172av8r
Filing Flight Plan
I'm very happy with AirWx on my Droid Eris! They just added NOTAMS too, which made it even better.
Motorola Droid in the Plane
- Thread starter Jay Honeck
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Ghery
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When did that happen? They weren't there last night.
172av8r
Filing Flight Plan
Happened about a week or two ago. It should be on the version you downloaded last night.
When viewing a specific airport (say, its METAR).. click menu and there's a NOTAMS button. I guess they ran out of room to add another tab at top of the screen.
This was the one feature I thought this app was lacking.. now it's perfect!!
Let'sgoflying!
Touchdown! Greaser!
Can I load any of these apps on an itouch (slide bar remover, program-stopper)?
Ghery
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Happened about a week or two ago. It should be on the version you downloaded last night.
When viewing a specific airport (say, its METAR).. click menu and there's a NOTAMS button. I guess they ran out of room to add another tab at top of the screen.
This was the one feature I thought this app was lacking.. now it's perfect!!
Found it. Thanks. That's what I get for not exploring further.
flyingcheesehead
Taxi to Parking
Dave,
On an iPod Touch, I don't think there's any way to get rid of the slide bar...
As for a program-stopper, you don't need one - When you push the home button, whatever's running is terminated.Dr. O
Pattern Altitude
Two questions:
First, how much does all this cost per month (the net cruising, paying for apps, phone calls, etc.)?
And, when it rings with 90 apps on the screen, can you figure out how to answer the call?
denny-o
First, how much does all this cost per month (the net cruising, paying for apps, phone calls, etc.)?
And, when it rings with 90 apps on the screen, can you figure out how to answer the call?
denny-o
Let'sgoflying!
Touchdown! Greaser!
tks, Kent.
Dave
Dave
Ghery
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On top of the normal charges for whatever plan you have with Verizon, it's $30/month for the data package. This, unless there's a discount based on who you work for (20% in the case of my employer).
Many apps are free. Some cost. AirWx was $4.99 to purchase.
When it rings it brings up the necessary "stuff" on the screen to answer or reject the call. And, if the person is in your contacts list it displays who they are. Well thought out UI.
Q
qwalton
Guest
I'm surprised no one's mentioned this yet. The motorola made flashlight app (Driodlight on the marketplace) that turns on the camera LED is very useful, and doesn't hurt the battery too bad as long as you don't use it for very long.
LuvFlying
Pre-Flight
WOW. AirWx looks too good to be true.
One of the things that caught my eye is PLATES!
Right now, I subscribe to AnywhereMap's Pocket Plates on my PDA. They say they are Part 91 legal.
Are AirWx plates legal?
The issue is I don't know where to get the definition of "legal". I looked through Part 91 and don't see any reference to "Terminal Procedures". Is there something I'm missing or is it that "become failure with all available information" section 91.103.
Then I guess the next question if they are legal, are they practical?
Can you get NEXTRAD in the air?
One of the things that caught my eye is PLATES!
Right now, I subscribe to AnywhereMap's Pocket Plates on my PDA. They say they are Part 91 legal.
Are AirWx plates legal?
The issue is I don't know where to get the definition of "legal". I looked through Part 91 and don't see any reference to "Terminal Procedures". Is there something I'm missing or is it that "become failure with all available information" section 91.103.
Then I guess the next question if they are legal, are they practical?
Can you get NEXTRAD in the air?
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172av8r
Filing Flight Plan
I'm not sure if it's technically legal, Bob, but since it's just a pdf of the official NACO charts, and the valid dates are on the document, I'd guess they are.
However, call me old-fashioned, but I don't think I'd ever rely on these for in flight navigation, legal or not. I worry too much about what if my phone battery dies. or if inside the FAF the screen goes dark, and i'm fumbling with the phone to get it back on, unlocked, and hopefully to the correct screen again. (Besides, on the phone, the print is getting too damn small for my eyes!
I use the charts in AirWx when i'm on the ground to look something up. I could see using the airport diagram for taxiing, Or in a pinch if I have to land, and don't have the right paper chart with me.
I've not tried the NEXRAD in the air, although since it's based on cell phone signals, I'm guessing you can get them when you have enough bars. I usually lose cell phone coverage above 3K feet.
