Android Aviators
 

Hi all,

First a small introduction;
I have been a lingerer on here for some years, as a commercial pilot in the works. As I am currently on the hours building game, and loving my tech, I purchased a tablet thinking it could provide me with some useful apps when flying. It was however not one of the late Steve Job's creations, and actually a Sony android tablet.

I have trawled countless pages searching the best apps for this tablet in aviation, I have found some very usefull apps but find the information finding very difficult. This obviously has something to do with the fact that Android has not been as popular as the Apple, but this is changing very quickly.

And on to the point;
I have been thinking that to save the difficult search for worthy apps and news regarding them on the www, it may be worth knocking up an android site with all news and information regarding their usefulness in the aviation field.

What are your thoughts? I was also hoping to get an idea on how many people actually have followed similar routes to me and want to know how to get the most out of their android tablets/phones in flight.

The primary incentive for this was with my searching I did learn that some popular ipad apps are not far off finding their way onto the androids, and it would be good to liaise with these companies to keep everyone in the loop.

I look forward to hearing your feedback and comments,
James

Was hoping for more of a response than this!

I would also like to say this thread could be a useful start to see how other people make the most of their Android phones/tablets in flight.

I am suffering with my Sony Tablet due to a lack of geo referenced chart apps. The only two I have found so far are Airspace Avoid which is good but a very basic app and Naviator, which is a fantastic app but lacking UK charts.

Primarily chart/navigation apps, what does everyone else use or suggest?

I'm a happy Android phone user, but not yet succumbed to atablet of any description. I confress that I suspect that sooner or later I'll end up with an iPad because, although I'm generally not fond of Apple products, the range of apps is hellishly impressive.

On my phone the single most useful app is "Aviation Tools Free", which is easily found and gives me notams, AIP charts and Wx per airport.

"Scientific Calculator" is a good facsimile of an fx83 and I use routinely for any arithmetic I have to do down route.

"Swiss Army Knife" is handy for control displacement checks (I do a few permit revalidations annually as an inspector" and for the torch.

After that, I mostly use it as a web browser - so have the usual met sites, etc. bookmarked.

W&CG I'm sure there are apps about, but to be honest I use a pen and pencil for that, or my GPS has a good page for that if I was too lazy to work it out longhand.

I know that GASCo are currently trialling a version of their take-off and landing performance calculator for the iPhone/iPad, but when I asked they're not currently planning to do anything for the Android.

G

I started out wanting an Android phone and looking for apps. I got an Iphone 4 a month ago as it has all the apps and the Android versions appear to be “imminent”. After a year of watching and waiting my old phone gave out and I gave up on Android. Maybe in three years.

Rod1

I've come across a lot of airspace avoiding apps and log books and have seen MemoryMap in action, it's very impressive but I've seen it turn pilots lazy and out of practice of the traditional method of flight planning.

The apps that help you avoid airspace have their obvious advantages, but I never liked the thought of carrying, setting up and using my Android device. After all, how reliable are these apps and their GPS equipment.

For hour building, I felt that I was going to rely on my lovely new tech too much and if it was taken away from me (CPL training) I'd loose confidence and struggle a bit. So for that reason, tablets and smart phones have no room in my flight bag.

I use the free memory map app, which is only meant to be used to test if the maps you have will work with the app, but it's a good back up if everything else fails.

I also have a good GPS tracking app, it was brilliant during my IR as it gives a 3D track at the end of your flight, so you can see how good your holds were and how close you came to certain beacons when overlaid on google earth.

I haven't found a decent weather app that works nearly as well as the iphone equivalent, so I just use the browser with a bookmark to the met office, and raintoday for the rainfall.

The phone in general is the best back up to have in an aircraft. GPS, 2 way communication with the ground, weather updates and even a back up torch if all else fails at night.

I bought a 7 inch Acer Android tablet that is WiFi only, and have had problem finding Apps. I can second the excellent Aviation Tools Free, and have tried the Memory Map beta, which is very stable.

However the GPS is useless - without a 3G or WiFi signal it will not get a fix at all, so it is in effect useless!

If I can get the MiFi going, I might try again.

I'm sure this process is already firmly underway:E

Talking of Android hardware: what would be the "ideal" specs, for use in flight, and what devices would best correspond?

