

But I have to wonder how long Garmin plans to keep FltPlan Go around. I suspect they will kill the product and come out with a GP Lite version at some point that’s free but has very limited features. 

That’s my fear.  If/when that happens, I’ll probably have to change to Foreflight.  Ugh.

Not sure why, but I’ve never had the app crash on my iPad(s) while in flight.  I put it into airplane mode, then turn Bluetooth on to connect my GDL-39.