Looking for Android GPS app testers in the US

[FlightAssistant]

Hi there,
let me first introduce myself.

My name is Jean-Michel, I am a French pilot and IT professional. I got both my degree and my licence in 1990 (which tells a bit too much about my age).

In my free time, I have developped a moving map GPS application for Android devices (it is free app and will stay this way) I have publicaly released it a little while ago, but only "advertised" it in France as a warm up.

I now think it is ready for the "acid test" (and I have added US airport diagrams recently).

I am really interested in understanding how you guys fly (yeah, I know pull to climb, push to go down, but it is not really what I meant ) and if the application is (or can be) tailored to your habits and needs.

If you are interested in being a test pilot (do not worry, you won't risk your life), please get in touch.

I cannot post links yet, but the application is easy to find (look for "flightassistant" on Google Play).

I need to warn that it is still a little bit rough around the edges (the loading of maps is specially... clumsy, by default of a better word).

There is a web site (Google "flightassistant", you will get there) with an English section (well, might be Frenglish) that holds some resources to make your start easy (a getting started page, a YouTube channel with video tutorial and a fairly comprehensive documentation.

If you are an Androider and like trying new stuff, please give it a go.

It's free and I have nothing to win here, but I am really interested in getting feedback from others with different "fying practices".

Many thanks,
Jean-Michel
PS : sorry for the length of the message, lot of words to say not much
PPS : sorry for my somewhat rusty English I hope nothing gets really lost in translation
PPPS : sorry for my "strange" French first name, we have a few of these "Jean-something" or "Marie-that" here... Ok, I'll stop apologizing now.

 

[NJP_MAN]

Where does it get it's GPS signal from ?

 

[eman1200]

....Many thanks,
Jean-Michel
PS : sorry for the length of the message, lot of words to say not much
PPS : sorry for my somewhat rusty English I hope nothing gets really lost in translation
PPPS : sorry for my "strange" French first name, we have a few of these "Jean-something" or "Marie-that" here... Ok, I'll stop apologizing now.

I agree, stop apologizing, your English was fine.

before I take a look for myself, what do YOU think is different/better about your app compared to the ones already available?

 

[bluerooster]

How does it compare to Oruxmaps?

 

[FlightAssistant]

How does it compare to Oruxmaps?

Hi Shorty,
I must confess I do not know OruxMap well (only tried it 2 or 3 years ago when I had my first Android phone) but as far as I remember there are no features dedicated to aviation. It just displays you location on the map background.

FlightAssistant does more for the pilot, let me give you a few example from the top of my head:
- aviation database (compiled from OurAirports and OpenAIP)
- airport diagrams
- airport "data" (runways, frequencies)
- NOTAMs, TAFs and METARs,
- Allows you to plan your flight and track it (both horizontally and vertically)
- features an Horizontal Situation Indicator (best instrument for situational awareness I would think).
- The "speed vector" is another good example as it helps you estimating your position in 5, 4 , 3, 2 or 1 minute.

This is really tailored for VFR pilots (if I may be bold enough to say).

I hope this answers your question.

JM

 

[FlightAssistant]

Where does it get it's GPS signal from ?

The GPS signal comes either from the embeded GPS (in the phone / tablets) but there are BlueTooth based solutions as well if you have to or want to use external BlueTooth GPS dongle (you will need to use another software, but there are a few).

JM

 

[bqmassey]

I'll give it a shot.

 

[FlightAssistant]

...before I take a look for myself, what do YOU think is different/better about your app compared to the ones already available?

Ok, this is the trick question...

First I need to say I did not start this application because I thought there were flawes in the existing ones or I thought I could do better.

I wrote it as a way to get up to speed with software development on the Android platform (there is only so much you can learn with an "hello world" application, but you can read more here) so there was no study of the other apps, I was not even using Android apps when flying at that time.

What I can, do though is tell you a bit more about the concepts I try to follow when designing application features :

- focus on situational awareness: for me this is the main purpose of the application, know your location, know where you will soon be, know where you are with regards to your initial flight plan, know what's around you, know as many things as possible about the airports around you. I thinks most GPS application try to achieve this.

- do not try to make decision for the pilot: this is not the job of the application, this is the job of the PIC, the application though, acheiving the above point(s) can help the pilot making an informed decision

- make as much as possible from the screen estate, whether the screen belongs to a 3.5' phone or a 10' tablet

- do not try to mimic real instruments... Ok, I really believe in this one, but at the same time, this is to make up for my poor graphic skills. This stated, and I say this with all due respect to the other apps developpers, I do not see the need for having the HSI in the app looking like a real HSI (or altimeter or VOR or whatever). The "Android HSI" has to give the best stituational awareness and readability, making it look like a real HSI adds no value at all for me.

