Flight by reference To Stratus 2 AHRS

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Reedster

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Reed
I have had the Stratus 2 for a while now, and have been wanting to try out the viability of using the AHRS as an actual back up.

Yesterday I went up with a CFI on an insurance check flight. He asked if there was anything I wanted to work on, and I mentioned I would like to see if I could fly the plane only by reference to Foreflight. He said he was planning on having me do a partial panel approach, so that would be a good time to try it.

After flying for a bit, I went under the hood, and he failed all the instruments. Well everything but the altimeter, but that was only because he was out of covers.

The scan was a little different, as it is presented differenly in FF than my steam gauges. I was surprised at how quickly I adjusted to it. I found that I could easily fly the plane and the approach using AHRS and FF (I also had the 430 set for the approach, but I didn't use it). The roll and pitch were very sensitive, and seemed to be accurate and responsive. I was a little worried about lag, but if there was any, I didn't notice it.

After going through that, I have absolutely no doubt that if I were to lose all of my instruments (and the 430), that I could safely get the plane down, even in hard IMC.

It is nice to know that is there as a back up if I ever need it.
 
Now try it to the runway with synthetic vision. I haven't taken it to the pavement but I'm convinced it could get you there in one piece.
 
LDJones said:
Now try it to the runway with synthetic vision. I haven't taken it to the pavement but I'm convinced it could get you there in one piece.
Click to expand...

We didn't try it, but there is no doubt in my mind that it would get you right there.

Before I tried it, we did a "Zero/Zero" take off, which is a bit unnerving as it requires a lot of trust in the other person while you are on the ground. I didn't think about it at the time, but I should have turned the Synthetic Vision on. it would have been interesting to hold the centerline by reference only to that.
 
I have not tried this but I'd like to with an instructor just like you did.

Question. When you power up the stratus(I have a 2S), does it simply take whatever position it's in and consider that to be "level"? And what if you are on sloping ground(either side to side or fore/aft) and you power it up? Once you're in the air, I'd think your pitch attitude changes and the AHRS won't show you level/wings level when you actually are....?
 
fiveoboy01 said:
I have not tried this but I'd like to with an instructor just like you did.

Question. When you power up the stratus(I have a 2S), does it simply take whatever position it's in and consider that to be "level"? And what if you are on sloping ground(either side to side or fore/aft) and you power it up? Once you're in the air, I'd think your pitch attitude changes and the AHRS won't show you level/wings level when you actually are....?
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That is a great question. I am not sure what it initializes to. For the most part mine is always in the same spot in the plane, or very close. Yet I have to calibrate it every time I use it.

There is a Calibrate button somewhere in the AHRS window, that allows you to calibrate it in flight.

Generally once I level off and set the autopilot, I go in and calibrate it to level.
 
Ah, so I can reset it in flight. Excellent, thanks for the link.. I didn't know that.

I stick mine to a side window which isn't level but I don't think that matters, it will reset to "level" no matter what position it's in, is what I get out of that.
 
It definitely does that. I have used it a number of times in the seat pocket in airlines. It doesn't seem to care what orientation it starts in.
 
fiveoboy01 said:
Ah, so I can reset it in flight. Excellent, thanks for the link.. I didn't know that.



I stick mine to a side window which isn't level but I don't think that matters, it will reset to "level" no matter what position it's in, is what I get out of that.
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Yes. Verify in VMC that you are level and select the calibrate feature, and I agree, it doesn't seem to matter where you mount the Stratus.
 
I used to practice this with the HSI page on my old GPSMap 396. You don't even need to have AHRS to get usable guidance. Although you won't get pitch and bank, you will get directional and other GPS -based information with the synthetic vision.

I remember the first time I did partial panel with the 396. My friend and safety pilot didn't realize I had an assist and couldn't figure out why my roll outs on turns were so accurate..
 
We had a similar experience shooting a partial panel approach with the Stratus 2. Loaded all the approach waypoints and basically flew it like a non precision approach. Once the runway was in sight on the synthetic vision it was easy.

For my approaches in IMC now I make sure to "load" the approach on ForeFlight in addition, just in case.
 