172av8r
Filing Flight Plan
Another app I have that i've found pretty handy is AirReg. (Free)
How many times have you been walking around the ramp at an airport, and see a plane that you say, "I wonder what kind of plane that is?". I do it a lot, as I'm not familiar with a lot of different planes.
AirReg lets you put in the tail number, and you get the registration information, including Year, Manufacturer, and Model.
I saw a really cool plane at PYM the other day, punched in its tail number and found out it was a Globe Swift.
How many times have you been walking around the ramp at an airport, and see a plane that you say, "I wonder what kind of plane that is?". I do it a lot, as I'm not familiar with a lot of different planes.
AirReg lets you put in the tail number, and you get the registration information, including Year, Manufacturer, and Model.
I saw a really cool plane at PYM the other day, punched in its tail number and found out it was a Globe Swift.
LuvFlying
Pre-Flight
Thanks for the info Jonathan.
Re your "blackout" concerns... I print out paper plates for my destination and alt and keep them handy.
re: font... I hear ya on that! I use my 530W for lateral guidance and have the profile view zoomed in to fill the screen of my PDA for vertical.
For some reason, it's comforting to know that I always have plates for anywhere I go.
My CFII has the Droid and LOVES it. I'll have to see if he has plates on it and what it looks like.
Re your "blackout" concerns... I print out paper plates for my destination and alt and keep them handy.
re: font... I hear ya on that! I use my 530W for lateral guidance and have the profile view zoomed in to fill the screen of my PDA for vertical.
For some reason, it's comforting to know that I always have plates for anywhere I go.
My CFII has the Droid and LOVES it. I'll have to see if he has plates on it and what it looks like.
172av8r
Filing Flight Plan
One other thing, if you view the plates before you take off, supposedly AirWx will cache them, so even if you don't have a signal at altitude, you can still call up the cached plates. I have yet to try this though, so take what i'm saying with a grain of salt!
LuvFlying
Pre-Flight
OH... you have to look at them first to get the cache?
Ohhhh.... I thought you had a copy of ALL of them cached and accessible.
Now that answers my other question... how they get updated.
Hmmm... not so practical as a pocket plates replacement.
Has anyone downloaded the www.nacomatic.com stuff on their droid?
Ohhhh.... I thought you had a copy of ALL of them cached and accessible.
Now that answers my other question... how they get updated.
Hmmm... not so practical as a pocket plates replacement.
Has anyone downloaded the www.nacomatic.com stuff on their droid?
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Bob Gardner
By "live radar" do you mean real time? No such thing. Everything transmitted from the ground (or by satellite relay) is delayed by as much as eleven minutes from the initial scan. Even if you were at the radar site, you would have to wait until the several layers of scan have been processed into a complete product (you could see each scan as it was completed, but only the end product gets out to the public). Air traffic controllers get their info after the WARP (weather and radar processor) gets through with it...the operative word is "processor."
Bob Gardner
TangoWhiskey
Touchdown! Greaser!
That apparently helped me locate the illogically placed light switches in the dark restroom at the end of the windowless hallway at Addison's airport today! Great apparently.
Ghery
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The one problem with the plates is that they are too small. I can barely read them sitting still. No way in the plane.
But I keep finding cool apps for my Droid. Look up "Tricorder".
EdFred
Taxi to Parking
As live as it gets - as in is it a nexrad substitute?
High on the wall, to the right of the sink, Troy. Next to the shower.
Did you leave it cleaner than you found it?
Because there isn't one.
Since there is no regulatory requirement for charts of any kind in the light Part 91 cockpit, there's no such thing as "legal" vs. "non-legal" charts. Either they have the information that allows you to comply with 91.103 and 91.175(a) or they don't.
When a company says that are Part 91 legal, they are saying, "We have decided to make sure and take the risk that the charts we provide you are current and contain the same information as in the NACO charts we copied." When they say, "not for navigation," they're just saying they are unwilling to stand behind currency or take any risks associated with their use.
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LuvFlying
Pre-Flight
Ok. Kool. That's what I thought. Thanks for confirming.
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gprellwitz
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And don't count on getting it via cell in the cockpit!
EdFred
Taxi to Parking
And don't count on getting it via cell in the cockpit!
Yeah, would not be expecting that.
Jay Honeck
Touchdown! Greaser!
