This is a Foreflight Pro Plus rave

Bill Watson

Bill Watson

En-Route
Joined
Dec 5, 2007
Messages
2,704
Location
Durham NC
Display Name
Display name:
MauleDriver
I've been using Foreflight for several years now and have been very happy. When Pro Plus came out I didn't jump on it because I was satisfied and didn't think I needed the log book features or synvision (if that was part of it) or anything else listed. Finally I pulled the trigger after wondering about the new "Aeronautical Charts".

Well, I like it a lot. Seems like a very natural evolution beyond Sectionals and Low Enroute charts but it really works well - runs faster, easier to use, great new features. Can't wait to try it out on a few trips but I think I'll be using them exclusively for most travel. Not sure if the Procedures displays are new or not but just learned to use them - great time saver and visualizer. I'm pleasantly amazed.

Now for the Log Book...

(I don't have traffic or wx or synvision on Foreflight - they display on experimental GRT EFISs)
(this is not an endorsement over competing products or anything - just sharing my experience)
 
I have a ForeFlight Pro subscription so I don't have access to the Global Aeronautical Maps, Logbook, or SynVis

Seeing as I have logten pro x, and my plane has synvis I don't need either of those features, but your review got me curious on the Global Aeronautical Maps. Those look REALLY nice! I noticed I can even add it to my subscription for $25 a year without have to go up to the full pro plus subscription which I'm pleased to see. On their website it says they can activate a short trial period for it before you decide if you want to add it or not, so I literally just emailed them asking them to activate a trial on the Aeronautical Maps feature. Figured my annual New Years trip is a great opportunity to try it out!

Thanks for the PIREP, I'm looking forward to trying it!
 
I find it's nice to overlay on top of the VFR sectional. It makes the airspaces easier to identify and still let's me see all the stuff of the sectional too.
 
I was one with doubts. They struck me as similar to the base maps on some panel units and I was never a big fan of those. I'm used to sectionals and like them. But, out of curiosity, in October I asked ForeFlight for a short demo period for a planned trip.

I'm still not completely convinced on it as a stand-alone map, but I found i liked the way in enhanced sectionals when both layers were used, so I decided to upgrade my subscription.
 
I've been a long time Sectional user including 5 years of pure pilotage doing glider cross countries. I was also a heavy WAC user and consider it a pain to have to pull up a Low Enroute chart to more easily digest some Northeast or FL routing. But I intend to give the Aeronautical map, with the terrain overlay, a good workout. My prediction is that it will become my go-to chart for the typical trip. We'll see.

One thing I've found most useful with any evolving tool or piece of software is to go into training mode occasionally like I am right now with Foreflight (viewing videos, webinars, documents, etc). There's a lot to catch up on.

Congrats JustinD on noticing the $25 option. I probably would have selected that if I had seen it but I'm thinking they make it hard to find. Glad I have the whole thing though.
 
Bill Watson said:
Congrats JustinD on noticing the $25 option. I probably would have selected that if I had seen it but I'm thinking they make it hard to find. Glad I have the whole thing though.
Click to expand...

Ya it wasn't just right there. I clicked the build your own plan option cause I was curious and it was there I saw that you are able to individually add the weight and balance for $15, synvis for $25, aeronautical Maps for $25, and logbook for $50, all per year to any ForeFlight plan.
 
And just got an email back from the ForeFlight support time. They said they are able to activate a 7 day trial period for me. I'm planning a New Years vacation trip so I'm having them start the trial the day before my trip so I'm able to use on my flights for that vacation
 
FF pro SV, but a slightly older version, I like my normal charts and log book wise I use a excel logbook I made years ago.

FF is my favorite so far, use it quite often.
 
midlifeflyer said:
I was one with doubts. They struck me as similar to the base maps on some panel units and I was never a big fan of those. I'm used to sectionals and like them. But, out of curiosity, in October I asked ForeFlight for a short demo period for a planned trip.

I'm still not completely convinced on it as a stand-alone map, but I found i liked the way in enhanced sectionals when both layers were used, so I decided to upgrade my subscription.
Click to expand...

I'm with Mark in that I'm not yet ready to use it exclusively. I still find myself switching back and forth with the aeronautical map. And while the idea of decluttering is nice, I bet the cartographers who maintain the sectionals think long and hard about every item there. Heck, last week ATC had me use a sunken ship as a waypoint...and there it is on the sectional. With time, I'm guessing the FF map will provide everything that is on the sectional but at different levels of magnification and filtering. I'm also looking forward to more frequent map updates hopefully eliminating the textual mess of notams we currently have.
 
