Foreflight feature request

[Let'sgoflying!]

Or, point-out if it already exists:

ETE

When filing/briefing it does not display even an approximation using user-supplied tas, and calculated distance (fltplan.com does)


Tks!

 

[TangoWhiskey]

Or, point-out if it already exists:

ETE

When filing/briefing it does not display even an approximation using user-supplied tas, and calculated distance (fltplan.com does)


Tks!

In the "HUD" fields at the bottom of your map route, press and hold any one of those fields (Track, ETA Dest, Groundspeed and Accuracy by default) to change it to a different field of your choosing. ETE Next and ETE Dest are two of your choices...

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Auto-updates for the database as previously requested......or a larger warning. Or, user-defined warning method "email" "text" or ?? And "24hrs warning" or "Avlbl now"

 

[BillTIZ]

I'm planning a trip to Alaska next summer. It's nice that they added Canadian charts, but it's an extra subscription.

I agree, a warning that chart updates are due or available, so I don't get caught downloading without WiFi. I only get the west coast on a regular basis, so it's not too bad.

 

[TangoWhiskey]

I don't get the chart updates thing, guys... don't you go look at the downloads page before you leave the house when you're flight planning? It shows what is available for download, or will expire, or has expired. Heck, you don't even have to open the app! If there are downloads available / needed, there will be a red badge with the number of download on the FF icon.

 

[jason]

I don't get the chart updates thing, guys... don't you go look at the downloads page before you leave the house when you're flight planning? It shows what is available for download, or will expire, or has expired. Heck, you don't even have to open the app! If there are downloads available / needed, there will be a red badge with the number of download on the FF icon.

I'm kind of with you. It would be nice...but I don't see anything wrong with the way it currently is. I mean, we've always had to deal with updating charts. Knowing when the next cycle will appear is necessary in so many ways. The 430 doesn't e-mail you when it is about to expire. You have to know when the cycle ends. If nothing else, FF makes it easier because you just need to go to the downloads page to know when the 430 will need updated.

I think that there are WAY bigger fish to fry.

 

[alaskaflyer]

I'm planning a trip to Alaska next summer. It's nice that they added Canadian charts, but it's an extra subscription.

I agree, a warning that chart updates are due or available, so I don't get caught downloading without WiFi. I only get the west coast on a regular basis, so it's not too bad.

"New data is available every 28 days for diagrams, procedures, and VFR charts, and every 56 days for IFR enroute charts. A few days before the current data will expire, you’ll see a red badge with a number appear on the Downloads button. This is the number of data downloads available for the next data cycle. When you see the red badge, it’s time to download new data. To download the new data, go to the Downloads view and tap the big green Download button at the bottom. All data you’ve selected will queue up and download. If you don’t already have a region downloaded or it’s expired, then the new data will be used by the app immediately. If you already have current data for the region and you’re downloading the new data a few days in advance, ForeFlight

Mobile will save it on your device but keep using the current data.

The first time you start the app after the current data expires, the new data starts being used and the old data is deleted. This data cycle changeover happens automatically."​

​

Also there is a red badge on your Foreflight icon on your device, with the number of databases which are either expired or will expire soon. No red badge on your icon? Good to go for a few days.

I need to update three of mine on my phone as seen below.​

​

 

[alaskaflyer]

Or, point-out if it already exists:

ETE

When filing/briefing it does not display even an approximation using user-supplied tas, and calculated distance (fltplan.com does)


Tks!

On mine it does. Looking at the iPhone (don't have my iPad with me at the moment) when you calculate your flight plan it shows the ETE and if you included your gph, fuel expended, on the route summary screen. Then press the file button and the standard flight plan format shows time enroute already filled in.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

I don't get the chart updates thing, guys... don't you go look at the downloads page before you leave the house when you're flight planning?

No, Troy. That is exactly it. I don't want to have to do any looking around for updates nor wait around for them to load.
Call me lazy, we know that is true but I feel we should now have the capability to offer this to be done automatically. Ie you can set Windows to automatically download their updates without any user interaction; that would be ideal for me in FF.