- take advantage of the touch interface and the platforms user interface capabilities. I really try to start from a clean slate when designing features (and not move too far away from Android guidelines).
Such application does not have to be as clumsy and user unfriendly strange to use as the onboard GPS from "big names" that we have in our planes (I am not talking about the huge screen-huge price tags glass cockpit suite, but more about the small screen GPS-VHF combo that are becoming the norm, at least this side of the ocean).

I am not sure I have actually answered your question the way you expected, but I think this gives a pretty honest and accurate picture about what I tried to achieve.

JM

 

[FlightAssistant]

I'll give it a shot.

Great!

Please do give us your feedback, this is always useful.

 

[Ghery]

First, your English is excellent. Better than many native speakers.

Now, I've installed the program on a Motorola Droid Razr Max running the latest version of the OS provided by Verizon. The program fires up, but when I select a departure airport it just sits there and looks at me. The only way out of that screen is the back button on the bottom of the screen (part of the OS) and, of course, it loses whatever I put in. What am I doing wrong?

 

[Badger]

I'll give it a shot. It'll go on a Nexus 7.

 

[FlightAssistant]

First, your English is excellent. Better than many native speakers.

Ok, now you made me blush .

Now, I've installed the program on a Motorola Droid Razr Max running the latest version of the OS provided by Verizon. The program fires up, but when I select a departure airport it just sits there and looks at me. The only way out of that screen is the back button on the bottom of the screen (part of the OS) and, of course, it loses whatever I put in. What am I doing wrong?

I assume this is at the stage where you are trying to create flight plan ?

Have you subscribed to the AIP data and downloaded it ?

In order to get started with the application easily, I suggest you follow the steps described in the "Getting started" video, then create and install some maps.

Then you are ready to fly and create some flight plans.

If this does not help, please let me know where you are stuck exactly (at what stage in the process) and I'll try to help.

JM

 

[Henning]

Sure, I'll give it a shot, my device is a Galaxy S4

 

[Jim_R]

Just downloaded the software and tried following the "Getting Started" video. Successfully downloaded my AIP data subscriptions (by the way, "AIP" is an unfamiliar term to US-based pilots), but when I went to the next step and tried to download airport charts, I think a few successfully downloaded but most (214 out of ~300) failed with the message, "Failed downloading chart for KXXX (Content-Type not allowed!)"

 

[FlightAssistant]

Just downloaded the software and tried following the "Getting Started" video.

Thanks for that!

...by the way, "AIP" is an unfamiliar term to US-based pilots

Ouch, this is unexpected... How do you call all the aeronautical information "stuff"?

...I think a few successfully downloaded but most (214 out of ~300) failed with the message, "Failed downloading chart for KXXX (Content-Type not allowed!)"

Ok, this is a "normal" error if I may say (software developpers in their "evasive maneuvers" to escape users speak about "unexpeted behaviour" instead of "bugs" ).

Anyways, the app will try to download a diagram when it thinks one exits. For the US I have not been able to find a reliable source for non ICAO airports. So I suspect the 214 errors you had are non ICAO airports (private, ultra light, this kind of things).

The (sort of) good news is that the app will give up after 10 attempts.

Hope this answers your question.

I think the most difficult thing to get the app started lies with the map. Do not hesitate to ask (or MP me) if you need any help there.

JM

 

[Henning]

Yeah, the maps thing I'm not getting it, I have to down load them on my computer first then transfer them? Through what linkage?

 

[FlightAssistant]

You need a software called MOBAC (stands for Mobile Atlas Creator).

Follow this video to create your map(s) : http://youtu.be/EjUZERlK7rY
And then this one http://youtu.be/JuXdIVoOY8w to copy the map(s) and install tehm onto your device.

I know this is not ideal and can be too high a hurdle for some users, but proposing integrated download of maps has some trade offs and challenges (hosting costs, size / time to download vs. quality, geographical coverage, etc.).

I know I leave a big burden for the users, but it gives a lot of freedom as well and you can build the maps of your choosing.

