Why not Fltplan.com ?

AdamZ

AdamZ

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
Feb 24, 2005
Messages
14,866
Location
Montgomery County PA
Display Name
Display name:
Adam Zucker
So in looking for a tablet and an EFB application I've checked out foreflight, garmin pilot, WingX etc. I already have an iPad with the FltPlan.com App installed and its free. In comparing the various applications I've noticed the following:

They all have the ability to flight plan
The all have the ability to file flight plans
They all have geo referenced charts
They all have geo referenced approach plates
They all have planning Wx
They all have W&B tabs
They all have AFD data
They all have Airport data and diagrams
They all can save info such as pilot, plane and route data
They all have scratch pads

What Fltplan.com does not have that I can figure out is

Is inflight Wx unless you purchase the XM plan
split screens
Traffic ( but I have a 330)
Terrain
Synthetic Vision
back up panel

So why not FltPlan.com
 
I don't care for the flow of their app, but I find their website is absolutely best for winds aloft flight planning. I use Foreflight, which does not factor different TAS's at different altitudes, and does not SEEM to factor different wind speeds aloft in different geographic locations, whereas fltplan.com does. For instance, I just flew from Chicago->Cincinnati and Cincinnati->Chicago and fltplan.com pinpointed within a minute or so the actual time take-off to touchdown going both directions... Foreflight... well, it was off by 10-15 minutes on each flight.

So, for me, fltplan.com's best feature is the flight planning.
 
I like their website but find their app not intuitive.
It seems to be improving though.
 
AdamZ said:
So in looking for a tablet and an EFB application I've checked out foreflight, garmin pilot, WingX etc. I already have an iPad with the FltPlan.com App installed and its free. In comparing the various applications I've noticed the following:

They all have the ability to flight plan
The all have the ability to file flight plans
They all have geo referenced charts
They all have geo referenced approach plates
They all have planning Wx
They all have W&B tabs
They all have AFD data
They all have Airport data and diagrams
They all can save info such as pilot, plane and route data
They all have scratch pads

What Fltplan.com does not have that I can figure out is

Is inflight Wx unless you purchase the XM plan
split screens
Traffic ( but I have a 330)
Terrain
Synthetic Vision
back up panel

So why not FltPlan.com
Click to expand...

Because Garmin Pilot with the GDL 39 3D gives you so much more, including the ability to control GNS and GTN boxes through an iPad/iPhone/Bluetooth interface, and used with an iPhone 6+ gives me a perfect sized SVT display clipped to the brow where it blocks neither forward or panel views, and runs simultaneously as mapping/EFB functions on my iPad.

The architecture is the same as the GTN architecture as well, so when you get in a GTN equipped plane, the boxes will be completely natural to you.
 
You may be aware of this but at least the top three have 30 day free trial subscriptions. I would think ou might just want to try them out for yourself.
there can be little question that each EFB supplier is adopting what it feels to be the most important feature if the others so no doubt they will in some way mirror one another. On the other hand if fltpln is free and that turns out to be your most important requirement, you will have evaluated each against your needs and desires.
 
Of the big three, as well as all the rest, only Garmin Pilot gives the GTN architecture and ability to communicate with the FlightStream 201.
 
I like the fltplan.com model: Seamless integration of web flight planning with a tablet application. I see no reason to be hunched down, hunting and pecking on a tablet, when using a real keyboard and large monitor with web based planning application would allow me to do a better, faster job. I'm not aware of any other vendor that has this concept.

At this point in time, though, the tablet application is not as full-featured as its competitors, which makes fltplan.com a second choice for me. I'm cheering them on, however.

Re Garmin and Flightstream, what they are doing makes perfect business sense for them: Using their installed base of panel-mount navigators to leverage their penetration of the tablet software market with its luscious annual subscription fees.

Unfortunately for the market, though, it may mean that Garmin eventually dominates and, as was the case with Microsoft Office, innovation is smothered for a decade or more. So for me, Garmin's proprietary strategy is a reason to support other EFB vendors.

(Speaking of luscious subscription fees, I expect Garmin to cut Jepp out of the database subscription market at some point, either by offering their own independently-developed databases or by using that threat as a gun to Jepp's head and "purchasing" their database business. But that is another thread.)
 
airdale said:
I like the fltplan.com model: Seamless integration of web flight planning with a tablet application. I see no reason to be hunched down, hunting and pecking on a tablet, when using a real keyboard and large monitor with web based planning application would allow me to do a better, faster job. I'm not aware of any other vendor that has this concept.

At this point in time, though, the tablet application is not as full-featured as its competitors, which makes fltplan.com a second choice for me. I'm cheering them on, however.

Re Garmin and Flightstream, what they are doing makes perfect business sense for them: Using their installed base of panel-mount navigators to leverage their penetration of the tablet software market with its luscious annual subscription fees.

Unfortunately for the market, though, it may mean that Garmin eventually dominates and, as was the case with Microsoft Office, innovation is smothered for a decade or more. So for me, Garmin's proprietary strategy is a reason to support other EFB vendors.

(Speaking of luscious subscription fees, I expect Garmin to cut Jepp out of the database subscription market at some point, either by offering their own independently-developed databases or by using that threat as a gun to Jepp's head and "purchasing" their database business. But that is another thread.)
Click to expand...