I just got my regularly monthly text message from Verizon, notifying me that they have automatically charged my monthly bill on my credit card. Total: $600+!
I would say there is something not set up quite right here.
Dunno if Verizon didn't set up my Droid account as "unlimited" or what. Our regular monthly bill (for 5 phones) is around $200, and the phone was around $200 (with a $100 rebate, which I received with uncharacteristic speed) -- so we're about 35% higher than expected.I'm in Texas on business right now, but I will be having, ahem, "words" with Verizon when I return...
RMCN172RG
Pattern Altitude
I just got my regularly monthly text message from Verizon, notifying me that they have automatically charged my monthly bill on my credit card. Total: $600+!
I would say there is something not set up quite right here.
I'm in Texas on business right now, but I will be having, ahem, "words" with Verizon when I return...
Any chance some of your pricing was based on a rebate to be received much later?
Jay Honeck
Touchdown! Greaser!
I've already (uncharacteristically quickly) received the Droid rebate, which brought the cost of the Droid down to $100. (This was the discounted price afforded to me because I was due for a telephone upgrade through Verizon.)
No, I'm guessing they did something not quite right with the account set up. I've got a friend who works at Verizon's local office in Iowa City, and the computer gymnastics they must go through in order to make changes on an account are nothing short of remarkable. In my 12 years with Verizon, I've pretty much come to expect account screw ups whenever I make a service change. Eventually it all works out.
flyingcheesehead
Taxi to Parking
In their defense, their customer service is pretty good when the inevitable screw-ups happen - They actually completely negated a $1000+ bill for me once, and about $600 of it was legitimate.
JeffDG
Touchdown! Greaser!
I just got my regularly monthly text message from Verizon, notifying me that they have automatically charged my monthly bill on my credit card. Total: $600+!
I would say there is something not set up quite right here.
I'm in Texas on business right now, but I will be having, ahem, "words" with Verizon when I return...
You would think that "unlimited" would mean just that...but no...there's a data cap on the unlimited plan, and you get to bend over and take it hard if you exceed that cap.
Jay Honeck
Touchdown! Greaser!
If my "unlimited" service actually has a cap, I will be cancelling ALL of my service with Verizon, and will gleefully let them try to sue me for cancelling. I don't take kindly to lies.
But that will have to wait till I get back to Iowa. Right now, it's off to the beach on Mustang Island.
TangoWhiskey
Touchdown! Greaser!
But I keep finding cool apps for my Droid. Look up "Tricorder".
OK, that's about the geekiest and COOLEST app ever.
Jay Honeck
Touchdown! Greaser!
I have what they call the "Unlimited DATA plan" for $30/month. That's supposed to cover all data transfer, not just voice.
JeffDG
Touchdown! Greaser!
Ahhh...OK...originally, I thought they had a 5 GB cap on it...even though it was called "unlimited"
EdFred
Taxi to Parking
If you do not use the phone as an internet connection for another device, it is unlimited. If you hook your laptop to it and use it as an internet connection for the laptop then you have the 5GB cap. Trust me, I far exceed 5GB on my unlimited and have no per minute or per gig charges.
TangoWhiskey
Touchdown! Greaser!
My kids are now addicted to SpeedX. It really does play this fast:
My youngest says I can have my Droid back when they come out with this simple, addictive game for the Wii; it would work well on the Wii, as it also has motion-based controllers.
SpeedX isn't free, but is cheap--$1.12 at the current exchange rate (0.75 GBP).
My youngest says I can have my Droid back when they come out with this simple, addictive game for the Wii; it would work well on the Wii, as it also has motion-based controllers.
SpeedX isn't free, but is cheap--$1.12 at the current exchange rate (0.75 GBP).
Ghery
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Ghery Pettit
I went flying today and after getting back to OLM I pulled out my Droid to call the club's reservation line to cancel the rest of the time so someone else could fly. I could hardly read the screen to operate the phone. Then, I took the two attached pictures just for the heck of it. Until I downloaded them I wasn't sure how they turned out, again because I couldn't read the screen to compose the shots. Just a thought... These things are not at their best in direct sunlight.
Attachments
TangoWhiskey
Touchdown! Greaser!
It did a nice job on the pictures. Do you have the screen brightness set to a manual level, or auto?