Your Skyvector replacement.

EdFred

EdFred

Taxi to Parking
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Well, at least my Skyvector replacement.

I have been using https://www.iflightplanner.com/ for my actual flight planning and filing, but had always used skyvector for the far off quick and dirty planning. I had fired off a suggestion to iFP and got a quick response back from Andy and then a phone call from him shortly after when I said I was really looking for a "flight planner lite" version.

He calls me up at my office and says we have that, and it's here:

http://www.iflightplanner.com/aviationcharts/

We had about a 30 minute conversation about where it's currently at, and based on my suggestions and our discussion, hopefully adding a few tweaks and additions.

Right now you can't slide the waypoints around on the navlog, but he said that shouldn't be an issue to add that as a feature.
Any changes on the route currently require clicking the update route, but that should get changed to automatically update.
It doesn't currently save your previous route like SV did, but that's going to be looked into as well.
A couple other minor things would also be looked at.

He also said
we do intend to add foreign airports, but I do not have a timeline for when exactly that will be... I can say that the more we hear from interested pilots the sooner it will be pushed up our development schedule.
Click to expand...

The follow up conversation to adding the airports was to also implement rudimentary world charts so there isn't a big void in Canada and elsewhere like there currently is.

I don't do the iDevice thing, but this will sync with your iPad for some things, so for all you iHoles out there :)D) that's something that might be a benefit for you.

I'm going to shoot Andy another email and let him know about this thread, and he can offer more insight as to what's going on with iFP.

My (planning) life got a little bit better this week.:yes:
 
Not bad, but one of the key functions that I tend to use a lot doesn't seem to be supported. Say I want to fly from my home airport (KMWC) to Des Moines (KDSM) as an example. Generally, I start my planning with a direct route between the two. Then, I decide which navaids to use (I fly /A) to fly that route... and like to be able to grab the route and drag it to include navaids along the way. I can do this in Foreflight (app, with web functionality to come soon, I'm told) and Skyvector.

One other thing that'd be nice would be to be able to drag/drop the waypoints in a flight plan, in case they get added incorrectly. Again, Foreflight (both app and web version) and Skyvector allow this and I use it quite often.

But it looks like a solid start to another possible web-based planning option. Thanks for sharing it!
 
Anyone using Golden Eagle flight prep anymore?

I still use it on my PC for long x-c to see profile views and route around mountains, class bravo, and prohibited areas.
 
Actually, it looks like you can grab "points" and move them. Which is good, but I'd prefer being able to grab the route line itself and add as many mid-route waypoints as I'd like.

Also, any idea what the denotations are on the points? I'm seeing V and LL but can't figure out what they'd stand for (V = victor airways?).
 
mjburian said:
Actually, it looks like you can grab "points" and move them. Which is good, but I'd prefer being able to grab the route line itself and add as many mid-route waypoints as I'd like.

Also, any idea what the denotations are on the points? I'm seeing V and LL but can't figure out what they'd stand for (V = victor airways?).
Click to expand...


You can do that. I don't know what LL stands for, but if you click on the route line, you get the LL. Then drag the LL over an airport or VOR, or wherever and a popup box will give you options of which waypoint you want. Select, and click update route. V is a VOR - at least that what I am coming up with.

Ah, LL is for Latitude/Longitude.
X is for an intersection.

http://www.iFlightPlanner.com/Aviat...O-OXI-VLA-WOSGI-ARG-3511589N/921548W-7M3-KDFW

All of that route done by rubber banding.
 
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Pilawt said:
I refuse to do business with that company.
Click to expand...

Ah yes, the sue happy guys. I am with you on that. The Clark Griswold rant in Christmas Vacation only begins what I feel about those ***********-***********-***********-*******-****-****-*******-***********-********-********* guys.
 
EdFred said:
You can do that. I don't know what LL stands for, but if you click on the route line, you get the LL. Then drag the LL over an airport or VOR, or wherever and a popup box will give you options of which waypoint you want. Select, and click update route. V is a VOR - at least that what I am coming up with.

