Alternative to ForeFlight?

danhagan

danhagan

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danhagan
I've been using Foreflight since it's inception, and it's basically the only real APP on my phone (I actually use the phone for business and texts primarily - but like having ForeFlight on the phone and taking pictures).

My son switched over to a Samsung Galaxy and I'm pretty impressed with that phone (mine has been plaqued with the Sim Card Error), and his pictures are WAY better than mine.

1. Is Foreflight ever going to be available for the android phones?
2. Is there a product out there that equals it for androids?

I wish the Apple products were better and have used them for years, but it looks like it's getting close to time for a change.
 
WingX Pro and Garmin Pilot are both available on Android but all differ in features between Android version and iOS versions. I use iOS so I can't speak to the differences.
 
There is plenty of stuff, being that you're used to foreflight, and i-products, I suspect you'd have a shock transitioning. "what do you mean, it doesn't 'just work'? I have to plug my charger in right-side up?"

I'm still a student pilot, I have Avare(freeware) on my phone, but I haven't really ever had to 'use' it for aviating, although I've seen some on POA that do. I'm sure its far from foreflight functionality.

(I am about as anti-apple as you can get, going back to the Apple ][ days)
 
My understanding is Garmin Pilot is the closest but everyone seems to agree that Foreflight is at least slightly superior.

I use Avare on my Android device (like it a lot more than the Apple devices), it's much more bare bones but has the advantage of being free.
 
I use Avare as well on my phone. I look at it when I need frequencies or briefly glance at it for situational awareness. Otherwise I look outside to figure out where I'm at.
 
danhagan said:
1. Is Foreflight ever going to be available for the android phones?
Click to expand...

No. Android is a PITA to develop for compared to IOS (mostly because there is no 'one' standard) and Android users are consistently cheaper than IOS users. Last I saw the number of android devices shipped was nearly three times the number of IOS devices. But app revenue on IOS is nearly twice as high as Android.

danhagan said:
2. Is there a product out there that equals it for androids?
Click to expand...

No. There are a couple that are usable. But, really, Foreflight is head and shoulders better than anything else out there.
 
I use iFlyGPS and find it to have a lot of great features, but the one thing that stands out with that app is the responsiveness of the development team, who are constantly adding to the application, often as a result of user feedback.Available for iOS and Android. They also sell a stand alone hardware item with excellent screen brightness.

Avare is also splendid free app, kudos to the developer for that. Both make my old days with no radio and a map, compass and mark 1 eyeballs all seem very primitive!
 
Not sure there is much of anything that's really on par with FF, lots of good aviation apps, but foreflight is still considerably ahead of the pack.
 
I use Naviator on my Samsung Tablet for charts and flight planning. Actually surprised no one mentioned them yet.
 
I had an iPhone, and disliked the interface. When it was time to move, I got an Android, and it basically sucks, too. There's a long, long way to go before I'd want to fool with a phone for nav. Basically, they're phones that do a fairly klunky job of running non-phone software. And sometimes not so hot on just plane old phone stuff.
 
I saw a few months ago that ForeFlight is being released on Android.

As far as the general perception that Foreflight is "better", I suggest a healthy dose of High-wing/Low-wing, Continental/Lycoming, Nose-wheel/Taildragger.

I've used both ForeFlight and Garmin Pilot. They do all the same things. Unless you have a Stratus(x) instead of a GDL39.
 
