Nice new ForeFlight feature

LDJones

LDJones

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Jonesy
Since I've been using my Nexus 7 with Garmin Pilot more while instructing lately I hadn't acutally used my iPad with the latest ForeFlight update that came out, I think, last week. So today the Nexus was downloading some stuff so I grabbed the iPad to go fly with my student.

As we're taxing along suddently a big yellow box pops up on ForeFlight with the message "Approaching Runway 18"! I had to do a double-take! As we were crossing 18 a red box popped up saying "Entered Runway 18".

What a small, but great idea! The cool thing is these boxes popped up no matter what part of the program I was in at the time. Great feature, ForeFlight!
 
It should also be talking to you, so nice if you plug it into your headphones :)
 
LDJones said:
Since I've been using my Nexus 7 with Garmin Pilot more while instructing lately I hadn't acutally used my iPad with the latest ForeFlight update that came out, I think, last week. So today the Nexus was downloading some stuff so I grabbed the iPad to go fly with my student.

As we're taxing along suddently a big yellow box pops up on ForeFlight with the message "Approaching Runway 18"! I had to do a double-take! As we were crossing 18 a red box popped up saying "Entered Runway 18".

What a small, but great idea! The cool thing is these boxes popped up no matter what part of the program I was in at the time. Great feature, ForeFlight!
Click to expand...

I hope those don't pop up over the Approach Plate screen when doing a missed below minimums when you lose the runway environment. ;) ;) ;)

Not so "nifty" then. They better be disabling that stuff above 40 knots or so...
 
denverpilot said:
I hope those don't pop up over the Approach Plate screen when doing a missed below minimums when you lose the runway environment. ;) ;) ;)

Not so "nifty" then. They better be disabling that stuff above 40 knots or so...
Click to expand...

Yes, it does pop up in an approach plate, but it is brief and not too large.
 
John221us said:
Yes, it does pop up in an approach plate, but it is brief and not too large.
Click to expand...

On the ground is fine. Do that in the air and I'll be ticked.

Easy to avoid. If its a ground handling feature, it shouldn't activate above 30-40 knots. (Pick a number.)

"You're about to enter a runway."

"No, I was trying to re-read the missed approach instructions I memorized just in case I have a bad memory, get OFF my approach plate!"
 
denverpilot said:
On the ground is fine. Do that in the air and I'll be ticked.

Easy to avoid. If its a ground handling feature, it shouldn't activate above 30-40 knots. (Pick a number.)

"You're about to enter a runway."

"No, I was trying to re-read the missed approach instructions I memorized just in case I have a bad memory, get OFF my approach plate!"
Click to expand...

It does not do that in the air, when above 30 kts, or outside the airport vertical bounds.
 
CodeMonkey said:
It does not do that in the air, when above 30 kts, or outside the airport vertical bounds.
Click to expand...

There ya' go.

Good stuff, that ForeFlight.
 
I spent 20 years in a niche software industry filling many different roles, so I feel that I know something about software companies.

What is responsible for Foreflight doing well is not really different than what makes any business do well. They listen to their customers and take care of them.

I've seen people in the software world get SO wrapped up in the technology, they forget about the customer. This is DEFINITELY not the case with these guys.

I thought that I had downloaded the latest FF and I didn't notice the runway message when I flew weekend before last. I guess I need to make sure I do indeed have the latest rev.
 
From the app site:

RUNWAY PROXIMITY ADVISOR

The Runway Proximity Advisor is a helpful visual and audio alerting feature - designed to help reduce runway incursions -that advises you when ForeFlight Mobile predicts your aircraft is approaching, entering, or crossing a runway.

RPA will display a visual alert on any ForeFlight screen and announce the name of the runway you are approaching, entering, or crossing. ForeFlight Mobile is aware of hold-short locations and offsets (e.g. on high speed taxiways) for certain airports, resulting in more precise annunciations at those airports.

A bluetooth aviation headset capable of utilizing the Bluetooth audio streams from iOS - such as the recently released Lightspeed Zulu.2 - is required for audio alerts.

Thank you to the FAA for its sponsored research at MITRE, which helped lay the groundwork for this helpful safety feature!
 
The other day I was landing in the flybaby and all the sudden some alert went off in my headset aobut the intersecting runway right as I was touching down. Confused the hell out of me.

I guess it came from Foreflight on my iPhone which was running...I am below 30 knots when I'm touching down.
 
jesse said:
The other day I was landing in the flybaby and all the sudden some alert went off in my headset aobut the intersecting runway right as I was touching down. Confused the hell out of me.

I guess it came from Foreflight on my iPhone which was running...I am below 30 knots when I'm touching down.
Click to expand...
You'll have to tell us if you get a warning entering the runway at 6Y9!
 
MBDiagMan said:
I spent 20 years in a niche software industry filling many different roles, so I feel that I know something about software companies.

What is responsible for Foreflight doing well is not really different than what makes any business do well. They listen to their customers and take care of them.

I've seen people in the software world get SO wrapped up in the technology, they forget about the customer. This is DEFINITELY not the case with these guys.

