Fltplan vs Foreflight

Let'sgoflying!

Let'sgoflying!

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Dave Taylor
Was talking to some guys last week about what was on their ipad.
(Oh, this is not about any other competing products, lets stick to FP and FF please.)
Like most cheapskate pilots, they were telling me how awesome the FREE fltplan.com ipad app was. Claimed it did all the things FF does.
I am skeptical and knew POA would have the scoop.
Thanks.
 
I have not used flatplan's app for naviation like I have ForeFlight but to me one of the biggest steps up that FF and GP for that matter have on all of the free apps are the looks and intuitiveness. Yeah they may be able to do all of the same stuff but how easy is it, how good does it look and how is the customer support?
 
Flight plan ,as a free app,seems to be a great app for VFR flying. Foreflight still has more options for the IFR pilot.
 
I moved to fltplan from FF over a year ago. While the FF interface has a better UI, fltplan is not far behind and gets better everytime. Works on iOS and Android, so I have an iPad Mini and NExus 7 as backup. I keep VFR and IFR charts for both Canada and USA. I fly IFR with it, and approach plates are geo referenced too. Works with my Stratux wx/traffic gizmo, and supports all sorts of 3rd party devices. Kudos to fltplan. Happy 'customer'.
 
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With FF I can:

-download all US charts [it holds them all] (WAC, lo, high, approach, SID/STARs) all on the ipad, mostly all georef'd. Plus airport data (and diagrams; also georef'd).
-file & get expected routes loaded into the plan.
-the map has 25 'instruments' ie eta/dist/gs/latlong/nearest etc
-pickup the stratus wx & traffic signal
-it has a place to write with either finger or virtual keyboard
-it is not buggy at all. I don't remember a lockup or crash in over 100hrs now.

Does fltplan do these things?
 
Anyone who is curious about fltplan can download it and try, since it's free. I have used the website for a long time. I've used the ipad/phone application for a couple years, but I mostly use it for planning and filing, not enroute. I know you can download approach charts, enroute charts, sectionals, and the AF/D (Canadian Flight Supplement) for the US and Canada. I have brought up the map while flying, just for curiosity's sake, and have looked at it on the airline, but I admittedly don't use it much. You supposedly can couple it to an ADS-B but I've never tried. Actually I might have tried once with someone's external unit but I don't remember what it was. I think it picked up the signal but I wasn't sure what I was seeing. Looking at the menu right now, Stratux is listed.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
With FF I can:

-download all US charts [it holds them all] (WAC, lo, high, approach, SID/STARs) all on the ipad, mostly all georef'd. Plus airport data (and diagrams; also georef'd).
-file & get expected routes loaded into the plan.
-the map has 25 'instruments' ie eta/dist/gs/latlong/nearest etc
-pickup the stratus wx & traffic signal
-it has a place to write with either finger or virtual keyboard
-it is not buggy at all. I don't remember a lockup or crash in over 100hrs now.

Does fltplan do these things?
Click to expand...
Except for two items, the answer to your question is pretty much "yes."

(1) using the Stratus brand of ADS-B box. It will use just about any equivalent, something ForeFlight will not do. (aka Coke vs Pepsi)
(2) I agree with you about the buggies and instability of Go!

Plus, the IFR "recently cleared" route selection is still a little better from FltPlan, a reason many still use it for planning, even if using Foreflight in the cockpit. And, in terms of place to write, FltPlan Go! Has more. You can write directly on the maps (the only item remaining on my Foreflight wish-list)

The lack of solid reliability in FltPlan Go! is an important factor. Other differences are minor issues of user preference (for example, I don't need or want 25 instruments cluttering up my charts or maps, so I clear them as much as I can), not "good vs evil."
 
I use Fltplan when I fly into Canada, pretty much only use Foreflight in the US. My experience was that it did what I needed it to do (enroute charts, approach charts, georeferencing), but the app was not as intuitive or user friendly as Foreflight. The flight planning features seen to be as good--if not better--than Foreflight, but at the same time seemed to complicated to use. I've been pretty happy with Foreflight so I've never switched.
 
Fltplan for planning, way better at providing accurate enroute times and fuel burns, I also use it to file.

