FF 7.4 is out

Sam D

Sam D

Pattern Altitude
PoA Supporter
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Feb 27, 2006
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Petaluma, CA
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Display name:
Sam D
New FF briefing format is a huge step forward in my opinion.
 
What I don't understand is why FF doesn't give me a notification an update is avail. I updated two iPads data bases this am and did not know there was an App update.
 
Unit74 said:
What I don't understand is why FF doesn't give me a notification an update is avail. I updated two iPads data bases this am and did not know there was an App update.
Click to expand...

I always get notified by the App Store as with any other app.
 
scottd for President!!

(on 2nd thought... :no::no::no: :D )

You guys are dragging flight planning into the 21st century even if the FAA and NOAA won't. Great work!
 
Since ScottD and I were discussing weather briefings via ForeFlight, he sent me this message:
ScottD said:
Check out ForeFlight 7.4 just released in the app store.

This release will include a new ForeFlight Briefing - a new and much improved instance of the legacy "wall of text" standard briefing. After creating a flight plan and tapping the Brief button you'll be given a choice to use the new version or the old. If you choose the new one there's a setting in the app (ForeFlight Briefing) you can turn off if you prefer to go back to the legacy briefing. Just like the legacy briefing, the ForeFlight Briefing data comes from Lockheed Martin. It's an HTML product and can be viewed offline.

We've also added International SIGMETs (shown in red) and Center Weather Advisories (shown in cyan) to the map view along with a method to declutter these advisories by hazard type.

Also track Logs start recording automatically when you take off and, after touchdown, automatically stop recording. When you get back to Wi-Fi, Track Logs are also automatically uploaded to the ForeFlight cloud for safekeeping and easy access from your other devices.
Click to expand...
 
I looked at the new briefing tool on my iPhone 6.

Verrrrry slick! Much improved over the old hard to read wall of text.

It follows the concepts and flow that LockMart does on their 800wxBrief.com site.

Swiping the main info to the right reveals the content "topics". But only the ones that affect your flight are "lit" and you need to read. For example, for KDTO to KABI flight, there are no TFR's so that section isn't lit, nor mandatory to read.

On the phone, there was an Airmet Sierra (IFR) issued. The initial page I view shows the textual description, but then tapping on that line shows the graphical representation, active time, and a message that it will be inactive during the time I'm passing through the defined area.

Airmet Tango had red text below the description advising me that it will be active during the time I'm passing through the definied area.


All in all, this is a very good design for our mobile device oriented world.
 
Unit74 said:
What I don't understand is why FF doesn't give me a notification an update is avail. I updated two iPads data bases this am and did not know there was an App update.
Click to expand...

I just got notified in the last couple of hours. I think the App Store stages the notifications.
 
Maybe I'm missing something, but most of the graphics don't seem to be very meaningful. Most of them just show my track, and nothing else, on top of a basic map. What's the point of that for obstruction NOTAMs?

It doesn't seem to plot active SUAs, aerobatic zones, or UASs, which would be useful.
 
I just checked it out and it left me wondering if it is indeed a legal briefing. There seems to be some gaping holes. One in particular is the winds aloft forecast. It's simply not there...at least I couldn't find it, but take that for what it's worth since I'm a "techno tard" and not a "techno geek" (in the words of Weird Jim).

And, yes, I know winds aloft are available in the "altitude advisor" but that's not the briefing...
 
timwinters said:
I just checked it out and it left me wondering if it is indeed a legal briefing. There seems to be some gaping holes. One in particular is the winds aloft forecast. It's simply not there...at least I couldn't find it, but take that for what it's worth since I'm a "techno tard" and not a "techno geek" (in the words of Weird Jim).

And, yes, I know winds aloft are available in the "altitude advisor" but that's not the briefing...
Click to expand...

Send a query to ScottD on that.... Now that he's on the FF Team as their weather meister, he'll have the inside track to the answer.

