Although Garmin Pilot is not available on Android in Europe yet, the fact that it does exist elsewhere, and that Garmin has done the hard work of porting it already, means that it will become available sooner or later. So at least we know that Android is on their road map.
does the Android version use different airspace data from the iOS version
That would not make sense. The European aviation data they have (which I saw today on an Ipad) is very good – at least they didn’t have the obvious bits of Class A missing.
Maybe they are doing what most of the IT gadget makers are doing in various ways: staggering the rollout of different versions, to limit the hit on their customer service if they screw up. For example Samsung roll out a given android OS version over quite a number of months, doing them in groups of countries.
Another possibility is the weaker copy protection on android than IOS, with this relating to data which is Europe specific. For example the CAA charts are nowadays licensed tightly; Memory Map uses encrypted data files which are locked to each device. The old QCT format escaped into the wild fairly fast. The format has not AFAIK been broken; the only way to copy these charts is to screenshoot a load of tiles and join them up. So maybe the data owners (all raster maps in Europe are tightly copyrighted) insist that Garmin don’t make the product available on android. And even if one could get the app (using a browser with cookies cleaned, with a VPN terminated in the USA, etc) they will probably block the database updates. Actually that would be very dodgy because a US pilot could fly to Europe and find he cannot get updates. But then maybe GP doesn’t offer the European data to US customers… It’s a waste of time worrying about this.
Peter can go back to Oziexplorer
I still run that on my win8 tablet which also connects nicely to the Thuraya XT satphone 
I believe this can be done with an android tablet (posted the details here but gave up) which is why GP on android interests me.
In the longer term, I am likely to end up with a GTN750 and underneath that the Garmin data entry keypad (a GTN650 
) but the keypad doesn’t have a complete keyboard (it has to be scrolled) so the GP → Flightstream → GTN flight plan transfer process might be quite attractive.
But it cannot be done on IOS. I would have to spend more money on a wifi satphone solution.
but please shoot me if you see me with an iWatch
Won’t need to. You will miss every EuroGA fly-in – because the battery will be flat before each morning
Two years ago it was already this story (when I was looking): no android available and the US version was inferior to the apple.
Vieke wrote:
the US version was inferior to the apple
That was then, today the current version of GP for Android is the same as the Apple version. Both Foreflight and GP will work with Garmin Flightstream.
today the current version of GP for Android is the same as the Apple version.
That is very relevant. If, from the US perspective, the ios and droid versions are identical, then there has to be a reason why the droid version is not offered in Europe. And I reckon it will be due to the extra data, and requirements of the copyright holders.
@USflyer – can you get hold of the US version of android GP and see if any European coverage exists? For example, pan over to EGHI and 30nm around it and post a screenshot or a photo?
Of course you won’t see the UK CAA raster charts (even if you could buy it, it would be about $100) but I am talking about Garmin’s own vector coverage.
Peter wrote:
GP and see if any European coverage exists
Not sure if this is what you are asking…Here is what’s offered on the Garmin site for charts etc for GP for Europe (I don’t have any European charts in my version):
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/shop-by-accessories/europe-add-ons/europe-vfr-ifr-charts-1-year-garmin-pilot-add-on-/prod510879.html
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/shop-by-accessories/europe-add-ons/europe-flitecharts-1-year-garmin-pilot-add-on-/prod510875.html
According to AOPA Garmin offers GP for Europe so not sure what the problems are since I am no in Europe and only use the US version: http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2014/July/17/Garmin-Pilot-App-Goes-Global
You know what – a quick call to https://fly.garmin.com/fly-garmin/support/ will probably answer the android version question. They are very helpful.
Got this from Garmin
As an update, Garmin is planning to add official French VFR charts in April this year.
Text of press release.
