Just downloaded Garmin Pilot. Traitor?

josephbelt01

josephbelt01

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Dec 30, 2014
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Joe
I've been using ForeFlight since it was first released and wasn't subscription based. That's a long time.

ForeFlight:
I love the app. It made flight planning fun. I don't mind the move to subscription since the price is very reasonable and the value-add is there. I probably use the app on every flight because of the airport information, runways, freqs, etc. I'm totally digital. There's really nothing about ForeFlight I don't like.

Garmin Pilot:
I've been reading about the new GTN series and the discussions about how ForeFlight can't share data with the panel equipment. This is nothing new. ForeFlight has never interfaced with panel equipment....but Garmin Pilot can. Being able to share data between the avionics and tablet is a huge advantage. Making this capability backwards compatible with the older GNS equipment is a slam dunk. I decided to download and try Garmin Pilot. I won't be able to take advantage of the interface between the tablet and panel avionics, but with that capability existing it's now only a matter of time before it's expected as standard.

I've been tapping and swiping around Garmin Pilot for a day to get the hang of it. It's not bad. Most if not all of the same information is there that I'd normally use. It's a good product.

I feel dirty. I feel like I'm having an affair. I have always liked Garmin and buy anything GPS related from them. I like ForeFlight as well. I'd call them the pioneer of aviation apps. They released an excellent aviation product not long after the iPhone was released and kept making it better.

I imagine if Garmin isn't going to play nice with ForeFlight, they should reach out to Aspen and Avidyne to begin integration with their products. That would give those products a huge boost in capability and ensure ForeFlight remains relevant for years to come.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
glad to read that ... I've been having the same kind of thoughts ...
 
josephbelt01 said:
I imagine if Garmin isn't going to play nice with ForeFlight, they should reach out to Aspen and Avidyne to begin integration with their products. That would give those products a huge boost in capability and ensure ForeFlight remains relevant for years to come.
Click to expand...

Fore flight already connects to Aspen
 
I just read a blog from Sporty's regarding the three EFBs , Foreflight, Garmin Pilot and WingX. The distinction between Foreflight and Garmin Pilot was negligible. The one big thing that Foreflight had that Garmin Pilot did not, according to the blog was synthetic vision.

I'm wondering has Garmin Pilot got Synthetic Vision yet?
 
AdamZ said:
I just read a blog from Sporty's regarding the three EFBs , Foreflight, Garmin Pilot and WingX. The distinction between Foreflight and Garmin Pilot was negligible. The one big thing that Foreflight had that Garmin Pilot did not, according to the blog was synthetic vision.

I'm wondering has Garmin Pilot got Synthetic Vision yet?
Click to expand...


I downloaded Garmin Pilot yesterday - Synthetic Vision with terrain and obstacles.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Just remember, with Garmin you better make it wear protection....because sooner or later it is going screw you.
 
Synthetic vision has been part of Garmin Pilot for quite a while. You need a GDL 39-3D to get it to function fully, as with a Stratus 2 and Foreflight. There is no additional fee for syn vis with Garmin Pilot.
 
Stewartb said:
Synthetic vision has been part of Garmin Pilot for quite a while. You need a GDL 39-3D to get it to function fully, as with a Stratus 2 and Foreflight. There is no additional fee for syn vis with Garmin Pilot.
Click to expand...
Synthetic vision only works with the i-thing version of Garmin Pilot. It has not been added to the android version as yet.
 
You're doubling down on a monopoly there, if it works for you fine.

Don't count on them ever opening up their iPad interface to FF. So they reamed you once on the avionics cost, then they reamed you again on the subscription.

At least with FF you are just out the subscription. Assuming a 12K install price for the latest Garmin NAVCOM, that would be enough for about 160 years of FF.;)
 
Datadriver said:
You're doubling down on a monopoly there, if it works for you fine.



Don't count on them ever opening up their iPad interface to FF. So they reamed you once on the avionics cost, then they reamed you again on the subscription.



At least with FF you are just out the subscription. Assuming a 12K install price for the latest Garmin NAVCOM, that would be enough for about 160 years of FF.;)
Click to expand...


For the price of the $70 subscription, Garmin or FF, I get electronic charts for the entire USA. If I ordered just the 39 VFR charts from Sporty's, the price of the charts without shipping is $351. I'd need to order them more than once a year. More if I flew IFR. If I paid Garmin 12K for avionics I'd still need to buy charts or a $1000 annual database.

I think the profit isn't in the hardware Garmin or any other vendor sells you. It's the sustainment of the device (I.e. software updates) over the next decade or more. The consumables.


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I think the real costs are not in the software issues since FF and Garmin are identical in cost but rather in the receiver you purchase. For FF its the Stratus for Garmin is the GDL 39 or whatever. That's the noose they have IMHO.

FF has the edge on the receiver as I understand that Stratus II has an 8 hr batter life vs. 4 hours in the GDL
 
I've used both for several years. GP just has a more cumbersome user interface. After paying for both for several years I finally dropped GP. It's not horrible, just not as easy to use as FF. I actually like FlyQ better than GP, but FF is still better than it.

Be thankful for choices. I hope they all survive.
 
AdamZ said:
I think the real costs are not in the software issues since FF and Garmin are identical in cost but rather in the receiver you purchase. For FF its the Stratus for Garmin is the GDL 39 or whatever. That's the noose they have IMHO.

FF has the edge on the receiver as I understand that Stratus II has an 8 hr batter life vs. 4 hours in the GDL
Click to expand...

It's a noose, but an easily sellable one if you decide to changes.
 
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