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Smartphone based weather radar app?

Personally I think that the days of certified MFDs are over

It is a perverse observation that one buys an MFD primarily to see a decent size map (IMHO a GNS430 or similar does not give you a decent size map) yet an MFD gives you relatively poor mapdata compared to loads of portable solutions.

It is IMHO not because of a lack of will but because Jeppesen has cornered the market for IFR mapdata in vector format which comes with some "quality trail paperwork" with an AIRAC 28-day update cycle and can thus be used in TSOd products.

It would be technically trivial for say Garmin to stick the UK CAA VFR charts onto a G1000 but for starters they are supplied as images and cannot be rotated ("track up"). There is also no update path; updates through the year are not made available even in the electronic versions (which is really stupid; when was the internet invented?).

However an MFD gives you a lot more in the way of integrated functionality. It can show

  • the current route and waypoints from the primary (panel mounted) GPS
  • a stormscope
  • TCAS
  • radar

and even the map types may be switchable.

None of these things are possible on any portable device, unless you go for some "legally interesting" wiring up of your aircraft and are going to develop some custom hardware and software interfaces.

And none of it can be shown on an Ipad, due to its limited comms ports.

An Ipad is great for a lot of ad hoc stuff in the cockpit, however.

It's much more likely than an engine failure

Indeed, which is why I have

  • a Garmin 496 in the yoke
  • the LS800 running some kind of VFR chart
  • an Icom radio with a headset adapter and a velcro-able PTT button

I had a radio failure during PPL training and bought the Icom the same day.

So what I need is a Thuraya phone that can establish a bluetooth data connection to an iPad. Where is it?

The Thuraya XT phone has bluetooth. I don't know to what extent it connects to an Ipad. AFAIK the Ipad supports only "network" connections, not "dial up networking" connections, so you would need to check that out.

One of the things to watch would be blocking the periodic "behind the scenes" online sessions; the boxes I mentioned earlier have special features to block that stuff because obviously with a satphone it could cost a lot.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Peter, thanks for posting that link to youe site "USe of IR for determining cloud tops"which I found very useful. One of the hardest things I find in Euroland if trying to determine the cloud tops. It is a shame there isn't a decent PIREP system over here as per the USA. Maybe another job for Tim Dawson to add to SD - people could enter their own data and it is distributed to other users

EGHS

Thanks for your link on using IR sat images peter, very informative!

EGHS

Incidentally - I find ipad JeppView on my crashes all the time, especially when switching back to it from another app. Am I the only one?

My ipad crashes with everything except JeppView. In the cockpit though my weapon of choice is a 795 with JeppView and Safe Taxi.

EHLE / Lelystad, Netherlands, Netherlands

Are the Jepp plates on the 795 presented in the maximum resolution i.e. like a PDF?

I vaguely recall hearing from someone who (after a lot of hassle) installed them on a 695, that the resolution was only that of a raster image of the native 695 resolution which is about 800x600 or something like that.

I find the Ipad very stable - except a few odd apps which do bomb out. However I have almost nothing installed on it, except Goodreader (a brilliant multipurpose app), IcabMobile, and a few other bits, whereas my WinXP PC has at least 100 apps dumped on it.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Appreciate the contributions so far - I'm feeling particularly hopeful about Skydemons involvement

EuropaBoy
EGBW

I have just had MLX770 installed and have the Jepp plates on the Avidyne. The ability to have all of the information in one place is key. Wouldn't use it to avoid weather - that is what radar is for but to be able to get METARs in the air is quite handy if covering long distances. I don't think certified avionics are dead yet by any means.

Electrical failure is a risk some some backup GPS and comm is important - as is the use of ground clearance switches if you have them.

From FL250 you can glide for a lot longer than your battery will last unless you shed load.

EGTK Oxford

Wouldn't use it to avoid weather - that is what radar is for

It's a bit like a stormscope. One would not use it to find gaps in thunderstorms while flying in IMC (though I do personally know people who do exactly that, with some occassionally "interesting" stories ) but one would not fly into a region which is full of strikes on the stormscope.

I am sure you would not head into a region which is showing bright red on the 770 radar image...

but to be able to get METARs in the air is quite handy if covering long distances.

Personally I find that ability extremely reassuring, because by far the best time to decide to divert is before one gets to the destination, because if one follows "classical IFR" i.e. fly to the destination, go missed (or get the ATIS) and then divert, that diversion is an emergency (unless one just happens to have loads of fuel).

I don't think certified avionics are dead yet by any means.

Like it or not, certified kit is the only way to get the functionality integrated into the cockpit, without wires, stuff to keep charged up, etc.

The problem is the cost...

I hope Avidyne don't go bust. STEC have just screwed them on the use of STEC servos, forcing them to develop their own servos but this will dramatically curtail their certification options on the DFC90 autopilot. Which leaves Avidyne with, what? Their TCAS boxes, and a lot of vapourware. Currently Avidyne are very busy trying to attract deposits for their 540 and they are offering silly discounts to get those deposits in. Just my opinion

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Well I guess they always needed to eventually develop their own. STEC seem annoyed because the DFC90 is proving pretty popular - I have one in the new aircraft and it is amazing compared to the poor IMHO 55X. They can always use existing servos for retrofit but I guess on new certifications they will have to put their own in.

In dealing with them quite a lot over recent weeks, they are an excellent company to work with. Customer service and attitude are tremendous.

There are big offers to pre-fund the new NAV/COMs. Garmin offer discounts too however. My changeover cost to the 650s is essentially the same as for IFD440s. Only difference is the 650 is available now.

EGTK Oxford

Trying to gain back what was handed to Garmin on a silver platter is going to be an uphill battle. Garmin's attitude can be terrible but their current product portfolio is quite good.

I think Avidyne took a smart approach with the DFC90. There is a large user base of S-TEC 55X equipped Cirrus aircraft out there (almost 5000) and the DFC90 is a great improvement at a reasonable cost.

There are also a lot of Cessna 182s with S-TEC so that's the next low hanging fruit. Eventually they will need their own servos which are trivial to develop but hard to get certified for all airplanes.

The market of new aircraft is the most difficult. Garmin G1000/G2000 with the DFC700 are popular and excellent products. Not much of a market looking at the number of new aircraft leaving the factory every year. The Extra 500 was developed with Avidyne's Entegra but still relies on the S-TEC 55X instead of the DFC90. That's the weakest spot of this aircraft in my opinion.

The IFD440 doesn't look like a game changer to me. It looks like a clone of the GNS430 while Garmin have already moved to the next level.

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