I thought that I had downloaded the latest FF and I didn't notice the runway message when I flew weekend before last. I guess I need to make sure I do indeed have the latest rev.
Click to expand...


Just a guess, doc, but I think it is only for those who paid the extra $75 (double the normal yearly rate) for the taxi diagrams / etc.
 
kimberlyanne546 said:
Just a guess, doc, but I think it is only for those who paid the extra $75 (double the normal yearly rate) for the taxi diagrams / etc.
Click to expand...
4.7 came out after he was out flying. It was released Aug 22, so last Wednesday, three days after he was flying.

I don't think that the georeferenced plates are required for this feature.
 
You get this with the basic plan. No taxi diagrams needed.
I was so impressed with this feature that I ordered Blulink, http://www.pilotblulink.com/. It would be remiss of me not to use this great safety feature.
Denis
 
gprellwitz said:
I don't think that the georeferenced plates are required for this feature.
Click to expand...

Nope, they're not...works with ALL ForeFlight subscriptions. Worked great for me on Monday at FRG. I just have the basic subscription.
 
LDJones said:
Since I've been using my Nexus 7 with Garmin Pilot more while instructing lately I hadn't acutally used my iPad with the latest ForeFlight update that came out, I think, last week. So today the Nexus was downloading some stuff so I grabbed the iPad to go fly with my student.

As we're taxing along suddently a big yellow box pops up on ForeFlight with the message "Approaching Runway 18"! I had to do a double-take! As we were crossing 18 a red box popped up saying "Entered Runway 18".

What a small, but great idea! The cool thing is these boxes popped up no matter what part of the program I was in at the time. Great feature, ForeFlight!
Click to expand...

So does that mean you are heads down in the cockpit looking at the iPad? Instead of eyes outside while taxing and looking for those big red painted squares on the taxiway and red signs to the side of the runway hold short signs?
 
BillTIZ said:
So does that mean you are heads down in the cockpit looking at the iPad? Instead of eyes outside while taxing and looking for those big red painted squares on the taxiway and red signs to the side of the runway hold short signs?
Click to expand...

It speaks it. Audio cues, via the iPad speaker or into a headset (or intercom) if you've hooked them up via cable or BT.
 
BillTIZ said:
So does that mean you are heads down in the cockpit looking at the iPad? Instead of eyes outside while taxing and looking for those big red painted squares on the taxiway and red signs to the side of the runway hold short signs?
Click to expand...

It was never intended to be a primary stop gap or warming system...but it appears to be intended as a second layer of protection. Maybe if Comm Air Flight 191 had this feature it would have saved 49 lives, a nice aircraft and a big black eye to aviation.

If we don't need this kind of technology because we can simply read the "big painted signs", then turn in your GPS and XM Nexrad Weather and just stick with your ADF and Mark 2 eyeballs. They work too without all this Gee Wiz digital technology. ;)

Gene
 
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jesse said:
The other day I was landing in the flybaby and all the sudden some alert went off in my headset aobut the intersecting runway right as I was touching down. Confused the hell out of me.

I guess it came from Foreflight on my iPhone which was running...I am below 30 knots when I'm touching down.
Click to expand...

:rofl:
 
I think it is indeed a cool feature, but, mostly for the coolness factor. I can't ever recall being so screwed up on the ground I didn't know when I was about to cross a runway. If I'm not sure where I am and where I'm going, I'll ask.
 
BillTIZ said:
So does that mean you are heads down in the cockpit looking at the iPad? Instead of eyes outside while taxing and looking for those big red painted squares on the taxiway and red signs to the side of the runway hold short signs?
Click to expand...


I think he meant that his student was taxiing the plane while he was looking at the IPad.
 
Sac Arrow said:
I think it is indeed a cool feature, but, mostly for the coolness factor. I can't ever recall being so screwed up on the ground I didn't know when I was about to cross a runway. If I'm not sure where I am and where I'm going, I'll ask.
Click to expand...


I fully expect that about 95% of pilots fall into the same category as you, however, runway incursions HAVE occurred. If this feature were to prevent ONE runway incursion, it sounds as if it would have been a good invention.
 
MBDiagMan said:
I fully expect that about 95% of pilots fall into the same category as you, however, runway incursions HAVE occurred. If this feature were to prevent ONE runway incursion, it sounds as if it would have been a good invention.
Click to expand...

I agree.
 
MBDiagMan said:
I think he meant that his student was taxiing the plane while he was looking at the IPad.
Click to expand...

So what. No one said he was *staring* at it. He most likely saw something in his peripherial vision that caught his attention and he made note of it.

We also check our DG, TC, slip-skid indicator, whiskey compass and oil pressure while taxiing too. Does that make us dangerous or irresponsible? He should be commended by being able to multi-task and notice a change from something he wasn't used too. Might save his life some time.

