Hello all.
First post, so, obligatory back-story follows, then on to my question!
I am a Brit Expat, living in the Czech Republic where I trained and got my PPL. Here we enjoy having free access to govt. provided data such as aerodrome maps, AIP/AUP, VFR sectionals, and other web-based free flight planning / autorouting apps using CZ data, which is provided freely by the Air Navigation Service (in the vein of a publicly owned service, remember those? :))
I am on the verge of relocating back to the UK. I have never flown in the UK and I am a bit nervous about coming back for various reasons – I am aware things in CAA land can be quite different. I found NATS – but there does not seem to be any aerodrome charts available, just links to where you can buy standard paper maps. So, I’m thinking I should get an ipad and an app. I’ve heard about foreflight, garmin pilot, etc, but most of what I read on the web seems to be USA-centric. I can’t even tell 100% what these apps provide for their differing subscription levels, if the cheapest options include VFR maps and aerodrome charts, or if I would need to get a separate Jep subscription.
What should I do? I’d be grateful for your recommendations, tips, anecdotes, anything ;)
thanks.
There are good European VFR apps. I know SkyDemon (which pretty much every single pilot I’ve flow with uses), (which is still light years ahead FF and GP for European VFR – I wouldn’t even look at these if all you do is VFR flying). There are also a couple other ones, like EasyVFR / PocketFMS / Runway HD, but I haven’t tried them myself.
Worry not.
You can get all the AIP plates from NATS. http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/public/index.php%3Foption=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=165&Itemid=3.html
They are also embedded in SkyDemon.
If you want non AIP plates, the best source is Pooley’s, but if you buy SkyDemon, you can pay extra to have the Pooley’s plates included.
When you get back, spend an hour with a reasonably knowledgeable local (me, if you like) and all your worries will float away.
Maybe http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/public/index.php%3Foption=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=6&Itemid=13.html is an ever better link to give you, one more step down the menu.
There is Skydemon, EasyVFR (various threads; a search on the name digs them out), Jepp MFDVFR, and the low cost AirMate is a new product. Garmin Pilot and Foreflight are not currently suitable for VFR in Europe.
A lot depends on how much “hand holding” you need, how much you pre-plan your flights back home, etc. Personally I fly happily with a simple moving map app, and Airmate would do, but that means checking airport and enroute notams and wx separately.
I was born in Prague and lived in Pribram 
Curiously, I flew with someone yesterday who used SkyDemon just as a map – he didn’t activate the plane position. He did know about the function to turn it into a moving map but just didn’t bother, and used for graphical notams and route plotting.
There are times when I do that i.e. stop the moving map, so I can scroll the map around manually. I tend to do this when hacking my way around the London TMA and I quite like to be VMC on top at 5400ft, and I need to see how far out I need to go to be able to stay at 5400ft all the way back to Shoreham
None of the apps show the airspace labels if you zoom out enough to see the “big picture”.
I suppose one could achieve a similar thing by setting airspace declutter to show only airspace at 5400ft, but then one is relying on the declutter to be sufficiently bug-free to save you from a nasty experience with the CAA. That is also why I fly with the “real printed” charts on a tablet (and Airmate looks good for that) but probably 99% of tablet users have moved on from there.
Sorry, I left there in 1969 (closely following the ~200k who left in 1968)
Good for you that you got out before the gates closed. I know many here that suffered those twenty last years.