Windows also has an option to wait for users to approve updates.....which provides for both types of people; this is what I am asking FF to consider - given the option I don't think this request would hurt those who prefer to id and install updates on their own schedule.

Sometimes life is really busy and I only have a half hour prep time, right before I leave for a flight. I need to be able to open FF, file and brief, then close it and go. If there are 30mins of updates to wait for that will be a less preferable situation than if FF had handled it behind the scenes for me.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Then press the file button and the standard flight plan format shows time enroute already filled in.

Thanks AF, I will have to look at it. If I understand you correctly it only shows the ete after you file. (Before would be nicer.)
If yours does, I must be doing something wrong because mine never shows ete, I have to calculate it.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

I think that there are WAY bigger fish to fry.

Not in my situation, Jason.
For ex., if I open the ipad just before a flight, and it needs more time to dl charts then I have time available, it is staying behind.
(I still have access to paper charts)
I think it would probably be a pretty simple addition anyway.
And justifying this updating step by comparing it to how we did it in the old days with paper charts...isn't the goal to make things easier?!

My request stands, FF!

 

[TangoWhiskey]

No, Troy. That is exactly it. I don't want to have to do any looking around for updates nor wait around for them to load.
Call me lazy, we know that is true but I feel we should now have the capability to offer this to be done automatically. Ie you can set Windows to automatically download their updates without any user interaction; that would be ideal for me in FF.

Windows also has an option to wait for users to approve updates.....which provides for both types of people; this is what I am asking FF to consider - given the option I don't think this request would hurt those who prefer to id and install updates on their own schedule.

Sometimes life is really busy and I only have a half hour prep time, right before I leave for a flight. I need to be able to open FF, file and brief, then close it and go. If there are 30mins of updates to wait for that will be a less preferable situation than if FF had handled it behind the scenes for me.

I can understand your specific issue (having to leave for a flight on short notice, then finding the charts aren't updated). And I agree it would be cool if you could have the option to enable it.

Unfortunately, you're going to have to find a way to manage this manually. It's not ForeFlight's issue--you can make a million requests to them, and until Apple changes the way their Push Notification System works, chart updates are never going to auto-install. Do you have any other iPad apps that automatically download updates / music / books / new magazines without your interaction?

If you want to read more about the underlying technology and process, here's the details direct from the Apple Developer SDK documentation.

Idea: If you find your flights are typically called up in the morning, then check your iPad before bed each night, and kick off any updates. It will run uninterrupted and use "quiet time" on your network / WiFi to get them, and you'll be set in the morning.

 

[ScottM]

I don't get the chart updates thing, guys... don't you go look at the downloads page before you leave the house when you're flight planning? It shows what is available for download, or will expire, or has expired. Heck, you don't even have to open the app! If there are downloads available / needed, there will be a red badge with the number of download on the FF icon.

I'm kind of with you. It would be nice...but I don't see anything wrong with the way it currently is. I mean, we've always had to deal with updating charts. Knowing when the next cycle will appear is necessary in so many ways. The 430 doesn't e-mail you when it is about to expire. You have to know when the cycle ends. If nothing else, FF makes it easier because you just need to go to the downloads page to know when the 430 will need updated.

I think that there are WAY bigger fish to fry.

I am with you two guys.

One of my pre flight and planning items is to make sure I have the charts I need before I leave the house. I go check the app to see that they are there. I recently did a flight that was bumping up against a renewal time and was able to download the new charts before I started off too. If I would have had to RON I would not have had to seek out a wifi connection at all.

So ya, I think it works ok the way it is.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

until Apple changes the way their Push Notification System works

OK I didn't realize it was an Apple restriction. That is a whole lot different.

Idea: If you find your flights are typically called up in the morning, then check your iPad before bed each night

This doesn't happen a lot, but a couple weeks ago I blowing and going. Worked late 3 nites in a row ending at 1230am one day, and a 630am wheels up the next. Having one less thing to monitor would be nice.
Thanks for the input and alternate viewpoints!

 

[TangoWhiskey]

To add on to my last post about Apple's Push Notification System, I'd like to make a point and ask a question from those more familiar with the iOS (like Jesse and Kent).