Just wanted to also mention iFly. It's feature complete across both iOS and Android, and also to confirm that the developers are ridiculously responsive and friendly. To me the interface is more intuitive than any other moving map app, and I've purchased/used probably 90% of them. http://ifly.adventurepilot.com
 
I evaluated both - Garmin with 393D and Foreflight / Stratus 2. Both incredible but I stuck with Foreflight. If I were going back to Droid I would go back to Garmin. Although I wouldn't mind trying Wing X
 
Challenged said:
Just wanted to also mention iFly. It's feature complete across both iOS and Android, and also to confirm that the developers are ridiculously responsive and friendly. To me the interface is more intuitive than any other moving map app, and I've purchased/used probably 90% of them. http://ifly.adventurepilot.com
Click to expand...
It is also, by a long shot, the most customizable, which helps a lot with the intuitiveness.
 
rolivi said:
I saw a few months ago that ForeFlight is being released on Android.
Click to expand...
Where did you see that? I've seen zero, nada, zilch from ForeFlight except, "no but we may look at the question again some time in the future."

Or do you mean WingX Pro which introduced a limited function Android offering about a year or so ago?
 
midlifeflyer said:
Where did you see that? I've seen zero, nada, zilch from ForeFlight except, "no but we may look at the question again some time in the future."
Click to expand...

Yeah, there is no Foreflight plan for Android. It would be a complete rewrite for a market that has a history of not being willing to pay for apps.
 
danhagan said:
I've been using Foreflight since it's inception, and it's basically the only real APP on my phone (I actually use the phone for business and texts primarily - but like having ForeFlight on the phone and taking pictures).

My son switched over to a Samsung Galaxy and I'm pretty impressed with that phone (mine has been plaqued with the Sim Card Error), and his pictures are WAY better than mine.

1. Is Foreflight ever going to be available for the android phones?
2. Is there a product out there that equals it for androids?

I wish the Apple products were better and have used them for years, but it looks like it's getting close to time for a change.
Click to expand...
The difficulty (and the reason for the "better" comments) is (1) different apps approach the same issues different ways and (2) the one you use is the one that grows to seem "more intuitive."

So what you need to do is look at a group of Android apps and see which one fits what you use it for and the way you want to use it. I would definitely look at (in alphabetical order):
AvNav EFB - a relative newcomer which always leave questions about staying power. I think the interface is the closest one gets to ForeFlight in another app, which is one of the reasons it's my personal choice as a backup to ForeFlight.
DroidEFB fka FlightPro fka Avilution - had its issues (the reason for some of the name changes) but probably the longest existing and mature of the Android group.
Garmin Pilot - looking a Garmin is somewhat obvious and one of its advantages is its menu structure similarity to other Garmin products, particularly the touch screen GTN 650/750.
iFlyGPS has been mentioned - it comes in Android, iOS and dedicated hardware flavors. When it comes down to it, it's really the "old man" of the group even though the iOS and Android versions are relatively new. They were competing with the old Garmin 196-496 handhelds before iOS even existed.
 
Seems it was a spoof. http://isforeflightonandroidyet.com/announcement/

Oh well. Garmin Pilot equals it in every possible way. But I don't use tablets in the cockpit. 696 and 430W with all their overpriced database updates work better and more consistently than any tablet.

Also keeps that kneeboard space free for the piece of paper I need to write stuff on.

Almost ForeGot - Thanks for the emphatic, emphasized, emphasis! Simply saying you had't read the same thing may have been enough and sufficient. MAYBE ALL CAPS?
 
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Not even one other person has used Naviator on their Android? I thought it was quite common. Is there a reason why, or why Garmin or WingX are much more prevalent?
 
172andyou said:
No. Android is a PITA to develop for compared to IOS (mostly because there is no 'one' standard) and Android users are consistently cheaper than IOS users. Last I saw the number of android devices shipped was nearly three times the number of IOS devices. But app revenue on IOS is nearly twice as high as Android.



No. There are a couple that are usable. But, really, Foreflight is head and shoulders better than anything else out there.
Click to expand...


Agreed. I would rather get a new device than change to another EFB. Also Foreflight keeps getting better with every update. Customer service is amazing, even on Sunday. I have no affiliation w the company other than being a customer. I do not use a stratus so I pay $150 per year. A Garmin Pilot Pack for my plane is about $1K with essentially the same info but a little less accessible. With Flightstream FF will upload to the Garmins.
 