Ah, LL is for Latitude/Longitude.
X is for an intersection.

http://www.iFlightPlanner.com/Aviat...O-OXI-VLA-WOSGI-ARG-3511589N/921548W-7M3-KDFW

All of that route done by rubber banding.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but I'm dumb and didn't figure it out immediately so assumed the functionality wasn't there. ;)

Thanks for the help, that makes it much more useful for me (and currently, the frontrunner for my web-based preflight planning).
 
This is your Pastor speaking.
Enough of the Marrianna stalking.
Everyone say 20 "Hot Damns" and mail me $20.00.

You should be ashamed of yourselves. Hot Damn!

The Rev.
 
I like the flightplanner site, based on 5 minutes with it. Bonus: The charts are clearer. I did a side by side with an area I'm familiar with and not only is the background lighter, but the edges of text is better (due, I suspect to less / better compression of the image tiles). Also, the contour lines were more visible (nearly invisible in sky vector).

I know (well, I assume) they use the same sectional data, but how they compress and store it as tiles seems to differ.

Edit: Attached a side by side... skyvector on left, iflightplanner on right.
 

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mjburian said:
Yeah, but I'm dumb and didn't figure it out immediately so assumed the functionality wasn't there. ;)

Thanks for the help, that makes it much more useful for me (and currently, the frontrunner for my web-based preflight planning).
Click to expand...

You're in good company, I too was trying to originally grab the route line, originally. :D
 
Can't be used safely.
The charcoal color of safe flying is no good.
Needs to be magenta.
 
EdFred said:
Ah yes, the sue happy guys. I am with you on that. The Clark Griswold rant in Christmas Vacation only begins what I feel about those ***********-***********-***********-*******-****-****-*******-***********-********-********* guys.
Click to expand...

Then why were you using sky vector to begin with?
 
arrrg. Hitting "return" in the flight route field should have the same effect as pressing the "Show Route" button. C'mon... that's from 1995....
 
Mistake Not... said:
arrrg. Hitting "return" in the flight route field should have the same effect as pressing the "Show Route" button. C'mon... that's from 1995....
Click to expand...

Yes, that's on the list of things to fix [FONT=&quot]"in the next week or so". [/FONT]

iFlightPlanner's Director of Technology said:
  • Ability to drag/drop waypoints up and down the navigation log
  • Automatic route updating without the need to click Show Route or the orange, modification notification
  • Ability for iFlightPlanner.com/AviationCharts to remember where you left off if you leave the page
  • Allow the ENTER key to perform the Show Route function if the cursor is in the Flight Route field
Click to expand...
 
IIRC, skyvector used to show mag headings, would be nice if iflightplanner did the same.
 
Mistake Not... said:
arrrg. Hitting "return" in the flight route field should have the same effect as pressing the "Show Route" button. C'mon... that's from 1995....
Click to expand...

This was actually one of Ed's suggestions from our conversation earlier today... The ENTER/RETURN key will mimic the functionality of the Show Route button when your cursor is in the Flight Route field.

This, and a few other enhancements we identified today, will be coming soon!

Best,
Andy
 
EdFred said:
I didn't know Skyvector == FlightPrep. As it is now, I won't be touching SV again.
Click to expand...

They caved to FP and paid to license FP's so called patent. It is on a small watermark on the map. Now I won't derail the thread anymore.
 
admatthews said:
This was actually one of Ed's suggestions from our conversation earlier today... The ENTER/RETURN key will mimic the functionality of the Show Route button when your cursor is in the Flight Route field.

This, and a few other enhancements we identified today, will be coming soon!

Best,
Andy
Click to expand...

These are nits, Andy. Great work. Skyvector is dead to me. :)
 
Looks good to me.