Gene
 
I need to test it with the Zulu 1 BT . . . has anyone tried the voice prompt with an external GPS and the headset connected with BT?
 
if you don't have the bandwidth to be able to taxi, look out the window, control the airplane and be entering your flight plan in your 430/530/etc you should not be operating any kind of heavy machinery . . .
 
Sac Arrow said:
I think it is indeed a cool feature, but, mostly for the coolness factor. I can't ever recall being so screwed up on the ground I didn't know when I was about to cross a runway. If I'm not sure where I am and where I'm going, I'll ask.
Click to expand...

I've landed on the wrong runway while announcing the opposite end, in training with CFI (when nobody was around and it was also at night). Sounds like this would not show runway numbers until after I land.

In terms of screwed up on the ground, yes, I have done that, and yes, it has involved intersecting runways. I should have studied the taxiway / runway diagram right before but didn't expect the runways / instructions I was given. Both a surprise, both at towered airports. Both "almost screw ups" - I didn't actually do anything wrong - but in my mind at the time I knew that it was a close call.

Note: I am probably making this sound worse than it actually is. I've always been directionally challenged, always, and flying is no different. I mean severely directionally challenged. If I'm driving somewhere new, even with directions, I more often than not get lost and take a wrong turn.
 
BillTIZ said:
So does that mean you are heads down in the cockpit looking at the iPad? Instead of eyes outside while taxing and looking for those big red painted squares on the taxiway and red signs to the side of the runway hold short signs?
Click to expand...

My instrument student was taxiing while I was reviewing our clearance.
 
comanchepilot said:
if you don't have the bandwidth to be able to taxi, look out the window, control the airplane and be entering your flight plan in your 430/530/etc you should not be operating any kind of heavy machinery . . .
Click to expand...

Hmmmmmm.........I load the FP at the hangar or in the runup area with parking brake set. But then I'm an old geezer with limited processing capability. :yesnod:
 
Sac Arrow said:
I think it is indeed a cool feature, but, mostly for the coolness factor. I can't ever recall being so screwed up on the ground I didn't know when I was about to cross a runway. If I'm not sure where I am and where I'm going, I'll ask.
Click to expand...

Good for you. But the mere mortals who fly occasionally make human errors, especially at new airports that might be more complex than their home airport. I'm all in favor of using every option to promote aviation safety, from eyeballs to technology.
 
LDJones said:
Good for you. But the mere mortals who fly occasionally make human errors, especially at new airports that might be more complex than their home airport. I'm all in favor of using every option to promote aviation safety, from eyeballs to technology.
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Ditto. I suck with new airports.
 
MBDiagMan said:
I thought that using a cell phone in flight was against the law?:confused: Am I wrong?
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I will use Blulink to receive the runway warning message from my iPad over my headset. No cell phone being used. Anyway, from many posts here, cell phone use in flight is not uncommon. Legal?? I think so, but haven't had a need to use it.
Denis
 
Sac Arrow said:
I think it is indeed a cool feature, but, mostly for the coolness factor. I can't ever recall being so screwed up on the ground I didn't know when I was about to cross a runway. If I'm not sure where I am and where I'm going, I'll ask.
Click to expand...

If you are 100% sure you know where you are and where you are going, that's when you need this new feature the most. I would think most runway incursions are not intentional.
Denis
 
denisd said:
I will use Blulink to receive the runway warning message from my iPad over my headset. No cell phone being used. Anyway, from many posts here, cell phone use in flight is not uncommon. Legal?? I think so, but haven't had a need to use it.
Denis
Click to expand...

Not legal, per FCC... not FAA. But no one cares really about it happening in private aircraft. The network knows where you are and can lock you out if your phone is causing it a headache, transferring your trunk from cell to cell.

http://www.fcc.gov/guides/wireless-devices-airplanes

Technically the FCC ban is only for the 800 MHz band, but there are no phone makers who give civilians the option of turning off one band.

Military and FEMA have enough leverage that they can order limited quantities of "800 MHz lockout" data cards, with the carrier's assistance and approval but no one has bothered with phone functionality.
 
LDJones said:
Good for you. But the mere mortals who fly occasionally make human errors, especially at new airports that might be more complex than their home airport. I'm all in favor of using every option to promote aviation safety, from eyeballs to technology.
Click to expand...

denisd said:
If you are 100% sure you know where you are and where you are going, that's when you need this new feature the most. I would think most runway incursions are not intentional.
Denis
Click to expand...


At the risk of sounding redundant, again, I agree it's a great feature. I'm just saying don't use it as a crutch and expect it to work every time. Remember you can forget to turn your Ipad on, activate Foreflight, have satellite loss, etc....
 
Sac Arrow said:
At the risk of sounding redundant, again, I agree it's a great feature. I'm just saying don't use it as a crutch and expect it to work every time. Remember you can forget to turn your Ipad on, activate Foreflight, have satellite loss, etc....
Click to expand...

I don't see the average FF owner motoring aimlessly around busy airports waiting to see a runway warning pop-up. It's just a great backup for those already using a great tool.
 
It was funny walking beside the runway at Sidnaw to have FF warn you that you are about to enter the runway!
 
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