Beyond security, the other reason why push notifications were developed and then required user interaction to perform their actions was that earlier versions of the iOS allowed only a single user application to run in the foreground. That is, if you were running Foreflight, your Solitaire application or news reader was suppressed. The Push Notification System, being embedded in the underlying operating system code, provided a means to let you know that another application had something for you--a calendar reminder, a new email, etc., even though that application wasn't the one currently running in the foreground.

If you were running something important (writing an email that needed to be sent), and Foreflight decided it had updates to install, would you want it to switch away from your current task and "decide" to update now?

So, my question: newer versions of the iOS are more tolerant of multiple applications running at once, as I understand it. Does this change the expected behavior? I'd sure like to be able to go over to FF and kick off downloads but then go do something else on the iPad while the updates continue to download in the background. And is this multi-tasking an iOS version feature, or an iPad2+ / iPhone "X"+ feature?

 

[TangoWhiskey]

OK I didn't realize it was an Apple restriction. That is a whole lot different.



This doesn't happen a lot, but a couple weeks ago I blowing and going. Worked late 3 nites in a row ending at 1230am one day, and a 630am wheels up the next. Having one less thing to monitor would be nice.
Thanks for the input and alternate viewpoints!

No problem. Less onerous than checking every night, you could get in the habit of doing it once / week (Sunday night?), as I've seen the charts are generally available for download a week before their effective date.

 

[gismo]

No, Troy. That is exactly it. I don't want to have to do any looking around for updates nor wait around for them to load.
Call me lazy, we know that is true but I feel we should now have the capability to offer this to be done automatically. Ie you can set Windows to automatically download their updates without any user interaction; that would be ideal for me in FF.

Windows also has an option to wait for users to approve updates.....which provides for both types of people; this is what I am asking FF to consider - given the option I don't think this request would hurt those who prefer to id and install updates on their own schedule.

Sometimes life is really busy and I only have a half hour prep time, right before I leave for a flight. I need to be able to open FF, file and brief, then close it and go. If there are 30mins of updates to wait for that will be a less preferable situation than if FF had handled it behind the scenes for me.

There may be some multitasking issues with this request. AFaIK the iPad OS isn't particularly good about running things in the background.

 

[gismo]

No, Troy. That is exactly it. I don't want to have to do any looking around for updates nor wait around for them to load.
Call me lazy, we know that is true but I feel we should now have the capability to offer this to be done automatically. Ie you can set Windows to automatically download their updates without any user interaction; that would be ideal for me in FF.

Windows also has an option to wait for users to approve updates.....which provides for both types of people; this is what I am asking FF to consider - given the option I don't think this request would hurt those who prefer to id and install updates on their own schedule.

Sometimes life is really busy and I only have a half hour prep time, right before I leave for a flight. I need to be able to open FF, file and brief, then close it and go. If there are 30mins of updates to wait for that will be a less preferable situation than if FF had handled it behind the scenes for me.

There may be some multitasking issues with this request. AFaIK the iPad OS isn't particularly good about running things in the background. In addition, I don't think you'd want the download to start automatically if you weren't connected to WiFi, if it fired up on the 3G network you'd probably eat your entire monthly allotment before finishing and it would take a very long time as well.

 

[jason]

To add on to my last post about Apple's Push Notification System, I'd like to make a point and ask a question from those more familiar with the iOS (like Jesse and Kent).

Beyond security, the other reason why push notifications were developed and then required user interaction to perform their actions was that earlier versions of the iOS allowed only a single user application to run in the foreground. That is, if you were running Foreflight, your Solitaire application or news reader was suppressed. The Push Notification System, being embedded in the underlying operating system code, provided a means to let you know that another application had something for you--a calendar reminder, a new email, etc., even though that application wasn't the one currently running in the foreground.

If you were running something important (writing an email that needed to be sent), and Foreflight decided it had updates to install, would you want it to switch away from your current task and "decide" to update now?