FF for everything else.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
With FF I can:

-download all US charts [it holds them all] (WAC, lo, high, approach, SID/STARs) all on the ipad, mostly all georef'd. Plus airport data (and diagrams; also georef'd).
-file & get expected routes loaded into the plan.
-the map has 25 'instruments' ie eta/dist/gs/latlong/nearest etc
-pickup the stratus wx & traffic signal
-it has a place to write with either finger or virtual keyboard
-it is not buggy at all. I don't remember a lockup or crash in over 100hrs now.

Does fltplan do these things?
Click to expand...

Yes, all charts and plates are geo-ref (and free). You can even overlay approach plates over the map.
Expected routes has always been FltPlan's bag.
It has map tools, ruler, timer, rubber banding, cool stuff
ADS-B and XM weather is available using various products
There's a scratch pad but you can write on maps as well. (I still use paper for my clearances)
Yeah, the downfall is that it is occasionally buggy.
It also has 6-pack back-up and other high-end features

Apart from the once in a while glitch and the lack of a foreflight plan view I'd say it's a close competitor especially given the price.
 
I like, and use, both the website (great for planning) and the app on my android tablet as a cheap EFB in the plane. It's free, it works, I've got no complaints.
 
Dave, I use FltPlan GO and I really like it. I think it does everything that FF and the other Apps do. It does have Wx can't say if it's stratus. It also can connect with multiple brand GPS units via blue tooth. Mark I'm not sure how you meant your comments about FltPlan Go's stability but I have found it to be very stable. As I think Mari mentioned you should download it and give it a try for a few months to see if you like it. I'm a fan!
 
AdamZ said:
Dave, I use FltPlan GO and I really like it. I think it does everything that FF and the other Apps do. It does have Wx can't say if it's stratus. It also can connect with multiple brand GPS units via blue tooth. Mark I'm not sure how you meant your comments about FltPlan Go's stability but I have found it to be very stable. As I think Mari mentioned you should download it and give it a try for a few months to see if you like it. I'm a fan!
Click to expand...
Stratus: no. The Stratus ADS-B receiver is designed to work only with ForeFlight and (for the most part) vice versa. The only two exceptions I am aware of are (1) iFlyGPS "hacked" the Stratus 1 for a brief period; the next firmware update ended it and they figured not enough of their users cared since there were a number of other options; and (2) I understand FlyQ also "hacked" the feed at one point, whether that's still the case I don't know.

Stability comment: I am a long-time user of FltPlan.com and have had FltPlan Go! on both iOS and Android devices since it's first release on both platforms. I have never used it in an airplane when it did not crash at some point (heck it used to crash when I was just looking at approach plates on the ground!), although I admit have not given it a workout in the last year or so, except on airline flights (where it also crashed).

At this point, especially since I don't carry paper charts, I just hesitate trusting it for IFR use, even as a backup. And, like many, once you learn a system well, there's definitely inertia in switching an EFB you know very well and trust without an exceptionally good reason.
 
Walboy said:
I'm thinking about getting a Samsung Galaxy tablet (probably an 8" and just use velcro on the yoke) for FltPlan Go's free charts and approach plates. I don't really need anything else, nor do I care if it is georeferenced although it seems like Galaxy tablets have GPS receivers in them. My buddy uses FltPlan Go on an iPad in the same manner and is pretty happy with it. I file my flight plans using LockMart's website where I also get my briefings.
Click to expand...
Yes, your Galaxy, like most good Android tablets, has an internal GPS which should work quite well, so your charts will indeed be georeferenced. As an aside, I find most folks don't "care" about geo-referenced maps and charts until they use them :) unless they have a glass cockpit with all that already.

Especially if IFR, you might consider filing through FltPlan. It is by far the most robust flight planning site in terms of the quality of planning, the breadth of its "recent ATC routing" function, and the accuracy of it's en route calculations (although it's website is not pretty enough for some). There's a reason that it is the "go-to" flight planning site for Part 135 and corporate Part 91 pilots. And, of course, the flight plans created there would be available in the app.
 
