iPhone 6 Plus with ForeFlight

Lon33

Lon33

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Lon
Does anyone use an iPhone 6 Plus with ForeFlight, while flying?

I looked at a 6 Plus in the Apple store yesterday, and it looks as though it may have a large enough display to be quite useable in the air, especially if worn on the forearm.

If anyone has tried that, I'd love to hear what you thought of the experience. And if anyone has a screen shot (or could make one), I'd especially like to see what it looks like.
 
Heck, before I got an IPad Christmas of 2011 I ran Foreflight on my IPhone 3G. It worked great.

I now have a 5G on the yoke and an IPad in my lap tethered to the IPhone for poorboys occasional in flight weather if I want to look at it.
 
I just got an iPhone 6 (not the '+' version) to replace the iPhone 4 I've used with FF for years. I thought of getting a 6+ to use for FF, but decided it would just be too bulky to carry around 24/7.

My iPhone 6 is on the yokemount in the 172, and works well for basic magenta-line-following. The iPad stays in the map pocket until I need to consult it for weather or airport data, or more chart detail -- without having to switch away from the nav display on the phone.

Here's a screenshot of a FF display on the iPhone 6. The display is bigger than that of a Garmin GNS430W:

Photo%2520Mar%252005%252C%252011%252043%252033%2520AM.jpg
 
I have a 6+ with FF but I use an iPad Air 2 on the yoke in flight. I have been meaning to find someplace to mount the phone as a secondary or backup. It is a good bit smaller than the Ipad mini and runs the "phone" version of FF which I don't like quite as much as the iPad version.
 
I've got an ipad Mini and the iPhone 6+, both with foreflight. While the size of the 6+ is great for foreflight, it is still the "dumbed down" iphone version.

This means you don't get your quick icons at the bottom to be able to quickly load taxi diagrams, plates, etc. You also can't access documents like you can on the iPad.

It just depends on what you want to use it for. I still go to my iPad when flying and have my 6+ as my backup.
 
Walboy said:
I'm new to the EFB world.

Let's say you have a panel mounted WAAS GPS for navigation and you have no desire for ADS-B in, synthetic vision, etc. from a Stratus or GDL-88 device on an iPad. You just want charts, approach plates, airport diagrams, etc. Is the free FltPlan.com route the best? All the charts and approach plates are geo-referenced for free.

I'm having a hard time with the idea of paying for Foreflight or Garmin Pilot, etc. when something free is out there.

That said, I'm sure I'm missing something.
Click to expand...

Yes there are several free apps too.

FlyQ Pocket (no charts), for example, is no extra charge to AOPA members.

FlyQ Web (with sectionals) is also no extra charge to AOPA members.
 
Lon33 said:
Does anyone use an iPhone 6 Plus with ForeFlight, while flying?

I looked at a 6 Plus in the Apple store yesterday, and it looks as though it may have a large enough display to be quite useable in the air, especially if worn on the forearm.

If anyone has tried that, I'd love to hear what you thought of the experience. And if anyone has a screen shot (or could make one), I'd especially like to see what it looks like.
Click to expand...

Not ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot. Garmin Pilot on a 6+ is just the perfect size to be an SVT display clipped to the glare shield. It's just the right size to see it well, and small enough that it doesn't block either instrument or forward view.
 
Foreflight doesn't support documents on iPhone like they do on iPad. Supposed to be coming but no word on when. That's a major flaw for the iPhone/Foreflight combo.
 
Stewartb said:
Foreflight doesn't support documents on iPhone like they do on iPad. Supposed to be coming but no word on when. That's a major flaw for the iPhone/Foreflight combo.
Click to expand...

By documents, I will assume you do NOT mean approach plates?

Also, a little thread creep, but has anyone used FF on an Iphone 5?
 
I have the 6 and I had a trial of Garmin Pilot that I used on a XC a few weeks ago. It worked well, although the 6 plus' larger display would be nice.
 
Rcmutz said:
By documents, I will assume you do NOT mean approach plates?

