LIDO/iRoutemanual iPad app

[GormanInkarnati]

I see there is a LIDO/iRoutemanual app available for the iPad at $19.

Any feedback? Looks pretty useful to me...

[Orangewing]

Be good if it had more than 40 airports…..:confused:

[GormanInkarnati]

I noticed that too. They say that with "revision 1.1" they will offer tailored airport selections for LIDO airline customers. So I'm assuming all the airports for EK would be available?

I'll wait for the update then.

[Old King Coal]

The current version of the LidoRM iPad app is limited to only a handful of airports (ostensibly because the system is still in trial mode).

If your company has provided you with a login to Lido's Chart Viewer web page ( Flight Information Viewer (http://viewer.flightsupport.com/servlet/ViewerLogin) ) you can enter that same login & password into the equivalent fields located in the 'Settings' panel of the iPad ( see: Settings / LidoRM / Airline Login ).

Nb. If the LidoRM app is already running on the iPad, i.e. when you enter login & password in the Settings panel, you will need to completely close down the Lido/RM app and then restart the app again, i.e. before the login / password will activate within the app.

This all said, the iPad will then present you with an enormous list of airfields... however, you will not be able to download them because, when you select an airport and then click the 'Download' button, you will probably get a popup message that tells you that your 'Account data is Invalid' (I suspect because the system is still in test mode).

I should perhaps add that Lido have suggested to our lot (flydubai) that using the charts within the LidoRM app on the iPad might become a chargeable option (i.e. chargeable over & above what they already levy for accessing the web based Chart Viewer).

But never being one to be easily dissuaded, I have figured out how to hack into the database (SQLite) which underpins the LidoRM app, and am presently working-out how their file naming convention works so that, when uploaded to the iPad, the files will appear correctly sequenced within the LidoRM app (the PDF files themselves can be downloaded from Lido's web based Chart Viewer).

I even went as far as to ask Lido if they have an FTP site from which to download the charts, but they answered that they didn't have one (which I find very hard to believe, or how else will they themselves feed the pages from their servers down to 000's of iPads ?!).

For those of a similar mind as my own in doing their own hacking of the device and its apps, you might be interested the following MAC based apps:

1st: PhoneView (http://www.ecamm.com/mac/phoneview/) (which also works with the iPad)

Amongst other neat things this (MAC based) app can do, is to allow you to open your iPhone / iPad and see it's internal file structure (you'll need to tick box in Settings / Show Entire Disk (Advanced Disk Mode).

E.g. Connect your iPad, then navigate to: Apps / Lido iRM / Documents. You should see the database file called Airport.sqlite (which you can open with the MAC based app mentioned below) and also the folder called Charts (the PDF contents of which will be self-evident).

2nd: To open the Airport.sqlite database file you should use the MAC based app: SQLiteManager (http://www.sqlabs.com/sqlitemanager.php).

The key field to making the iPad Lido/iRM app reveal various PDF's that are loaded into its Charts folder is in the table ZAIRPORT and is the column named ZISAVAILABLE ( 0 = do not show the airport in app / 1 = show airport in the list ).

Ah well, I'm still ripping it apart so that I can figure out how to get full control over it... any ideas / feedback gratefully received!

Ps. I heard (2nd hand) that the GCAA approved the iPad for use in the flightdeck, with it (seemingly) having passed the Decompression tests and Electro-Magnetic Interference tests, though a formal request - from the airline - for its use should be made (just as would have been done for the PC based computer running the Boeing OPT).

If anybody knows of any company that has written / re-written the Boeing OPT, i.e. to allow it to run on an iPad, then please pray tell... as it'll save me the job of writing it in XCode !!

[SubsonicMortal]

A380 driver, you say it works well on the iPad2? I just downloaded the app on the first gen iPad and the charts are really sluggish when you pan around and select one to display.

How long does it take for a chart to display once you select it from the clipboard and how smooth is the panning?

I'm a huge iPad fan (Its replaced my MacBook to a huge extend) but I'm not sure if it's worth upgrading from the first gen to the iPad2 unless something like the lido app makes it worth it.

[wet vee two]

Is it approved for use by the company?
No.
Why bother then?
Mmmmm, good question.

[sheiken around]

Can I just say....isn't it sad that EK pilots (I am assuming that EK pilots are the ones that are posting here...(ie...Login via the Chart Viewer etc)...

Am I the only one here that sees the issue?

Get a life guys!!! Come on...You're spending you're hard earned money (whether you need it or not...it is ((these days)) hard earned) - even though it's only $20.00 or so .. to keep up with EK's ops into airports?

I'm not telling anyone what to do with their valuable time off...but get a life for goodness sake !!!

If EK issues their pilots with ipads....I agree...different story, but for now...

Let EK and Lido do their thing and go play Angry Birds on your time off....leave the charts on the 'plane.

[checcker10]

Couldn't agree more. If they'd stuck with Jepp and not this German crap we wouldn't even be having this discussion!!Never seen such a mickey mouse set of manuals in my life.And I love the way the OMC now refers us back to the Lido manual!!!Whats the point of the F.....in OMC then!!!