When I do actual flight planning I use foreflight but I've used skyvector in the past quite a bit to just look up where an airport is or how long a flight would be just for general "do I want to go there?" planning while I'm at my PC. When they added onto it, they really took the quick and dirty aspect out of it and I don't really like using it anymore.
 
Thanks to EdFred for starting this thread. I've tried ifflightplanner and I like it.

A few days ago I emailed the skyvector CEO explaining why his product is no longer what I need and offering suggestions. I got no response. I will abandon it.
 
I have blocked skyvector.com with my router so I am no longer tempted to use it and don't accidentally give them traffic.
 
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GeorgeC said:
IIRC, skyvector used to show mag headings, would be nice if iflightplanner did the same.
Click to expand...

I actually like it better with True prominently displayed.

SV's magnetic courses were sometimes wrong anyway.
 
no, it's YOUR sv replacement. I'm shocked at the uproar about sv, but regardless, I hope software developers, app-makers etc are paying attention to the reaction you 'could' get by making changes, especially sudden and unannounced. that's how easy it is to lose users.
 
Forgive me because I'm new here, but why do we hate Sky vector now? Did they kill your dog or something?
 
the newer online version is much more difficult to use.

I use to be able to do what if planning in a few clicks....now not so much.
 
Go ahead and promote your site

Just seems in poor taste to use your competitor's trademark to attract users.
 
rokadave said:
Forgive me because I'm new here, but why do we hate Sky vector now? Did they kill your dog or something?
Click to expand...

Because they had a good product, and then like how Coca-Cola decided that no one liked Coca-Cola and would much rather have Coke, skyvector made a crap product and despite the negative feedback are just like "whatever we know what you like"

Coca-Cola wised up. My bet is sv doesn't.
 
Re: Go ahead and promote your site

rokadave said:
Just seems in poor taste to use your competitor's trademark to attract users.
Click to expand...

I have zero affiliation with iFlightPlanner other than being a user just like I was with Skyvector.
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
the newer online version is much more difficult to use.

I use to be able to do what if planning in a few clicks....now not so much.
Click to expand...

I take back everything I said.

THANK YOU for this thread! (And thanks twitter for bringing me here.)

I had written off Sky vector as a simple chart viewer. Now I see it does actual as in real flight planning.

There goes my weekend.
 
$50 says rokadave is Dave from skyvector. The only posts on the forum previous to the ones in this thread were pimping skyvector.

Gee I wonder why twitter brought you here. Talk about poor taste. At least be honest.

Hey Dave, guess what, the guys at iFlightPlanner don't just ignore their users when they make a suggestion. Maybe you should try doing that sometime rather than completely ignoring them.

iFP has a full version and a "lite" version which is all any of us asked for - two versions. You had the old code, there's no reason both couldn't have existed.

Imagine that, catering to what people want and listening to them, rather than just trashing emails.
 
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Oh yeah, now I remember why I stopped coming here.

I now return you to your forums in progress.
 
rokadave said:
Forgive me because I'm new here, but why do we hate Sky vector now? Did they kill your dog or something?
Click to expand...


Same happen when Tapatalk changed their interface....they ended changing it back
 
rokadave said:
I take back everything I said.

THANK YOU for this thread! (And thanks twitter for bringing me here.)

I had written off Sky vector as a simple chart viewer. Now I see it does actual as in real flight planning.

There goes my weekend.
Click to expand...

Your name is Dave?

Interesting that you pretend you didn't know what skyvector does. You've posted on PoA five times, and in your first you provided expert info on skyvector's capabilities, referring the reader to a skyvector.com webpage written by someone named Dave.

Is the skyvector CEO named Dave?

edit: I really did like your site a lot. I used it all the time.
 
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NoHeat said:
Your name is Dave?

Interesting that you pretend you didn't know what skyvector does. You've posted on PoA five times, and in your first (see below) you provided expert info on skyvector's capabilities, referring the reader to a skyvector.com webpage written by someone named Dave.

Is the skyvector CEO named Dave?
Click to expand...

Great minds. What a toolbag.
 
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