@AeroPlus: I really understand that “switching” apps, just for one trip/holiday, is a decision which isn’t taken lightly.
Still, for me, the bottom line is very easy: just as I would never use an American-developed product (FF) for flying in Europe, I would never use a European-developed product (SD) for flying in the USA. Good “local” knowledge/comprehension is needed to develop a good flying product. As has been very obvious in the last couple of years, they both don’t have that.
Also, the US is one country, with pretty clear and well designed VFR charts. Europe is a load of countries with all different charts representing different airspace approaches.
And FF is trying to do a European product using the same binary app code as for the US, which is obviously possible, and for code maintenance reasons probably the right decision, but it is going to raise all kinds of user interface issues. The non-availability of fly-by waypoints (for shaping IFR autorouting around bad wx, etc) is probably one of these issues…
Peter wrote:
The non-availability of fly-by waypoints (for shaping IFR autorouting around bad wx, etc) is probably one of these issues…
I don’t think non-availability of fly-by waypoints is caused by US/EU routing code difference (I believe these two portions of code are so different that are definitely kept completely separated within the source code collection). This feature and using DCT for shortcuts in routing (in countries where it’s allowed besides using the airways) is the main difference between routing code in FF and AR allowing AR to find better routes. So FF lacks some more understanding of Eurocontrol routing and possibilities to improve routing algorithm.
@peter wrote:
The non-availability of fly-by waypoints (for shaping IFR autorouting around bad wx, etc) is probably one of these issues…
This is not true, you can modify the plans. Just go to the flights tap, insert or change the waypoints you would like to be modified by typing them in. The new routing will be validated in seconds. Then you can send it to the map. Not workng is the direct change on the map by moving the waypoints, as far as I can see.
Given the number of times this has been raised, it is suprising nobody had mentioned this before.
But perhaps it works only if the waypoints being added still deliver a validatable route… if not, how do you know which way to change it? If one just types in what looks like meaningful waypoints, some 99% of the choices will not validate. I suggested to Achim years ago (when I was a tester for his project) that he should add a rubber-banding feature, he said this is impossible since nearly all possible positions will not validate.
We have done this before… FF need this and other features e.g. avoiding whole countries, for when e.g. French ATC are on strike.
Just go to the flights tap, insert or change the waypoints you would like to be modified by typing them in.
Few days ago I tried to do it – basically, it’s the same process like in the old days of manual routing. And I’m pretty sure that for IFR plan it’s not practical with so many restrictions on airways. So as @Peter posted above, a lot of things you put will simply not be valid.
I am just about to decide whether to renew my SkyDemon subscription or to jump on the ForeFlight wagon.
However, one thing that confuses me in FF is the flight planning process:
Could any of you FF experts please elaborate?
Thx in advance!
Supersonic wrote:
When planning a route with different leg altitudes and several waypoints and then exporting that to “Flights” neither of them shows up in the navlog (see screenshots).
My understanding is that VNAV is not fully implemented yet, it also does not show up on the profile view. The button to set altitude was introduced at the update 1 1/2 month ago. Should be there in the next few month though if I interpret the support correctly.
Supersonic wrote:
None of the information entered in the navlog gets transferred to the W&B section. Also there it is not possible to enter the fuel at landing.
At the moment W&B is not integrated nicely like takeoff/landing performance. I also don’t understand why I have to add new airplanes just for W&B instead of having this all in one place. I was told at the AERO that people are working on this.
Regarding the fuel at landing: just change the fuel policy from “Minimum Fuel Required” to “Landing Fuel” to enter fuel at landing.
Jonas
I would suggest emailing foreflight support. They reply quickly and will know what to do.