Hope this helps (though I am not convinced).
JM

 

[Henning]

Wow, this is a true cluster ****. I've now had to download 3 applications, Flightassistant went to my phone, not my card, so the instructions were inaccurate there, but I got to it. I downloaded Astro File manager which looks nothing like the one on the video, and gives me no apparent functionality to unzip a bloody file. At 4 hrs into this now with nothing to show for it except wasted data space, I get the urge to do you bodily harm lol, and that's probably not the best business model unless you are competing for Grand Champion at Fight Club.

What I suggest you do is write a Windows application that consolidates everything so people can create everything there, download an app to their Droid, synch the two, and the maps move to the correct location in useable format. Otherwise people will not tolerate this.

 

[MAKG1]

I've been playing with the app as well. It looks promising, but I haven't messed with the maps yet. That sounds real unpleasant to be doing every 56 days.

Have you considered supporting the GeoTIFF format the FAA provides already?

It's real possible to overdo customization.

FYI, quite a few US airports do not have official diagrams. And, speaking as another developer, don't present a non-error as an error.

 

[FlightAssistant]

Wow, this is a true cluster ****...

Sorry about that.

I downloaded Astro File manager which looks nothing like the one on the video, and gives me no apparent functionality to unzip a bloody file.

Any file manager that can unzip will work, you do not have to use ASTRO (it just came with the stock emulator that I use to capture the video).
Use one you are used to (ES FileExplorer is another valid choice).

At 4 hrs into this now with nothing to show for it except wasted data space,...

Sorry again, but eventually it will work (it worked for others, there is no reason it won't work for you).

I get the urge to do you bodily harm lol, and that's probably not the best business model unless you are competing for Grand Champion at Fight Club.

Ok, now I am happy there is a vast area of water in between us .
Re the business model, it's free app, and it will remain free, so "the business model" is essentially based on having fun (fun of building the things, fun of sharing it, fun of exchanging about it, fun of making it better...).
Hopefully I can still get a bit of that after this exchange .

What I suggest you do is write a Windows application that consolidates everything so people can create everything there, download an app to their Droid, synch the two, and the maps move to the correct location in useable format. Otherwise people will not tolerate this.

I most probably will not go down this route, but improving "the map thingy" is definately my next big milestone (though I have no idea yet how I am going to tackle it).

JM

 

[FlightAssistant]

I've been playing with the app as well. It looks promising, but I haven't messed with the maps yet. That sounds real unpleasant to be doing every 56 days.

Ok, let's not over-egg the pudding.

No disrespect to the ones who are struggling but it is really not that complicated and you should really become comfortable with it after the first round.
Use the video tutorials, have a llok at the documentation, I am confident you can do it.

In a nutshell the process is "just":
- generate the tiles on you PC with a destop application (MOBAC, MapTiler Beta): this is loooong, but you do not do any leg work beyond launching the process.
- copy the zipped file to your devices storage (granted that you have to find the correct location, but after the first time, that should be a piece of cake)
- unzip the file (again, once you have your file manager of choice installed, that should be a piece of cake).

Have you considered supporting the GeoTIFF format the FAA provides already?

This is one of the upside, you can definitely use a GeoTIFF or ecw format with MapTiler Beta to generate the tiles.

In you case though, as your FAA maps are available on OpenStreetMap, I think you shoulduse this sources with MOBAC (Mobile Atlas Creator).

It's real possible to overdo customization.

Granted, and I must confess I suffer the desease.

FYI, quite a few US airports do not have official diagrams. And, speaking as another developer, don't present a non-error as an error.

Point taken on board.
Sometimes a shortcut is not the best path.

Thanks for your comments and suggestions,
JM

 

[bluerooster]

What format to rasterize the maps?

I can get maps pre-rasterized in various formats but not sure which format to get.

That's the neat thing about Orux, just go to their site, and get the latest charts ready to go, direct download to the app. and Rock N roll.

 

[FlightAssistant]

What format to rasterize the maps?

I can get maps pre-rasterized in various formats but not sure which format to get.

That's the neat thing about Orux, just go to their site, and get the latest charts ready to go, direct download to the app. and Rock N roll.

The rasterized maps are made of the usual 256x256 pixels tiles numbered either according to the OpenStreetMap (TMS) convention or the Google Map's one.

You can generate them easily from OpenStreetMap sources using Mobile Atlas Creator (check the video tutorial). You guys are lucky, that your aeronautical maps are avaialble for free in a digital format.

Alternatively, you can start from a georeferenced TIFF or ECW file and use MapTiler (or other) to generate tiles. In this case (or if your tiles are numbered according to Google's convention), you will need to check "Google Tiles" in the application when you will set up the map (process described here).

Hope this helps,
JM


Alternatively