I was flying back from Hilton Head this weekend and decided to try it out. It is different but works pretty well. I though it had a tiny bit of lag, but that may have just been me. Definitely nice to have as a backup.
 
Turningfinal said:
We had a similar experience shooting a partial panel approach with the Stratus 2. Loaded all the approach waypoints and basically flew it like a non precision approach. Once the runway was in sight on the synthetic vision it was easy.

For my approaches in IMC now I make sure to "load" the approach on ForeFlight in addition, just in case.
Click to expand...
I'm assuming that you had to enter each point manually?
 
farmerbrake said:
I'm assuming that you had to enter each point manually?
Click to expand...
In the flight plan selection box on the right side there is a tab to select procedures. You select the procedure you want and it will load that into the flight plan just like a Garmin GPS would. With FF, you can even have it load waypoints for VFR pattern entry if you want.
 
Fearless Tower said:
In the flight plan selection box on the right side there is a tab to select procedures. You select the procedure you want and it will load that into the flight plan just like a Garmin GPS would. With FF, you can even have it load waypoints for VFR pattern entry if you want.
Click to expand...
You need to quit telling me these things. It's making my 'I'm ok with sticking with my android table and garmin pilot' situation harder to deal with.....

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk
 
farmerbrake said:
You need to quit telling me these things. It's making my 'I'm ok with sticking with my android table and garmin pilot' situation harder to deal with.....

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
They'll probably have it at some point. If I recall correctly, the feature for tablets first appeared in WingX Pro and added a bit later into ForeFlight. The ForeFlight version uses a graphical snapshot helps choose an IAF or review a SID-Star

Foreflight:
procedure-preview-4.png


For Android, there are some apps with variations (such as AvNav EFB). I expect it will eventually be part of the WingX for Android app (as Hilton brings it up to par).

WingX - iOS
WingXPro7-V8-IAP-W590.jpg
 
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I've tried experimenting with the AHRS in-flight during VFR conditions, and even after calibrating while straight & level, I've noticed at least with my particular Stratus 2 that it doesn't indicate straight & level for very long after. Usually when I come back to it, maybe 5 or 10 minutes later, it's showing a slight turn to the left or right. This is with the S2 attached to a side window in a 172SP. I think it performed a bit better when I used to have it on the dash with the rubber mount it comes with, but I switched to the suction cups because I've had it slide off the dash a couple of times in rough air.

So... at least based on my experience with my particular unit, I would not trust the AHRS capability to be that accurate - may still be sufficient as a last-ditch effort in a complete instrument failure scenario, but not something I would rely on for precision.
 
Fearless Tower said:
In the flight plan selection box on the right side there is a tab to select procedures. You select the procedure you want and it will load that into the flight plan just like a Garmin GPS would. With FF, you can even have it load waypoints for VFR pattern entry if you want.
Click to expand...

I haven't used this feature IFR, but I have played with it on the ground and it's pretty neat.

I did use it a few times VFR and it was nice for determining the pattern entry, though nowadays I just do it in my head:)
 
farmerbrake said:
You need to quit telling me these things. It's making my 'I'm ok with sticking with my android table and garmin pilot' situation harder to deal with.....
Click to expand...

Another huge benefit is the approach plate overlay feature, which drops the approach chart right onto the en route chart. You can then have the Synthetic Vision side-by-side with the approach chart. Before the had the approach waypoints I used to rubber band the waypoints into the flight plan....took maybe 20 seconds to "build the approach" that way.

It's so slick.
 

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LDJones said:
Another huge benefit is the approach plate overlay feature, which drops the approach chart right onto the en route chart. You can then have the Synthetic Vision side-by-side with the approach chart. Before the had the approach waypoints I used to rubber band the waypoints into the flight plan....took maybe 20 seconds to "build the approach" that way.

It's so slick.
Click to expand...


For those who use Android, be aware that WingX does this too - in fact they had SVT a long time before FF. WingX is available for Android and iOS (and I think Fire OS too). I used to use WingX (on an iPad) with a Sagetech Clarity SV and it was as accurate as the Stratus/FF combo I use now.