So, my question: newer versions of the iOS are more tolerant of multiple applications running at once, as I understand it. Does this change the expected behavior? I'd sure like to be able to go over to FF and kick off downloads but then go do something else on the iPad while the updates continue to download in the background. And is this multi-tasking an iOS version feature, or an iPad2+ / iPhone "X"+ feature?

There are 101 reasons that they don't allow *true* background apps. One of the biggest is battery life. If you let an app (or 10) churn away in the background there is absolutely no way to control battery life. being able to truly background an app is something that Android users often gloat about...shortly before I hear them ***** about their battery being dead at 4pm.

 

[jason]

While we're at it. I'd like to request that Foreflight add auto-charging to the list. I went to use it last night and my battery was dead!


Dave,

All kidding aside, if this is absolutely a deal breaker for you, maybe you can set a reminder on your (iPad) calendar. Or use a service like Latyr to send you an e-mail reminder when the charts are ready to be updated.

Just be careful, they'll sometimes sneak in out of cycle updates as the FAA does. Checking is always a good idea.

I do get the problems associated with last minute trips. That said, it can't take more than a few minutes to get all of the current charts necessary to fly one single trip. If you check before you leave for the airport, you should be able to respond. Also, if you have paper charts handy, look at them and use that to know when you need to check Foreflight for updates.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

you could get in the habit of doing it once / week (Sunday night?)

I'd settle for a phone call every 28 days, the night before updates!

 

[ScottM]

While not a deal breaker a e6b function would be nice. I typically just use the one on the Garmin 430W, but it might be nice to have it on the iPad integrated with Foreflight. My number one use of the e6b is to figure out the winds at altitude when I make a PIREP.

 

[TangoWhiskey]

While not a deal breaker a e6b function would be nice. I typically just use the one on the Garmin 430W, but it might be nice to have it on the iPad integrated with Foreflight. My number one use of the e6b is to figure out the winds at altitude when I make a PIREP.

I think you want Jesse's great E6B Pro app, no?

I just read the temp and winds off the face of the G1000 PFD. :wink2:

 

[ScottM]

I think you want Jesse's great E6B Pro app, no?

No I already have a standalone E6B. I would only want one more if it is integrated to foreflight so that I do not need to leave the ForeFlight app to access those functions.

 

[jason]

I'd settle for a phone call every 28 days, the night before updates!

Here you go!

http://wakerupper.com/

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Here you go!

http://wakerupper.com/

WOW! you da man!
Think I can trust a website with my phone number??

 

[jason]

WOW! you da man!
Think I can trust a website with my phone number??

You never know for sure, but I think you'd be ok with this one.

Here is their privacy policy.

http://wakerupper.com/legal/privacy

I also trust the sources that I used to find them. (Time magazine, CBS and lifehacker.com)

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2012721_2012894_2012891,00.html

http://www.bnet.com/blog/businesstips/schedule-a-wake-up-call-with-wakerupper/663

http://lifehacker.com/304871/schedule-wake+up-calls-and-reminders-at-wakerupper

 

[alaskaflyer]

Thanks AF, I will have to look at it. If I understand you correctly it only shows the ete after you file. (Before would be nicer.)

No, it shows it before you file.

If yours does, I must be doing something wrong because mine never shows ete, I have to calculate it.

Not sure what is happening here If you're planning using a TAS, either from your default aircraft settings, or manually entered in the search field at top, it should automatically enter your ETE both in the "file and brief" screen, and also in the little HUD navlog on the map screen. I just checked my iPad it is working correctly too. I even purely touch planned a route just now and my "time enroute" field in the "file and brief" screen was automatically populated.

Go to "more", "aircraft" and see if your aircraft has a default TAS entered. If not you might put one in there. Otherwise when you plan a flight by either touch and hold, or entering the waypoints in the search field, make sure you enter a TAS in knots with no spaces e.g. 165KTS. I apologize if you are already doing this.

BTW if you have a default TAS assigned to an aircraft you can always override it by manually entering a different TAS in the seach field.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

While we're at it. I'd like to request that Foreflight add auto-charging to the list. I went to use it last night and my battery was dead!

You could be in luck soon. I am hearing more and more about wireless charging! My electric toothbrush is already that way!