As far as legal, their announcement said
On Record.
ForeFlight Briefings are timestamped and stored in the app on your iPad and iPhone, and in the ForeFlight cloud, to record that you obtained weather and pertinent NOTAMs in compliant manner with 14 CFR 91.103(a) preflight action.
Click to expand...
... so I'm inclined to say yes, it is a legal brief that's logged in LockMart's data servers.
 
AggieMike88 said:
As far as legal, their announcement said... so I'm inclined to say yes, it is a legal brief that's logged in LockMart's data servers.
Click to expand...

Well...except that they seem to to be (at least on the surface) picking and choosing what LockMart info they share and what they don't.

As an aside, I don't trust ScottD any farther than I can throw him. I developed that opinion at least ten years ago. It hasn't changed. It's been my experience that ScottD looks out for one person...ScottD. I mourned the day ForeFlight brought him on board.
 
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timwinters said:
Well...except that they seem to to be (at least on the surface) picking and choosing what LockMart info they share and what they don't.

As an aside, I don't trust ScottD any farther than I can throw him. I developed that opinion at least ten years ago. It hasn't changed. It's been my experience that ScottD looks out for one person...ScottD. I mourned the day ForeFlight brought him on board.
Click to expand...

He appears to have achieved sainthood on BT.
 
timwinters said:
I just checked it out and it left me wondering if it is indeed a legal briefing. There seems to be some gaping holes. One in particular is the winds aloft forecast. It's simply not there...at least I couldn't find it, but take that for what it's worth since I'm a "techno tard" and not a "techno geek" (in the words of Weird Jim).

And, yes, I know winds aloft are available in the "altitude advisor" but that's not the briefing...
Click to expand...

Winds aloft can already be displayed graphically as a layer on the map.

Disagree strongly about scottd :dunno: The improvements since he's joined them have been great.
 
timwinters said:
As an aside, I don't trust ScottD any farther than I can throw him. I developed that opinion at least ten years ago. It hasn't changed. It's been my experience that ScottD looks out for one person...ScottD.
Click to expand...

His comments about mechanical turbulence in and downwind of mountains have put me off just a bit. My mountain experience is limited to Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Idaho, Arizona, and eastern Oregon so maybe I don't know what I'm typing about...
 
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petrolero said:
Winds aloft can already be displayed graphically as a layer on the map.
Click to expand...

Yes, but what constitutes a "legal briefing?" Is it not all information?

I'm simply playing devils advocate here. I know the info is "in the program." It just doesn't appear to be "in the briefing." The question is...is that really legal?

petrolero said:
Disagree strongly about scottd :dunno: The improvements since he's joined them have been great.
Click to expand...

That says nothing of character.
 
timwinters said:
Yes, but what constitutes a "legal briefing?" Is it not all information?

I'm simply playing devils advocate here. I know the info is "in the program." It just doesn't appear to be "in the briefing." The question is...is that really legal?
Click to expand...

Yes, but that's my point - the wind info is downloaded so you do have all the information pertinent to the flight or whatever the FAR text is. Thus legal.

OK, that said, I agree they should dump it into the briefing for completeness.
 
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petrolero said:
OK, that said, I agree they should dump it into the briefing for completeness.
Click to expand...

It's in the "Legacy Briefing" section in the ForeFlight Briefing. It will be moving into it's own section.
 
I double checked a briefing from the LockMart site and winds aloft info is there under the Forecasts tab. And the way it does it is spiffy since it does the "in between" interpolation for you and highlight the time your passing through that space.

Since the new FF brief is "fueled" by the LockMart data, I'm at a loss why winds aloft are not shown. I too would like to have it there for completeness.
 
Unit74 said:
What I don't understand is why FF doesn't give me a notification an update is avail. I updated two iPads data bases this am and did not know there was an App update.
Click to expand...

FF doesn't give you a notification because that is not how it works. The app store notifies you.
 