My preference is FF on iOS, but WingX is a very close competitor and if I had an Android device there's no question I'd be running WingX.

EDIT: I just learned in another thread that the 'droid version of WingX is not as highly developed as the iOS version. So check it out first, 'droid users.
 
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petrolero said:
For those who use Android, be aware that WingX does this too -
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Edit: Saw your edit. But just to be clear about it.

No it doesn't. No SVT. No TRACA. No IAP Roouting. Not even "smart" insertion of waypoints. Maybe a tenth of the functionality of its iOS sibling.
 
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midlifeflyer said:
Edit: Saw your edit. But just to be clear about it.

No it doesn't. No SVT. No TRACA. No IAP Roouting. Not even "smart" insertion of waypoints. Maybe a tenth of the functionality of its iOS sibling.
Click to expand...

Yeah didn't know that. Lame.
 
LDJones said:
Another huge benefit is the approach plate overlay feature, which drops the approach chart right onto the en route chart. You can then have the Synthetic Vision side-by-side with the approach chart. Before the had the approach waypoints I used to rubber band the waypoints into the flight plan....took maybe 20 seconds to "build the approach" that way.

It's so slick.
Click to expand...

I see this in some of the foreflight materials where the approach chart is overlaid on either sectional or ifr chart. That's one of the biggest things drawing me towards an ipad/foreflight I think.
 
farmerbrake said:
I see this in some of the foreflight materials where the approach chart is overlaid on either sectional or ifr chart. That's one of the biggest things drawing me towards an ipad/foreflight I think.
Click to expand...


Just do it. You won't regret it:)
 
Question about the SVT in FF... it can take me down to an airport OK but can it guide me to a road in an engine-out emergency at night or in IMC?

Every time I've looked at the SVT presentation in FF I don't really see much surface detail - certainly not the amount depicted on a sectional much less the amount one could see out the window if darkness or clouds weren't there.

I've often wondered if, at night over the vast sea of darkness that is the American west, could I find my way down to a road using GPS only. I can see roads on the sectional and I should be able to navigate to a straight one, but I don't see them on SVT and I think adding them there would be an improvement.
 
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farmerbrake said:
I see this in some of the foreflight materials where the approach chart is overlaid on either sectional or ifr chart. That's one of the biggest things drawing me towards an ipad/foreflight I think.
Click to expand...

Best Buy will be offering $100 off a 64GB Ipad Mini 4 for Thanksgiving/Black Friday....
 
petrolero said:
Question about the SVT in FF... it can take me down to an airport OK but can it guide me to a road in an engine-out emergency at night or in IMC?

Every time I've looked at the SVT presentation in FF I don't really see much surface detail - certainly not the amount depicted on a sectional much less the amount one could see out the window if darkness or clouds weren't there.

I've often wondered if, at night over the vast sea of darkness that is the American west, could I find my way down to a road using GPS only. I can see roads on the sectional and I should be able to navigate to a straight one, but I don't see them on SVT and I think adding them there would be an improvement.
Click to expand...

Garmin Pilot does a good job lining up with the major roads depicted, but the details of the landing zone are minimal to non existent. Since they all use the same database, I'd bet they all do the same.
 
Flew back to Houston a couple of months ago and A/P was on the fritz. Ceilings were 500 AGL and set up for an ILS approach. Had never really though about using it but as i was working my scan i glanced down and noticed the airport showing up on the synthetic vision in FF. I have to tell you I have never shot a more perfect approach. By checking the runway every so often and making small heading corrections, the ILS needles never budged! It brought a whole new meaning to keeping ahead of the needles!
 
I am thinking that ff will have an 'ILS' presentation on its SVT in the future.
 
Morgan3820 said:
I am thinking that ff will have an 'ILS' presentation on its SVT in the future.
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Not sure about that. Garmin ran away from that on their non-certified stuff due to liability.
 
fiveoboy01 said:
Just do it. You won't regret it:)
Click to expand...

I have a G500 w synvis and a GTN750 and I still like to have my iPad w FF on next to me. I use a Bad Elf for those times the iPad can't find a GPS signal(no stratus). Next item to get is flightstream 210 so all instruments talk and of course an extra synvis.
 
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