Except that it is, because it reduces workload. The failings of ForeFlight mainly center around workload that SHOULD be automated, but isn't. This is especially significant during IFR operations.
Entry/Exit on Airway: Foreflight does this. Can you give an example of where it doesn't? I easily filed to enter V-8 at an intersection and it squawked at me that the airway needed an exit. What's broken about it? Just add the airway name to your route.
An example? How about ForeFlight's very own example, which does plot the route, but the nav log and the subsequent calculations are screwed up. It's apparently a known bug. KLUK CALIF V128 YRK KCRW
Another apparent navigation anomaly between ForeFlight and other flight planning tools and GPS units involves the exclusion of SOGBE intersection in the following flight plan: KPIT MGW ESL ESL.ROYIL2 KHEF
Garmin Pilot produces behavior identical to dedicated GPS units, and ForeFlight is often just a little off.
Labeling navaids/intersections on route lines: ??? Zoom in, it's all there. What specifically do you mean? When I added V8, all defining waypoints along the airway were added to the flight plan with estimates for ETE for each, etc. Seems like this works fine. What's different?
Garmin Pilot, like most GPS units, specifically labels all airports and waypoints on the map screen, making them easy to see on any map selected at any zoom level during navigation. With ForeFlight, there are no labels of waypoints unless you tap on the specific waypoint. For me, the nav log isn't all that important for navigation; I primarily care about data for my current route segment, and ETE/ETA/Fuel to the destination.
Garmin Pilot also has a button on the map screen which zooms to route. With ForeFlight, if I want to see the entire route, I have to pinch-zoom and then scroll. Again, when I'm flying the airplane, I'm looking for automation from my electronic tools, not extra head-down time.
Easier entry/removal of waypoints: Tap on screen, pick waypoint. Or rubber banding. Both available. What is the part you like in Pilot better?
Garmin Pilot has an "Active Flight Plan" screen with waypoints arranged in a list in LARGE text. You can swipe left to get a "Delete" button to remove one, you can tap any waypoint to change/remove/insert--it will prompt you to insert before or after, or it will auto-populate a SID or STAR if you so choose. A heck of a lot better than trying to tap ForeFlight's small text box in just the right place while bouncing around in the air, and then when repeatedly tapping when you misplace the cursor. For SID/STAR entry, it's a heck of a lot better than having to leave the map screen, look for the proper STAR, for example, then remember what it is while going through the entry exercise on the main map screen. Again, automation is gold when you're in the air and flying the airplane.
Waypoints from intersecting radials: Foreflight will do this I believe. The syntax is in the manual somewhere. Easy to just rubber band to it too unless you're making up RNAV stuff on the fly.
If you could point me to it, I'd appreciate it. I couldn't find it. ForeFlight can do radial/distance waypoints, but I couldn't find radial/radial intersection waypoints. Rubber banding using the charts should get close, but it's just a rough guess at that point since there's no standard waypoint for the software to snap to.
Taxi diagram: meh. Could suck if the algorithm decides to switch when you don't want it to. I don't like screens changing without me telling them to. Kinda falls into the same thing as their transponders that put themselves in Standby on the ground now that the opposite guidance is in the AIM. Gadget that's not needed.
I'd be happy if I could turn the feature off, but I'd be happy to have it at large, unfamiliar airports. It shouldn't be difficult to determine when you're below flight speed and located on the runway (or just exiting the runway) to switch to the taxi diagram.
Nav data bar at top: FF has the flight plan at the top and the real-time dashboard at the bottom. This is a don't-care for me as long as I know where it's at. There's no need for swapping it IMHO. But I bet that could be added pretty easily.
The big reason for swapping the information is that the "dashboard" is more important than the flight plan for navigation purposes. Since I use the iPad on my lap, I have to look WAY down in order to see key information for my current segment, or I can try to pick through and pull out the same information in the flight plan section at the top (which is not as important for navigation). It would be nice to have an option to swap the two, and possibly hide the flight plan / nav log section as can be done with the "dashboard."
When I purchased ForeFlight a year ago, it immediately struck me as lacking in navigation capability compared with the Garmin and Lowrance GPS units that I had used for more than 15 years. However, it provided an excellent way to effectively and inexpensively replace virtually ALL paper in the cockpit, with a fairly clean interface. Although I'd like to see ForeFlight strengthen their navigation capabilities, I suspect that the majority of their customer base already employs other panel or handheld equipment for navigation. However, if Garmin corrects the information weaknesses within their app, it's going to be tough to beat, especially for those who already own other Garmin GPS units.
One thing that I must say is that ForeFlight's support is incredible. They respond, personally, every time, usually within minutes to hours. It's been 2 weeks and I haven't heard a peep from Hilton Software (developers of WingX), and going on 1 week without a response from Garmin. Accessible support and meaningful communication with the customer base is an important criteria in any evaluation, and ForeFlight is top-shelf in this regard.
JKG