I have Foreflight and Garmin Pilot on my iPhone and iPad. I prefer Garmin Pilot. I guess which you prefer depends on what functions mean the most to you. In rural Alaska away from cell service Garmin w/ a GDL39 3D is the winner in my book. My current project is getting a G3X Touch with my i devices playing backup. Seamless.
 
Tried both, GP is better in the cockpit, FF better at planning (been a few years since I compared them). Dynamic charts are huge plus, I have no trouble with interface since its much like the GTN650 I use.
Wish GP would add cloud ahoy feature, need to improve trip planning and flight plan pages, and TAS calculator would be nice.
 
Another satisfied iFlyGPS user here. Started out on their hardware with the 700 model, then upgraded to the 720, and now fly with both my Nexus 7 and the 720. I've been a beta user for years now and with many other users have helped influence the design and stamp out bugs, but you don't have to be a beta user to make suggestions for improvements.

Key features: Cross-platform support (iFly 700/720/540; iOS; Android); app itself is free--they make money on data subscriptions, which are reasonably priced, especially for multi-device subscriptions; broad support for a variety of ADSB-in devices, including Stratux (and including Stratux AHRS, unlike Foreflight's intentionally-crippled Stratux support).
 
You might want to look into FlyQ .
 
Nobody mentioned Flplan Go?

I was a Foreflight user. Switched over a year ago to Fltplan Go and have it on both an iPad mini retina and a Nexus 7 for backup. While the user interface is not as slick as Foreflight, it works very well once you understand the interface. Oh, and it is FREE.

I live in Canada so need Canadian charts for VFR and IFR (includes approach plates), USA sectionals (plus TAC etc) and Victor airways, the Airport/Facilities Directories and the Canada Flight Supplement which can all be downloaded onto your portable device. Also, most of the approach charts are geo-referenced so you can follow your progress on the approach, though with a GPS, there if barely a need for it other than additional situational awareness. Foreflight charges more for that feature.

It is preferable to flight plan on the web, and then the flight plan can automatically transferred to the portable devices. You can also flight plan or change your flight plan on the device. It supports almost all the external weather and traffic products out there, including Stratux :)

There are some minor differences between iOS and Android versions. The iOS versions seem to be slightly ahead in the development cycle, so I can have rubber banding of route on iOS, but not yet available on Android.

Works (very well) for me. Oh, and did I say it is free!
I was paying Foreflight $225 for the Basic Canada and USA.

Just a very satisfied user...
 
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FltplanGo for me as well. Avare installed as backup.
 
I have Garmin GTN 750 in the panel and GP Android on my two Nexus 7's, one per yoke, connected via BT to GDL-39. I get my geo-referenced approach plates on the GPs, and that arrangement works great. I don't know FF, only seen it briefly, but I find it hard to believe it would be far superior to GP's crisp in-flight vector graphics, which is especially significant in track-up mode, which I use exclusively.
 
Fltpln Go. It's free and does nearly everything FF does. Including georeferenced approach plates.
 
Others have answered the question, but I'll note that Foreflight is going to get screwed by sticking with Apple... I'm an Apple fan, but under Cook, they've lost their vision and iOS is getting sucker and more bloated. And I WILL leave the Apple ecosystem at the next phone purchase if things don't get better. Android is not better than iOS but it's hit a point where it's "equally annoying in different ways", but it's significantly less expensive.

Cook thinks the Apple success of the past is about style more than substance, and he's going to start losing market share, eventually. Nobody needs put up with planned obsolescence in processor horsepower and non-upgradeable storage at this stage of the game.

Add in how utterly God-awful iTunes as a management platform for iOS device backups ( real backups, not the partial backups you get in their cloud crap ) has been lately, and Apple has just about run its course for a while.

They'll still sell millions of units, but that's their business now, not being a better option. Bulk vs quality. And Android has them handily beat when the allow themselves to fall back to that game.
 
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