I sent a PM to Tyson asking about the winds aloft issue and inviting him to this thread.
 
CodeMonkey said:
It's in the "Legacy Briefing" section in the ForeFlight Briefing. It will be moving into it's own section.
Click to expand...

As formatted, it's pretty much unusable. The proportional font and line wrapping makes it unreadable.
 
And now that FF has launched this update, I wonder what new things are cooking in Hilton's secret laboratory.
 
The new briefings is a nice feature.

However one bug I think I've run into is that 3 letter identifiers in the AIRMETS, etc. should be referring to VORs, not airports. See attached.

SSM should be Sault Ste Marie
BDF should be Bradford
Etc.


6fo2YhC.jpg
 
Good catch...that's some Airmet for it to stretch to Bardufoss Norway.
 
The briefing tab translates 9999 in the TAF as "greater than 9,000 meters visibility". While the Weather tab under Airports translates it as "more than 6 sm".

Talk about CAVU! :D

Email sent to FF with screenshots.
 
Is there an option of turning the new style briefing off? I prefer the raw text and former layout. Edit (nevermind.. I just found in setting turning Foreflight breifing OFF) fixes that.

I have to say, while it may be nice for some, I really find that new format to be much slower to understand. One thing that bothered me was the airmet for icing. It shows a map and no info on freezing altitudes. You had to read through the 150000 word dumbed down version to find that.
 
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timwinters said:
I'm simply playing devils advocate here. I know the info is "in the program." It just doesn't appear to be "in the briefing." The question is...is that really legal?
Click to expand...
I can't imagine how it isn't. ForeFlight is using my Duats login to obtain the briefing.

Should be no different than if I went to Duats.com and obtained the briefing there.
 
Bravo said:
One thing that bothered me was the airmet for icing. It shows a map and no info on freezing altitudes. You had to read through the 150000 word dumbed down version to find that.
Click to expand...

Lowest Freezing Level information is still in ForeFlight, but in the Imagery section under the Icing "Chapter" (as Tyson refers to the categories).


@Tyson & @ScottD -- Perhaps an improvement idea is to provide ability on the briefing page to dig down one more level to see the relevant imagery product if it isn't already part of the chapter (like the Storm Prediction and Convective are). So like Bravo's need, he can view the airmet for icing, and from there, tap one more time to see his choice of Lowest Freezing Level and the ice forecast products. (Go straight to the needed info, rather than exit briefing, enter imagery, get info, exit imagery, return to briefing)
 
Fearless Tower said:
I can't imagine how it isn't. ForeFlight is using my Duats login to obtain the briefing.

Should be no different than if I went to Duats.com and obtained the briefing there.
Click to expand...

Are they? I thought that was an option you could turn on or off, but defaulted to using their weather resources rather than DUATS.
 
Fearless Tower said:
I can't imagine how it isn't. ForeFlight is using my Duats login to obtain the briefing.

Should be no different than if I went to Duats.com and obtained the briefing there.
Click to expand...

Except not all of that Duats information appears in the new translated iPad briefing (or so it seems).
 
Anyone having trouble with actually getting a briefing? I updated to the new version and I'm not able to obtain any kind of briefing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
EJWall said:
Anyone having trouble with actually getting a briefing? I updated to the new version and I'm not able to obtain any kind of briefing.
Click to expand...

Share with us the steps you are using in your attempt to get briefing.
 
LDJones said:
Are they? I thought that was an option you could turn on or off, but defaulted to using their weather resources rather than DUATS.
Click to expand...
Don't know. I know you can use different paths (Duat or Duats), but I've never tried turning it off.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Share with us the steps you are using in your attempt to get briefing.
Click to expand...


I fill out the necessary info, plane, passengers, fuel, the home airport where I'm going, the alt airport, the time I'm leaving, how long enroute, airspeed, the whole forum. I hit brief (which usually works) to get the brief.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Yes, I got a briefing. Worked fine.
 
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