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

If you're planning using a TAS, either from your default aircraft settings, or manually entered in the search field at top, it should automatically enter your ETE both in the "file and brief" screen, and also in the little HUD navlog on the map screen.

Nope it is not working. I put in a bogus flight plan with pre-entered TAS for that aircraft and a complete route. Time enroute is 0:00. When I click Brief, it says "Not enough Time Enroute, Time Enroute Must Be Set"
Map page hud says 388nm and the ete is "---". I figured that was because the GS was 0.
How do I send a screenshot?

 

[alaskaflyer]

Nope it is not working. I put in a bogus flight plan with pre-entered TAS for that aircraft and a complete route. Time enroute is 0:00. When I click Brief, it says "Not enough Time Enroute, Time Enroute Must Be Set"
Map page hud says 388nm and the ete is "---". I figured that was because the GS was 0.
How do I send a screenshot?

Hmm. Do you show an ETE on your flight log, do you show leg times in your flight log?

You can capture a screenshot by pressing your top button and home button simultaneously. The photo will be saved in "Photos" on the iPad. You Can then embed the photo in a post using tapatalk or you can download it to your computer and attach it as usual.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Also there is a red badge on your Foreflight icon on your device, with the number of databases which are either expired or will expire soon. No red badge on your icon? Good to go for a few days.

A point of clarification: The red badge shows how many updates are available for download, not how many are about to expire. If you're in the middle of nowhere in, say, Alaska and have no network connectivity, you won't get a badge, I don't think.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

So, my question: newer versions of the iOS are more tolerant of multiple applications running at once, as I understand it. Does this change the expected behavior? I'd sure like to be able to go over to FF and kick off downloads but then go do something else on the iPad while the updates continue to download in the background. And is this multi-tasking an iOS version feature, or an iPad2+ / iPhone "X"+ feature?

Multitasking as it exists now is an iOS 4.0 and later feature, thus the only iOS devices that can't do it are those that can't run 4.x, such as the original iPhone and the early iPod Touches.

However, iOS does not allow "multiple applications running at once." There are only a limited number of things that apps can do in the background. For example, location tracking (so that you can set it to do something when you reach a particular location), playing audio, etc.

One of those things is finishing up a task such as a download. Unfortunately, since ForeFlight is downloading many things, I don't think it would be able to work as you're suggesting - Jesse will have to verify this, but I think that all it would be able to do is finish downloading the 2-4 data sets that are downloading when you switch away from ForeFlight. Also, I'm not sure if the "Install" that ForeFlight does at the end of each download would be able to execute, which may be why ForeFlight doesn't currently support finishing the few downloads that have already started.

Why does it work this way? Well, Jason hit the nail on the head. Battery life. The way iOS works, allowing only limited background functionality with fast app switching and state-saving, allows it to do almost everything that a less-restricted OS can do, while drastically improving battery life. Since the long-life battery is one of the things that makes the iPad truly great for a large number of applications (such as being an EFB ) I think Apple is doing the right thing.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

I'd settle for a phone call every 28 days, the night before updates!

Dave,

You can go into the Calendar app and set a recurring event for "ForeFlight Updates" that happens every 28 days - Set it for 3-4 days before the next data cycle and for a 28-day repeat. Then, you'll always get an alert with plenty of time left to start ForeFlight downloading everything and finish while you're not using the iPad.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

While not a deal breaker a e6b function would be nice. I typically just use the one on the Garmin 430W, but it might be nice to have it on the iPad integrated with Foreflight. My number one use of the e6b is to figure out the winds at altitude when I make a PIREP.

Scott,

Why integrated in ForeFlight rather than a separate app such as Jesse's E6B Pro? I think that double-tapping the home button and switching back and forth is probably as fast as going to More (where it'd probably live if they did it) and tapping "E6B" or whatever.

Personally, I'd rather ForeFlight focused their resources on making a more useful flight planner/EFB rather than adding a bunch of trinkets like an E6B. Also, see the Aviation Consumer review text I posted recently - The ForeFlight guys were very happy that their philosophy was validated, so I would be REALLY REALLY surprised if you saw an E6B in ForeFlight, ever.