They also simultaneously kill the Avidyne replacement radios for the GNS series radios by providing a sub $2000 solution to the problems that plague the GNS radios by giving you the ability to control them in flight from any of the Android or iOS products with a GTN interface. Basically you get to upgrade to a GTN 650/750 for <$2000 running on multiple platforms simultaneously.

There is no way Avidyne would sell me their slide in replacement at this point, and I doubt that they will make money on the project. I suspect Avidyne will sink down to the level of Bendix King, but without the Honeywell level support.
 
Last edited:
I'll tell you this about FltPlan.com their support is absolutely fantastic.
 
Make sure you are looking at the right app; they have two: Fltplan.com and Fltplan Go. Fltplan Go does have inflght wx if you have compatible ADS-B/GPS external unit.

I keep it on my iPad as a backup to Garmin Pilot. I also like that it has the breadcrumbs feature.

I don't like that you have to do flight planning through your browser. While you may be able to clunkily change your route in flight, I don't think it will re-calculate your times, fuel, etc.

The feature that fltplan has that I haven't seen anywhere else is to use historical winds aloft data when planning flights beyond the current winds aloft forecast period. I love that for armchair flight planning.
 
Van Johnston said:
Make sure you are looking at the right app; they have two: Fltplan.com and Fltplan Go. Fltplan Go does have inflght wx if you have compatible ADS-B/GPS external unit.

I keep it on my iPad as a backup to Garmin Pilot. I also like that it has the breadcrumbs feature.

I don't like that you have to do flight planning through your browser. While you may be able to clunkily change your route in flight, I don't think it will re-calculate your times, fuel, etc.

The feature that fltplan has that I haven't seen anywhere else is to use historical winds aloft data when planning flights beyond the current winds aloft forecast period. I love that for armchair flight planning.
Click to expand...

Good Point, it is FltPlan GO
 
I'm a big fan of fltplan.com. It is free and has incredibly accurate estimations of your flight time based on the upper level wind data. I like the list of user requested and ATC approved clearances for your route. I prefer it to using Foreflight for filing flight plans, but use foreflight for everything else.
 
ahkahn said:
I use Foreflight, which does not factor different TAS's at different altitudes, and does not SEEM to factor different wind speeds aloft in different geographic locations, whereas fltplan.com does. .
Click to expand...


I asked Foreflight support about this and they said that winds aloft are calculated separately for each leg of the plan even though the various winds aloft for each leg are not necessarily displayed on the nav log
 
I use Avare for VFR flying works just fine. I have fltplan installed as well on my phone. Works OK too. Anyone know how to make the plane symbol smaller in fltplan?
 
FlyingMonkey said:
I asked Foreflight support about this and they said that winds aloft are calculated separately for each leg of the plan even though the various winds aloft for each leg are not necessarily displayed on the nav log
Click to expand...


So, would it be best to add waypoints along a long flight, instead of direct in Foreflight, so that you get better winds aloft numbers?
 
NoHeat said:
So, would it be best to add waypoints along a long flight, instead of direct in Foreflight, so that you get better winds aloft numbers?
Click to expand...

i dunno. email team@foreflight.com. they usually respond within the hour. another great reason to use foreflight...
 
FlyingMonkey said:
i dunno. email team@foreflight.com. they usually respond within the hour. another great reason to use foreflight...
Click to expand...

I would guess that if you added waypoints at the 25%, 50%, and 75% marks ForeFlight would calculate accordingly. This is what fltplan.com does automatically. I'll try it and report back.
 
I use FltPlan.com/FltPlan Go for flight planning and the Navlog. Makes a good backup to Garmin Pilot. I've got a TCed bird, so having the correct TAS is essential to good flight planning. I have the "Advanced Performance Model" filled out, and it's darn accurate.

Sit at home, sip some coffee, plan on FltPlan.com. Go to the airport, launch FltPlan Go and download the Navlog with weather brief. Check the wind matrix. Cut n Paste the route/altitude into GP, file and off you go. Easy Peasy.

One thing that FltPlan Go also does that the others do not seem to is download SUA status (MOAs, R-Space, etc). Very handy if you live where there's a lot.

I've futzed around with FF, GP, WingX, DTC Duat's app and LM's site. They all have their plusses and minuses.

GP is great, but if my GDL39 worked with FF, I'd probably switch back.

DTC's DUAT app is really an underrated gem. NO extras or pretty graphical GUI. Simple text & graphics, and very, very fast, even with low bandwidth. You can plan, brief and file with one hand. Archive for offline viewing. Takes up practically no room.

WingX has approach waypoints so you can load the entire approach into the flight plan. Free for CFIs.

LM's FSS site is groovy, super deluxe for the big, big picture and very wizbang. They got some neat toys. But the whole thing is WAY too bandwidth intensive.

Richman
 
Last edited:
fltplan.com is almost a standard amongst 91K and 135 outfits. I have been super impressed with the fuel burn predictions over the years and it has shown itself to be more realistic than manufacture models (which don't incorporate winds aloft data).

I don't use it beyond that, and usually just screen shot the web page vs using the ipad app (although I use my ipad for everything).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top