Why must ForeFlight be Such a Tease?

[WDD]

Whenever GP vs. FF is even hinted at, it turns out like an oil thread.

High Wing, Low Wing
Cirrus vs Everyone Else
Bonanza..... (Don't know why I brought that up, but seems like someone brings that up in any thread)

 

[JOhnH]

Bonanza..... (Don't know why I brought that up, but seems like someone brings that up in any thread)

There's a good reason for that when you are talking about some of the best products that are NOT a tease; just real good.

 

[Deelee]

Bonanza

Ok... we got one GP vs FF debate in.. we got a Bo-Nan-Za!, how about......

high wing vs low wing for the PoA trifecta!

(I decided not to burn any cash on the upgrade. I looked at my sim Jepp chart subscription and decided they aren't different enough from the plates I get with FF to warrant the expense. And I'm only flying the Arrow these days so I don't need multiple aircraft performance data. And I can do a runway takeoff/landing performance calc pretty quickly.... and the 3D eye-candy was cool, but not that cool.... and....... just wasn't worth it)

 

[Sluggo63]

The free charts are only for the 1st year.

The offer is only for those who are upgrading / are completely new to FF

Not even that. I bought (as a new customer) a Performance Pro subscription to Foreflight. I saw this post and decided to get the Jepp ad-ons since I was a new customer, and I use Jepps at work. The website wouldn't let me since it's not for renewals, just upgrades. Since I had the highest tier, there was nothing to upgrade to. I sent them an email and this is the reply I got.

"Hello Sluggo63,

Purchases through Apple are not valid with the promotion, the purchase has to be through our website.

Thank you,

xxxx
Pilot Support Team"

So, just because I bought a $300 subscription through my iPad (simply because I had it in my hand and it was easier) versus through their website, I'm locked out of the upgrade. Fine, I used Gov't charts for 25 years in the Air Force, but still it's a pretty crappy way to treat a new customer.

 

[texasclouds]

It’s only money!

 

[Warlock]

I like FF...oh and my Kid works for them so please upgrade...I find it funny when me and the kid fly together. I have a basic subscription and will use it as a reference pre flight but sort of a backup in the aircraft...She makes sure that her Sentry is fully charged and uses every tool of Pro Plus even on a CAVU day. I consider it all cheating. Telling her I flew IFR For years with a single NDB always receives an eye roll. For me and my flying I don’t need it...we have a 530 in the aircraft which I never saw anything like it, even in my military career...for a connected younger generation it seems natural. It’s a great product and has made Aviation safer but not sure it makes for better Aviators.

 

[Sluggo63]

thanks. interesting, but I don't see anything in the jepp charts worth a cool hundid for. I like 'em, don't see paying extra for 'em.

I agree. Where Jepp is really good is for international charts. Having a uniform format the world over is a big benefit.

Agreed on both counts, although the government prints international books for the DoD, I don't know why they're not available to the general public (or are they?).

For the average GA pilot, it probably doesn't matter much, but for the airlines, Jepps are great because, one, they will tailor approach plates to your specific airline and operation. And, two, so much more information is available on them without having to search through reams of paper to find information on RVR outages, inop lighting, etc. Just look at these two minimum blocks for the same approach (ILS 36L MEM).


The NACO plate tells me barely anything except my mins... maybe.


Here's the Jepp. Everything I need is on this one plate. Whether I'm doing the Cat I ILS or Cat III, whether or not all the RVRs are operating, etc. All here. That's a Godsend when you're getting vectors to the approach and an RVR goes out, etc.

 

[OneCharlieTango]

Do Jepps have ODPs somewhere? That and nonstandard alternate mins are the worst part of gov't charts on FF. You tap "Takeoff Minimums," which takes you to Page 1 of the Chart Supplement. No big deal if you're departing Akron, but kind of annoying if you're leaving Indy South Greenwood.

 

[Sluggo63]

Do Jepps have ODPs somewhere? That and nonstandard alternate mins are the worst part of gov't charts on FF. You tap "Takeoff Minimums," which takes you to Page 1 of the Chart Supplement. No big deal if you're departing Akron, but kind of annoying if you're leaving Indy South Greenwood.

They do. For smaller airports, it’s on the taxi chart. For larger airports, it’s on a page with the takeoff and alternate mins.

Here’s KSAF:

 

[Scrabo]

 

[WDD]

Now. That is funny. Great post !

 

[David Megginson]

FltPlanGo has a lot of bang for the buck, but I like the improved user interface of ForeFlight (or even Garmin Pilot) enough to pay for it. I actually struggle to comprehend how anyone can make enough use of FltPlan.com and its app for Garmin to spend money acquiring it.

Garmin bought FltPlan.com's significant corporate/fleet
customer base for its paid services. The FltPlan Go app was just an accidental extra.

 

[iamtheari]

Garmin bought FltPlan.com's significant corporate/fleet
customer base for its paid services. The FltPlan Go app was just an accidental extra.

When I was using Garmin Pilot, I linked it to my FltPlan.com account because I thought it would provide added functionality. What it really did was interfere with GP's existing features. My point was that FltPlan.com itself is so tremendously unuseful that it's hard to imagine there were enough happy corporate/fleet customers to justify Garmin paying to have them.

Is there some use pattern where FltPlan.com is actually a joy to use?

 

[George Mohr]

View attachment 92570

Thats why I bring two

 

[David Megginson]

When I was using Garmin Pilot, I linked it to my FltPlan.com account because I thought it would provide added functionality. What it really did was interfere with GP's existing features. My point was that FltPlan.com itself is so tremendously unuseful that it's hard to imagine there were enough happy corporate/fleet customers to justify Garmin paying to have them.

Is there some use pattern where FltPlan.com is actually a joy to use?

Agreed, the website UI looks like it hasn't been updated since 1998, but the corporate customers are there for the B2B fleet-management stuff, not the simple B2C stuff we non-paying private pilots use. Some crazy big percentage of U.S corporate flight plans (80%? something like that) go through FltPlan.com, or so they've said.

As for the mobile app, when you're flying the plane rather than flying the tablet, the UI doesn't matter as much. A moving electronic sectional (or approach chart) looks pretty much the same in every aviation app. If you're spending enough time playing with your tablet in flight that the UI starts to matter, why not just stay home and save on avgas?

If you're in VMC, 99% of your attention should be out the window; if you're IFR in IMC, 99% of it should be in your primary panel scan. The only time your tablet should get more than a cursory glance for location/weather/traffic/airport info is when you're on the ground and not in motion. For pre-flight planning or post-flight logging, I agree that the app UI could make a difference (not a $200–300/year difference for me, but YMMV).

 

[Sierra_Hotel]

or $100/#days you fly = ?
Foreflight looks like a great product but not sure what it adds that FltPlanGo does not provide for free. Not saying it doesn't just don't know.

Main difference in my dabbling with both is the interface and ease of access to different information.I admittedly have way more time using FF over fPG, though.

 

[YKA]

Does it give you sky view? I've never owned a plane with it, and that is a must for me in whatever I buy next. Having flown around with people who do, I really enjoy that feature. Yes I have flown mostly basic panel aircraft, whatever it is that I buy next, won't be basic.