-) screen size min. 7" ?
-) min. screen resolution 640*480 ?
-) good luminosity (sunlight readable)
-) battery life at least 3 hours under full use
-) effective GPS
-) ethernet connectivity (WiFi)
-) ...?

Apps
 

Flitesoft just came out with their app which really is nice on the pc, like fore flight.
I gave up on tablets etc. I have a 530/430 waas combo, but then have a grain 696 as backup and then have the iPad jeep view as a backup to that!
Crazy I know!
Remy

Although I can get a decent signal on my Sony for GPS, I am looking at purchasing an external GPS unit which should be more accurate. If your tablet has bluetooth I'd suggest you take a look too. I believe flightstore or transair stocks ipad GPS receivers which would work just as well on the Androids.

It also might be worth mentioning now, there is an iPad aviation developer currently making a version of their very popular Air Navigation Pro for Android.

Current progress according to devs:

Looks like a nice app, and more importantly they provide UK & Europe maps for it!

RTN11,

Do you know where to get memorymap maps from, other than downloading them off their store? I was really interested in the android version, but when I went to download it, it would only give me a basic OS map. I contacted them and they said there was no trial aviation map....I could either buy it and see what I thought, or not. Did you have to buy a copy of the aviation map, or is it free somewhere?

Ian,

FWIW I have found some old memory map format 1:500 and 1:250 charts for MM. They are very outdated though and only used them for testing, think they're from 2007 I believe.

I keep hearing people saying that if you know where to look you can find the newest ones, but I'm yet to see where these are on the www aside from the obvious.

I bought an Android Tablet for the Wife for Christmas and have to say for the money it cost its an amazing bit of kit:-

Scroll Excel Android tablet: The world’s cheapest 3D tablet | Electricpig

Its only just been released but won the Gadget Show best bargain tablet award and has been virtually sold out everywhere since, most places seem to be getting stock in again from Mid Jan.

For £130 you really cant go wrong, build quality, screen quality and performace are excellent.

The only snag is that Android Market is not 'officially' supported on this tablet but 5mins and I had it installed and working so its not really an issue.

And no, I'm not related to this product in any way, just really impressed with it...!

IanPZ,

if you really dig around their website hard enough, you can find where they hide the sample maps:
Memory-Map : Support : Downloads : Sample Maps & Charts

The real maps are much better quality.

Also, check your PMs.

I use Airspace Avoid in conjunction with Pocket FMS. Works really well and I believe Pocket FMS are working on getting PFMS proper ported.

Not too long ago, I was in flight with my Garmin 296 on, when it all of a sudden lost GPS reception and never got it back. Got my Samsung Galaxy Pad, which usually is used as a chart book, out, held it in my lap and started Airspace Avoid, then a first version. Had a lock on in 2 minutes and full signal shortly thereafter. Never lost it too, while the Garmin went in and out.

I also use Weather Pro. Like it a lot, not only for aviation.

Those who give in to Apple are too early. Android is coming up more and more. I heard through the grapevine that Jeppesen are getting worried as well and I personally hope they will give in and finally release their chart software for Android too. Up to now, I usually carry my charts in PDF format and use Android's inbuilt office to watch them. Works well enough.

Either you wrote that on your iPad and autocorrect got busy, or you've been on the sauce again...

You'd think it would have heard of Garmin, though.

Tim

Please can someone enlighten me: what is an android ?? Sounds like a word that belongs in science fiction.

Planemike

Android (operating system) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

management survey: a poor man's ipod/ipad/izzz

[[ edit: not wanting to comment on the quality, or merits, only indicating better affordability ]]
[[ BTW it is a categorisation, meaning there are many devices running the Android O/S, with a wide variety in size, pricing, and, likely, quality ]]

Steady on! What is an industry without competition, I for one am glad that Apple haven't still got the smartphone market all for themselves...

Android is a worthy alternative to the Apple kind, the main difference being that Android is simply the operating system (like windows) and many manufacturers make the hardware to run them on.

Android is (by os) the most popular in the smartphone industry, and Samsung has also overtaken Apple for market share in the sales of smartphones for the most recent quarter.

The quality of the hardware is vast in Android phones, which means you can indeed get a phone much cheaper than an Apple alternative. The high quality devices are however fantastic, and my phone the Galaxy S2 has been regarded as the best phone in 2011 over Apple's best offerings through many reviewers.

It is so refreshing to know that I am not the only old fart on here called Mike who is baffled by the age we live in....