 

[ScottM]

Scott,

Why integrated in ForeFlight rather than a separate app such as Jesse's E6B Pro?

Because if I went to a seperate app I would have to type in information that I already had at hand on the Foreflight app. The example I gave was for figuring winds aloft. Using the GPS I just enter my heading and TAS and it figures it out. On an E6B that did not have the GPS info I would have to also add my ground speed, ground track, etc. Seems redundant when it all could have been handled in the app with only a key stroke or two. The app also does not need to be in the 'More' area either. It could be an icon on the flight log. Lots of different ideas to make it simple. I guess I would wonder why ForeFlight should not have it. It is doing most of the E6B things already.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Because if I went to a seperate app I would have to type in information that I already had at hand on the Foreflight app. The example I gave was for figuring winds aloft. Using the GPS I just enter my heading and TAS and it figures it out. On an E6B that did not have the GPS info I would have to also add my ground speed, ground track, etc. Seems redundant when it all could have been handled in the app with only a key stroke or two.

Sounds more like a great feature request for Jesse to me...

The app also does not need to be in the 'More' area either. It could be an icon on the flight log. Lots of different ideas to make it simple. I guess I would wonder why ForeFlight should not have it. It is doing most of the E6B things already.

Meh... I won't argue it. I just think it's a diversion from much more useful, relevant features. I'm also quite sure you won't be seeing it any time soon, so the discussion is fairly moot anyway.

 

[ScottM]

Sounds more like a great feature request for Jesse to me...

He should not waste his time with adding all the GPS stuff to his app. Still would not make a standalone E6B desirable in the situation I described, as I already have that functionality on the panel mount GPS.

Meh... I won't argue it. I just think it's a diversion from much more useful, relevant features. I'm also quite sure you won't be seeing it any time soon, so the discussion is fairly moot anyway.

Ok fine. I thought the thread was about features that users might want and I offered a function that would be nice to add. I like giving as much info in a PIREP as possible and having that calculation is a nice feature. It is also a good measurement to see if the forecast winds are what one is actually in or if an adjustment needs to take place. BTEHO.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

He should not waste his time with adding all the GPS stuff to his app.

Actually, from what I recall of looking at the location API in iOS, it would be a very easy thing to add. It'd certainly be a lot easier for Jesse to add it to his app than it would be for ForeFlight to re-write everything Jesse has already done.

Still would not make a standalone E6B desirable in the situation I described, as I already have that functionality on the panel mount GPS.

Not sure I follow... If you have it on the panel mount, why would you need it on the iPad, and if you need/want it on the iPad, why not a separate app (presuming the GPS functions you describe were present)?

It is also a good measurement to see if the forecast winds are what one is actually in or if an adjustment needs to take place. BTEHO.

(Not sure what BTEHO means... Presumably an acronym, but all Google came up with is that it's apparently a word in the Tagalog language...)

Now you're on to something - But ForeFlight already does that automatically. Check the "Remaining" columns in the nav log when you're in flight.

 

[ScottM]

(Not sure what BTEHO means... Presumably an acronym, but all Google came up with is that it's apparently a word in the Tagalog language...)

But To Each His Own

Now you're on to something - But ForeFlight already does that automatically. Check the "Remaining" columns in the nav log when you're in flight.

Now I am on to something?? This is what I asked for in the first message. You just caught up!!

How does ForeFlight calculate that already based on just the GPS information? Typical one would have to know the difference between the ground track and the direction the airplane is actually pointing as well as what the TAS is compared to the ground speed. Since ForeFlight is not hooked up to my A/S indicator nor DG that info needs to be put in by hand.

Is what you are referring to the apparent wind and not the true wind speed and direction?

It is a nice feature to have. That is why even the least feature filled panel GPSs contain integrated E6Bs. ForeFlight is a really good charting program, it is not yet up to speed as a very handy flight planning tool. The UI for flight planning is still a little clunky unless you already know your route. The ability to find routes automatically is pretty non-existent beyond go direct. But it is still better than anything else out there for an all in one software package and the platform is very stable too.