I used to use FltPlan Go regularly, but haven't in a year or so. It used to have a significant oversight, in that you could only edit preexisting flight plans using the app, and couldn't create new ones. To make a new one, you had to use the website. I'd hope that has been fixed, as it prevents the app from being used as an offline planning tool.
 
FltPlan has gotten a lot better.

It hasn't crashed on me in a long time since they released the new version last year. You can now flight plan in the app as well I think.

You can also draw routes on the charts/sectionals themselves now, a great feature that's been in FF forever. That's nice for VFR routing and getting a quick distance/time estimate on the fly.

FltPlan does have weather. It superimposes on whatever chart you have up. What the source is, I'm not sure.
 
Bonchie said:
FltPlan has gotten a lot better.

It hasn't crashed on me in a long time since they released the new version last year. You can now flight plan in the app as well I think.

You can also draw routes on the charts/sectionals themselves now, a great feature that's been in FF forever. That's nice for VFR routing and getting a quick distance/time estimate on the fly.

FltPlan does have weather. It superimposes on whatever chart you have up. What the source is, I'm not sure.
Click to expand...
If you don't know the source, the weather is from the Internet. If it was from another source, like ADS-B or XM, you would know it since you would have spent about $600-$1,500 on additional hardware ;).
 
MAKG1 said:
Doesn't a GTN750 have the approach plates as well?
Click to expand...

I'd want a little more screen, also depending on where you installed that GTN it could be a pain.

Geo ref plates and FF really are a great thing to have right on your lap.
 
I am a FF user and have been trying to learn FltPlan Go to have a good backup app, just in case.
So far, I noticed that FltPlan Go won't give me weather planning information like FF does (so I need to go look at it in a web browser) and their support is really lacking (and not exactly understanding of pilot needs, morelike "our programmers don't know how to do it right so they did it their own way").
But as long as I have a moving map, can pull up plates and get some basic performance information, the backup FltPlan Go works decently well.

And I too second the question: how do they fund this app development? It is free. And their website ads are far and in between so I don't think it's advertisement revenue.
 
Walboy said:
I don't have a glass cockpit, but I do have a GTN750 with ADS-B in displayed on it, hence my reason for saying I don't really see the need for additional georeferenced maps.
Click to expand...
That's a decent reason. I also fly with a GTN with ADS-B depicted and end up shutting off my tablet for much of the time enroute.

But once you try Go! with your Galaxy, you'll have the geo-referenced approach plates anyway and you may find you like ability to confirm your position from two sources. It's not a big deal - I barely notice it, but it's nice for a glancing confirmation.
 
BigBadLou said:
And I too second the question: how do they fund this app development? It is free. And their website ads are far and in between so I don't think it's advertisement revenue.
Click to expand...
As Mari said, they have paid add-on features - look at the "Premium" list on the website. Even with that it doesn't look like a lot but I'd guess with much of FltPlan's customer base being Part 135 and corporate it might pay for itself pretty well.
 
It used to be a lot worse.

They've really cleaned up the UI and it's easy to go from charts to airport info to notes, etc. now.

If your primary reason for needing it is charts and geo-referenced plates, it's completely capable of that.
 
midlifeflyer said:
As Mari said, they have paid add-on features - look at the "Premium" list on the website. Even with that it doesn't look like a lot but I'd guess with much of FltPlan's customer base being Part 135 and corporate it might pay for itself pretty well.
Click to expand...

Screen Shot 2016-05-17 at 20.21.44 .png
 
midlifeflyer said:
As Mari said, they have paid add-on features - look at the "Premium" list on the website. Even with that it doesn't look like a lot but I'd guess with much of FltPlan's customer base being Part 135 and corporate it might pay for itself pretty well.
Click to expand...
Thank you, that answers my question.
Now if FltPlan could hire more pleasant CSRs who understand that many of us arrogant pilots are actually also smart, it might help improve their app if they just listened to our feedback. :D
 
Bonchie said:
FltPlan has gotten a lot better.

It hasn't crashed on me in a long time since they released the new version last year. You can now flight plan in the app as well I think.
Click to expand...

You can create, edit, and save flight plans in the App but I don't think you get the recently approved routes feature.
 
