Windows Pilot Support Software

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baldbear

Filing Flight Plan
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Nov 25, 2014
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baldbear
About 4 years ago I saw Fore Flight(TM) and decided I would go but an iPad just to use the application. I used to be part owner in a software company and I was the lead developer, so I turned my car around and went home because I wanted to see if I could write my own software. I was semi retired and had the time.

When I first started the digital sectionals cost $1.29 to download, which was much better than paying the $15 for a hard copy. As I continued, everything eventually became free from the government. So to make a long story short, after 4 years, I have decided to get some other pilots to download and test.

It's free. If you have a GPS (there are some listed on the website), it will plot your position over a sectional or low enroute.

www.eflightpal.com

If you try it, I would like to hear your comments, things you like, things you don't like, suggestions for additions/improvements.

You can email me at support@eflightpal.com
 
There are a ton of programs out there that do moving map on sectionals already (some free), plus far more features, but to be fair I don't know how many have Windows versions for those who wish to use a Windows 8 tablet in the air.

I will start by saying that the user interface looks too much like what you would use with a keyboard and mouse and not enough like a tablet interface. This app is only useful on a tablet, so it can't have things like small icons, inefficient menu structure, and icons whose purpose is unclear. Looking at several of your screenshots it just looks like it would be a pain to use with a touch interface. For example, this looks like a pain to use with a small tablet:
faa-screen.jpg


There are also way too many unlabeled datafields. For example, compare how your app shows a flight plan vs ForeFlight:
flight-plan-screen2.jpg
FFATC.jpg


Does your app support "rubber-banding" of waypoints? Can I touch an item on the sectional to get information about that airport or waypoint? Will it support any weather planning pages?

I do (genuinely) wish you the best of luck, but I hope you are prepared for the amount of work it may take to catch up with the field at this point.
 
Ted,
Thanks for the comments. Of course I can add some headings. If you move your mouse/stylus/finger over the column it gives a description on the Flight Plan page. But I can "spruce" it up.

Yes my app supports rubber banding. Also on the Flight Plan if you enter the STARs or Departure code it will break it down into the individual waypoints and then you can delete ones that you wouldn't use. So for instance if you were leaving KTKI and using the Hubbard7 Quitman departure to KDTS you would type in
KDTS HUBB7.UIM KDTS and hit the airplane icon. The app would then change your HUBB7.UIM departure to TTT SOLDO UIM and plot it on the map. Since you wouldn't fly to TTT you could then just erase that waypoint.

Also, when you double click on an airport on a chart, the basic airport info will show. Then it has a button to show the full airport info, allowing you to download the approach plates, afd, etc for that airport.

Yeah, I don't really like the FAA Download either. However, when you zoom in on a chart and it has not been downloaded, a blue box will appear saying "Double click for xxx" (Wichita, Dallas, etc) So you can download right from there. The FAA Downloads page was really if you want to make sure a chart is always up to date. So if a new chart has come out, when you start eFlightPAL it checks to see if a new version is available and downloads it. Same goes for any airports you always want to have current approach plates. Just enter their ids and it will keep them updated.

I will rework that FAA Download screen. Any suggested layouts you can show me?

Download the software and try it. I actually would rather have good constructive comments like yours.

Greg
 
Forgot to mention that it does plot Fuel, Metars/TAF and Nexrad data right on the charts
 
I'm contemplating a Surface Pro. What would be a decent GPS?
 
I have a GlobalSAT BT 359. Blue tooth and works great. It produces NMEA sentences which I use in my software.
 
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