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myWingMan from BendixKing/Honeywell for Europe now

Bendix King is taking out a big ad for their EFB (electronic flight bag) in German Aerokurier April edition now featuring European charts and maps.Two full pages ad. The new version is myWingMan1.2 however up to now you get only version 1.1.23 in the app store for download. So its still the old version not showing the advertised. Pricelist is missing too. Perhaps they start on April 1st? May be a good alternative to the very expensive Jeppesen Flight Deck - for the private flyer who does not need 4 keys ...

EDxx, Germany

What does this actually do - for Europe?

A quick google turns up this Ipad product which contains the US VFR enroute charts ("sectionals") and possibly airport plates.

Many years ago Skyforce in Chichester (who sold out to Honeywell years ago) used to do a VFR flight planning product, and maybe this is some reincarnation of that.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

I have been looking for EU IFR app charts and lower airspace IFR enroute maps since a while. There are a few apps for the Ipad but only VFR except Jeppesen's Flight Deck which I find pricy, e.g. about 500€ only for Germany, and they don't offer electronic one time fly-aways as they do in the US and here with paper products. In the moment I use Rocket Route charts but I tend to like that kind of moving map better... So BendixKing MyWingMan could be that alternative.

EDxx, Germany

It would be interesting where their enroute charts come from.

The "printed" VFR charts have to be licensed from "somebody" which means any product covering Europe will

  • cost a few hundred € just for the data, and

  • will be incomplete, because VFR charts are not published for some areas (e.g. Greece)

Licensing the Jepp VFR/GPS ones is the obvious solution but it's a few hundred €.

You could generate IFR-only charts easily enough, from Eurocontrol data, presumably by paying a few k a year for their B2B access service. Limited audience though...

For a private user, there are, ahem, other means, but a legit business could never sell a product with that in it.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

I suppose they will use the data from seattleavionics.com as they do with their AV8OR ace. IFR subscription for EU is $499 - all charts are geo-referenced. Seattleavionics show a list on their homepage what charts/maps are included in IFR/VFR - unfortunately Greece - Zero Point (nothing) I am astonished that BendixKing publishes advertising without offering details on their home page nor in the Apple app store. Think they hastily did some advertising now to have the product available and show it at the Aero 2013 on April 24.-27. in Friedrichshafen.

EDxx, Germany

I am confused by this too.

If they are talking about terminal charts:

For Europe, they can only be Jepp (in which case $500/year for all of Europe is 20% of the cost of Jepps which sounds totally implausible) or the free AIP plates (in which case it's a ripoff, because there are several services who offer the AIP plates as a package).

The only other players I know of are Aerad and Lufthansa, neither of whom has any meaningful coverage.

If they are talking about enroute charts:

The only ways I know of are either a license from Jepp (in which case $500/year is plausible; it's comparable to the €500/year of e.g. Flitestar IFR Europe) or they home-cook IFR enroute charts from Eurocontrol data or whatever (in which case why no Greece; both Jepp and Eurocontrol have the Greek airspace stuff). Greece did not publish its AIP online till very recently, which may be relevant.

The question, as with all these products, is what exact added value you get for the money?

I think the market is highly fragmented, because nothing short of a few thousand € per year is really comprehensive. Most pilots pay for their main GPS database (13 cycles) and spend minimum money on extras which, frankly, don't do much for you. Terminal charts are the remaining holy grail but I don't see that improving, ever.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

For a few years now Seattle Avionics has had an extensive library of vfr and ifr georeferenced approach charts for europe. However they failed to offer them .. except for the av80.

Aspen users have been waiting as it was suggested that they would be offered for Aspen as well.

Their library is not 100% complete as is the case with Jepp.

I would have thought that they would have gone out and concur europe by now. However it seems that there is no development. Their website has also not been updated for the last 2 years..

I spoke with Seattle Avionics during Oshkosh 2011 re. European approach charts for the Aspen. Their answer was "We hope to offer the charts within the next six weeks".

BTW, this was the exact same answer I got when I asked the question again during Oshkosh 2012. I would not hold my breath that those charts become available any time soon, if ever.

RXH
EDML - Landshut, Munich / Bavaria

They must be planning to merge with "jam tomorrow" Avidyne

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

just got the e-mail answer from BendixKing:

Yes the new version will be available soon and will include the European country of Germany as of now with more European countries possibly to follow.

Thank you,

Bobby Sanchez

Portables Technical Support

"available soon" - let's wait and see ...

EDxx, Germany
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