Menu Sign In Contact FAQ
Banner
Welcome to our forums

Portable Synthetic Vision/Terrain alternatives

What options do we have in Europe apart from the Garmin/795?
I use SD for the moment however it would be great to able to see some 3D terrain and obstacle data in a portable config.
To my knowledge there is:

  • Garmin Pilot/795
  • Moving Terrain
  • …?
EBST

I use SD for the moment however it would be great to able to see some 3D terrain and obstacle data in a portable config.

Since the latest update, I have this feature incuding the usual red/yellow terrain colouring in Skydemon. I don’t suppose this is limited to Austria.

Edit: Sorry, you are talking about 3D terrain …

Last Edited by blueline at 31 Oct 10:53
LOAN Wiener Neustadt Ost, Austria

Garmin Pilot with GDL39 3D is the only option I am aware of in the iPad world. The SynVis works well with it however the app still needs some work. I still have high hopes for it however.

Last Edited by JasonC at 31 Oct 11:10
EGTK Oxford

Since the latest update, I have this feature incuding the usual red/yellow terrain colouring in Skydemon

Okay thanks I didn’t know that, I will check it out that’s already an improvement. Is the source of the terrain data known..?

The reason is that it would be a reason to move to an Ipad solution as it looks like indeed GDL39 is one of the only 3D solutions. MT vision is another solution but much more expensive with its own EFB

Jason are you using the Garmin Pilot IFR approach charts also..?

Last Edited by Vref at 31 Oct 12:24
EBST

Jason are you using the Garmin Pilot IFR approach charts also..?

I tried but they are not properly done yet in GP. For example in Zurich you don’t have all the frequencies or SID climb clearances as the text material is not yet provided. They will get there but it is not yet operational usable for IFR plates in Europe IMHO.

Last Edited by JasonC at 31 Oct 12:31
EGTK Oxford

Okay thanks for the feedback on that.
LIDO and JEPP have still the advantage …This is mainly due to a missing regulation (template) on how a descent cockpit usable approach chart should look like IMHO this could be perfectly done out of a e.g. XMl database if the template is fixed. PANS OPS and Annex15 where not created for this purpose, therefore its still a huge work to create semi manual all these charts based on ICAO IAC charts…..I believe that’s the main problem of GP I assume,?
The ICAO chart itself can be -reused and we have now more or less a standard being used but all the text fields are spread all over and not grouped as you can see in JEPP top briefing strips…

Last Edited by Vref at 31 Oct 14:27
EBST

What amazes me is that we’ve had very good SV on PC flight sims for more than 10 years.

Back then, both FSX and X-Plane had it.

Admittedly those products required high-end video cards (and a high end processor) so maybe there is an outstanding issue there which has not been resolved yet and maybe won’t be for a while.

OTOH I have just rebuilt my PC (it blew up) and replaced a massive video card costing a few hundred quid (I don’t play games so it was there for video editing and hopefully smooth 1080P video playback, which it never achieved) with a little fanless one (NVIDIA, standard stuff) and the new one seems just as fast.

The whole-earth terrain data for X-Plane came on six DVDs. The data came from the SRTM (space shuttle) radar imagery and is accurate to about 200ft. Nobody else is likely to have better data (where would they get it – a private radar satellite?) except maybe by adding towers and other man-made obstacles.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

GP just uses the European NAA charts. They are fine (if you like them) but they have forgotten the textual stuff in the AIP which is needed unless you do what Jepp does and stick it on the charts initial climb clearance being one such item.

EGTK Oxford

Nobody else is likely to have better data (where would they get it – a private radar satellite?) except maybe by adding towers and other man-made obstacles.

Well from here maybe??
http://www.eurocontrol.int/services/terrain-and-obstacle-data-phase-2-p-13-p-14

Last Edited by Vref at 31 Oct 18:49
EBST

Well from here maybe??

If you actually follow that link, it seems like not many countries actually provide area1 datasets…

LSZK, Switzerland
29 Posts
Sign in to add your message

Back to Top