Also, a little thread creep, but has anyone used FF on an Iphone 5?
Click to expand...

I used to use it on a 5s with iOS 8 and on a 5 with previous versions of iOS, yes. But not on a 5 with iOS 8.
 
Rcmutz said:
By documents, I will assume you do NOT mean approach plates?

Also, a little thread creep, but has anyone used FF on an Iphone 5?
Click to expand...

I've used it on both and it works the same, you can access approach plates on the iPhone's, but it is a bit of a tedious process. Hold finger over airport on map. Go to details, or type in airport code from menu to get to details. Once you are here you can scroll to approach and then select the plate. Now if you go back to the map you have to go through this process again since you can't "save" the plate in your documents. (You can save the plates on your device but you still have to access them in this roundabout way)
 

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I have the 6+ and use it with Garmin Pilot as I have Garmin 430Ws, GDL88 and Flightstream 210. I use the Ipad Air 2 to plan fights at home & bring it with me on the plane but stays in the map pocket as I find the 6+ more than adequate for weather, traffic and navigation and it's a lot less intrusive than even the iPad mini (which I sold once I got the 6+). I can pull out the Ipad Air if I want larger screen for weather, IFR approach chart briefing, etc.. but rarely do as I have dual Aspens as well.
 
I have FF on the 6+ and also IPad air mounted on a ram mount on the widescreen .i use the phone ads backup,works great,with along battery life.
 
Henning said:
The phone is too small for plates for me, iPad for those.
Click to expand...

I would agree with this, it's even small for taxi diagrams. I think it works great for a sectional or enroute map, but outside of that it is best used as a backup on an iPhone.
 
I also have a Ipad mini that is yoke mounted and Iphone 6 that sits in a crade on my windshield and use both for IFR ops. As mentioned the Iphone app does not have the full functionality of the Ipad app and personally would not want use it as the primary device for flying with Foreflight. It is a great backup.
 
Lon33 said:
Does anyone use an iPhone 6 Plus with ForeFlight, while flying?

I looked at a 6 Plus in the Apple store yesterday, and it looks as though it may have a large enough display to be quite useable in the air, especially if worn on the forearm.

If anyone has tried that, I'd love to hear what you thought of the experience. And if anyone has a screen shot (or could make one), I'd especially like to see what it looks like.
Click to expand...

That should work...and more capable than the Apple Watch!
 
What's a map pocket? I thought that thing in the airplane was a tablet pocket. ;)
 
You've got the better system. If you're a serious pilot using programs like ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot, or WingX you're better off using an IPad or Mini that a telephone. The display is bigger, better, the charts and plates are more appropriate, etc. If you're the occasional renter or VFR guy then having an Iphone as a backup is Ok.
 
Rcmutz said:
By documents, I will assume you do NOT mean approach plates?

Also, a little thread creep, but has anyone used FF on an Iphone 5?
Click to expand...


I've been using FF on my IPhone 5 since I got the IPhone 5 about a year and a half ago. I ran it on my IPhone 3G before that. I have run the IPad version since Christmas of 2011.

The document feature would seem not very useful on an IPhone, but is a GREAT feature in the FF IPad version.
 
SbestCFII said:
You've got the better system. If you're a serious pilot using programs like ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot, or WingX you're better off using an IPad or Mini that a telephone. The display is bigger, better, the charts and plates are more appropriate, etc. If you're the occasional renter or VFR guy then having an Iphone as a backup is Ok.
Click to expand...

Like I was saying before, the only thing I use the iPhone 6+ for is as an SVT display, for that it rocks. For everything else though, especially tapping in an entry, it's just too small for me to use practically for much else. The iPad is just so much better, the extra effort to use the iPhone far out weighs the extra effort of bringing the iPad, at least in my book, plus the iPad is better for reading details on a plate because I don't have to zoom and pan to read it. 30 years ago it wouldn't have made a difference, pushing 50 it does.:lol:
 
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