Yeah, that's a really cool feature. Hopefully they'll get it in the app one day. Being able to see what ATC has been giving makes it so much easier vs. guessing, especially going to a new area where you don't know what they like or the traffic flows.
 
Bonchie said:
Yeah, that's a really cool feature. Hopefully they'll get it in the app one day. Being able to see what ATC has been giving makes it so much easier vs. guessing, especially going to a new area where you don't know what they like or the traffic flows.
Click to expand...

Agree, presumably, the only way to get that on the iPad offline would be to download their huge database of past cleared routes.
 
FF also has synthetic vision, profile view, business listings for each field, logbook and ability to record each flight then export KML files for viewing in Google Earth or export to CloudAhoy. How much of that is in the fltplan app? I'm not saying it's not there, I just haven't used it.
 
MAKG1 said:
Doesn't a GTN750 have the approach plates as well?
Click to expand...
They do, they aren't geo referenced and to me they are more trouble than they are worth! They automatically come up when you are flying an approach and of course they are upside down or sideways. You have to zoom in to read them. They good thing is they show you on the approach and your progress, like FF. I wouldn't want to use them as my only source of approach plates. ;) I have tried Fltplan.com a couple times, apparently I am not smart enough to use it, I didn't like it at all. But, to be fair it was on my desktop at work.
 
midlifeflyer said:
....

Stability comment: I am a long-time user of FltPlan.com and have had FltPlan Go! on both iOS and Android devices since it's first release on both platforms. I have never used it in an airplane when it did not crash at some point (heck it used to crash when I was just looking at approach plates on the ground!), although I admit have not given it a workout in the last year or so, except on airline flights (where it also crashed).

At this point, especially since I don't carry paper charts, I just hesitate trusting it for IFR use, even as a backup. And, like many, once you learn a system well, there's definitely inertia in switching an EFB you know very well and trust without an exceptionally good reason.
Click to expand...

Mark, you might want to give it another shot ... or not if you have FF but I've used it a good amount and it has never crashed once.
 
coma24 said:
FF also has synthetic vision, profile view, business listings for each field, logbook and ability to record each flight then export KML files for viewing in Google Earth or export to CloudAhoy. How much of that is in the fltplan app? I'm not saying it's not there, I just haven't used it.
Click to expand...

Synth Viz - No, but I have a feeling it's coming now that they have their back-up 6-pack
Profile View - Nope but they do have a really cool cloud top tool where you can use the iPad camera in level flight to estimate the cloud tops in front of you
Biz Listings - Yep, on the 'Airports' page
Logbook - Yes
Flight Record - No, but they they have breadcrumbs. This is another feature I could see coming at some point.

They update the app 2-3 times a month and fully test each Apple update and let you know when it's safe to upgrade your Apple OS so they are very active in supporting the app.
 
You're 100% sure FLTPlan will not work with a Stratus 2? I thought it connects via wifi and all you had to do was use the customize external and enter the port number the stratus uses.
 
FltPlan is geared towards the corporate user. Not so much 'bling' as FF... or Garmin Pilot, for that matter. It's true strength is the highly accurate flight planning and performance information.

For example, FF only has 3 performance points...climb, cruse and descent. The FltPlan "advanced flight model", which practically all turbines use, has dozens of points. There is also the "fuel burn vs time" model that some turbine aircraft use.

Since I fly a turbo, I took the time to fill out the advanced model up to FL250. I've found FltPlan produces a HIGHLY accurate flight plan, often down to fractions of a gallon. The wind/fuel burn grid allows me to make a very informed choice regarding TAS vs fuel vs winds at a glance.

If you don't need that kind of resolution or data, then there's not much point. FltPlan's strength seems to be as a web-centered flight planning tool for going from A to B .

Richman
 
Lots of turbine guys use foreflight, just not for making flight plans or getting time and burn numbers.
 
What does all these APPs do to your data usage?
 
Tom-D said:
What does all these APPs do to your data usage?
Click to expand...

Nothing I've ever even noticed.

I haven't really tracked it, but small potatoes when even compared to a single YouTube video or playing Pandora.

Most all the large files are stored locally, it's just pulling weather or sending simple info for a flight plan, not exactly heavy media
 
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