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Major update for RocketRoute

Finally they've improved the dreaded Google Maps based interface. It is now much quicker and the layout is more sensible. Previously it would clutter the screen with a lot of unreadable stuff and take ages to draw a route. Also one can now center the map on the current route, that is quite practical.

Their algorithms for drawing elements on the map and deciding where to put tags, what to draw on top of what is still substandard but admitted, that is quite complex and requires mapping experts. I'm hoping they will get this better in the future.

The AeroPlates iPad app was also significantly improved and it looks like they are working on implementing IFR enroute maps.

Hi Achim,

I just played a bit with the updated Aeroplates App, but I really can't see what was actually improved...?

Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

P.S. BTW, I noticed that there is now another app out called "eAIP", which does essentially the same thing (i.e. download, organize and display charts from the EAD database) and it's free. Having said that, RR can of couse do much more than just displaying charts. it's the whole package which is so attractive (albeit at a certain price...just shy of 200 euros a year...)

Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

I noticed that there is now another app out called "eAIP",

Are you referring to iAIP? It costs $5 and contains the AIP of a few European countries. I couldn't find anything called iAIP in the Apple App Store. Or is it for another platform?

I think the RocketRoute overall package is quite good, fair value at the price and it works well. However, I think they could do a lot of better in UI design and usability. At least there is progress. RR implements my typical workflow very well: plan on the PC with a large screen, look it up and maybe change it on the iPad and then use the smartphone to to deal with slots and typically delays (my flight plans are for the earliest departure I can imagine and then I tend to delay them once or a few times until I'm ready). Also the flight logs are good and so is the weather briefing nowadays.

No, it's a different one. But sorry, the name is actually eiAIP. See here

Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

BTW, I noticed that there is now another app out called "eAIP", which does essentially the same thing (i.e. download, organize and display charts from the EAD database) and it's free.

OK, but it's certainly not free of charge:

Price per country $0.99/1-month $3.99/6-months $5.99/1-year

Price for all countries $6.99/1-month $26.99/6-months $39.9/1-year

That looks like somebody bought the B2B access to Eurocontrol, where for some 4 figures you get VPN access to their EAD database, and they are downloading it and flogging it as an IOS app.

There is a number of such products on the market. I don't really keep track of it but I think EuroFPL also offers the EAD stuff.

Funnily enough, a few years ago, somebody I know (not me) wrote an "EAD grabber" program which would download specified country AIPs (or all of them) from ead.eurocontrol.int, so you got a local copy on your PC

It took him a few days to make it work. The company running the site was using various silly methods to obscure the access, and it turned out the login was actually just a fake piece of java. The total data size was about 20GB and it was presented as a browser cache. He had to put in random delays because the site was trying to block robotic downloads. I don't think the program works anymore, and it doesn't matter because the access is free anyway. But a 32GB Ipad would work nicely.

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Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom
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