JustinD said:
And just got an email back from the ForeFlight support time. They said they are able to activate a 7 day trial period for me. I'm planning a New Years vacation trip so I'm having them start the trial the day before my trip so I'm able to use on my flights for that vacation
Click to expand...
That's exactly what I did on my trial. A day or two before gives you a chance to play with them on the ground. And a cross country gives you a much better feel fir what they can give you in the air.
 
A really nice addition to the latest update is ARTCC frequencies. When overlaid on the VFR charts it makes it easy to know how to reach a center controller without having to dig out an IFR chart.
 
LDJones said:
A really nice addition to the latest update is ARTCC frequencies. When overlaid on the VFR charts it makes it easy to know how to reach a center controller without having to dig out an IFR chart.
Click to expand...
LOL! I have to admit this is the first time I've heard of two taps on a screen referred to as "digging out." :D
 
Made a 2 leg IFR flight today into some very interesting wx:
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N215TG/history/20161217/1700Z/8NC8/KMGW
An unsuccessful trip into Pittsburgh ended in Morgantown WV due to 1/4 Viz in fog
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N215TG/history/20161217/1930Z/KMGW/KAGC
After a 45 minute wait for better conditions, I finished the trip into KAGC with the planned alternate, a return to KRDU​

Lot's of Foreflight exercise on this trip; multiple approach options, out of svc GS and quick runway change at KAGC, changing wx, airport evaluations, etc. I stayed with the Aeronautical charts the whole way. Having terrain overlay in place gave me enough context relative to the Appalachians. I 'dug out' the low enroute once to check on an MEA/MVA but that was it. Didn't miss the clutter and fully appreciated the cleanliness.

Weather note: I had a narrow window when I would be able to see both my aging Mom and Brother together for 'the holidays'. The weather was a mess but I started tuning into it 4 days ago and realized that the interaction of a couple of cold fronts and an unusual warm front might let me make the trip. Our local weather master - the one only Greg Fischel at Raleigh's WRAL- said that he could not call today's temperatures within 20F with any accuracy! That's a first for a TV forecaster, especially for a gifted one. But with his surface oriented insights, I could see the flight coming together and darned if it didn't work. Squeezed in between icy clouds and freezing rain, the warm tongue of air was there. Lots of 40-50 knot winds and 50F temps 5,000 feet over freezing conditions but it worked. Lot's of fun today.

Hope to get back home tomorrow!
 
Bill Watson said:
Weather note: I had a narrow window when I would be able to see both my aging Mom and Brother together for 'the holidays'. The weather was a mess but I started tuning into it 4 days ago and realized that the interaction of a couple of cold fronts and an unusual warm front might let me make the trip. Our local weather master - the one only Greg Fischel at Raleigh's WRAL- said that he could not call today's temperatures within 20F with any accuracy! That's a first for a TV forecaster, especially for a gifted one. But with his surface oriented insights, I could see the flight coming together and darned if it didn't work. Squeezed in between icy clouds and freezing rain, the warm tongue of air was there. Lots of 40-50 knot winds and 50F temps 5,000 feet over freezing conditions but it worked. Lot's of fun today.
Click to expand...
What would you have done if an in-flight issue came up and you had to divert and shoot an approach through those icy clouds?
Hope to get back home tomorrow!
Click to expand...
Best of luck and fly safe!
 
LDJones said:
A really nice addition to the latest update is ARTCC frequencies. When overlaid on the VFR charts it makes it easy to know how to reach a center controller without having to dig out an IFR chart.
Click to expand...

I've always just twisted the big knob a full turn to the right, little knob a couple to the right, there ya go.
 
azure said:
What would you have done if an in-flight issue came up and you had to divert and shoot an approach through those icy clouds?

Best of luck and fly safe!
Click to expand...

I didn't really face that as far as I could tell. Once above 2500 and 20 into the flight, I could see the ground. I noted our much warmer temps where I was cruising while checking surface temps down below but the surface was mostly VFR along the route even though I took off into a 400' ceiling. It was one the few times I loaded an approach for KRDU before departing though.

Once near the destination, I had a deck at 2000 and a spotty undercast of fog. I could see the ground under me but it have been a challenge to try and land anywhere the fog was.

Having said that, I would have been willing to overfly some icy clouds if I had some reasonable options laterally to land.

Bill "waiting for a bit of daylight before departing"


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