Mike, if it can do anything to reassure you: as a free-lance IT'er I am supposed to keep in touch with technological progress; but today's telecom market is giving me a very hard time at that, and no indication tomorrow will be easier.

Perhaps I need to further explain that the Android O/S can run on several devices, more or less related, such as mobile phones, music/video players, &C ; all of them portable and with some flat display, usually a color LCD.

You need to choose a device which does the job you need to be done.

A lot of people don't need a "smartphone" at all. In fact I have only just moved to one (a Nokia 700) from a Nokia E51. The 700 is very small and much smaller and lighter than an Iphone or other similar devices. I made the move only because this one has a GPS so it can the free Nlkia road nav app, log the track while flying, and the display is good enough for weather maps etc.

Also most normal phones are much better for making phone calls than the smartphones, which (notably the Iphone) are notorious for poor signal reception, which is a major factor if you live/work/travel in the countryside. Here in the sticks, it is always the case that our Iphone4 becomes unusable long before the Nokias.

A lot of people also don't need a tablet. If they examined their real "portable computing" needs (if any) they would realise they should actually buy a normal lightweight windoze laptop. An Ipad is functionally crippled compared to a windoze laptop; it is mostly a multimedia consumption device which is also a good web browser. It is good for running apps which are sufficiently functionally limited to run with the finger-gesture interface, and that rules out most apps for creating stuff.

You also don't save much money by avoiding Apple. Their build quality is generally good, and an Android device of similar quality costs similarly. The Ipad2/3G is about £500 and so is the Samsung Galaxy 10" tablet. Both of these are very similar although obviously the latter is much more open (unless you jailbreak the Ipad, which you can't do just yet :) ). I've just jailbroken our Iphone4 and it is great, to be able to simply have drag/drop access to everything in there.

You might want to note that "Aviation Tools" requires permission to make phone calls without your intervention. Not that I don't trust the manufacturer, but I'm not letting any app onto my phone with that permission set. People fall upon hard times...

Apps can send a phone number to the phone for you to press "call" without this permission. The purpose is probably legit, for calling weather services or whatever, but if it keeps calling weather services abroad through a bug or intentionally, it'll get expensive on your phone bill.

Then there are pay calls. Remember those calls people were getting where one signal came through from a peculiar country code? Those who simply dialled back got no tone, no nothing. Some made several attempts to see who was calling. The calls something like €10 each. Someone in Nigeria was making a small fortune. Do we really want apps which are able to call out at will... ?

I'm an Android app developer, just bought a new Sony Tablet S, is there a specific app that you wanted?

to PlymouthPixie - what applications
 

excellent, here is the shopping list:
- moving map application containing all European 1:500 000 icao charts.
- XM weather like for Europe - you are to solve the date availability issue
- flight plan filling capability - including IFR CFMU autoroute
- NOTAMS download and smart auto filtering

All that free of charge of course and available no later than end March.
....and now seriously:
Don´t waste you time with E6B or W&B calculator, I am really wandering about some moving map application - I guess it must be possible to combine some free map source with airspace definition files - I am almost sure that the gliding community using GPS logger has such files....I am on track to get a tablet, I have almost decided for Android (perhaps Sony S you are mentioning) but availability of applications seems to be issues there. But the market share of android is going up all the time so I am hoping...to became one of your testers..I do not want to end up with Ipad.....

Not even with the imminent skydemon release on it?

For existing apps with rolling map capability, look for AirspaceAvoid and Naviator. The latter is still missing CAA charts though, and I have requested twice that the developer should introduce them but there seems to be no interest in it. I believe more voices should sound towards the developer of Naviator as it's a fantastic app but next to useless without our local charts!

Pixie,

I too have a Sony Tablet S, very good bit of kit I am yet to try it in the air though. I would love to see a decent backup navigator, but the two I have previously mentioned don't do the job well (although AirspaceAvoid has UK charts, the UI is clunky and blocky IMO).

ft,

I believe the reason Aviation Tools requests the ability to make calls is down to the fact that the airport contact numbers are included in their database, so you can actually call them from the airport page. I cannot recommend this app more, it will list airports around you and all the information you could need.

James

PlymothPixie*,
I understand that the normal development environment for Androids is Java, or some look-alike. But there seems to be a gcc around for it, too; how hard would it be to to port my homebrew C code, written for the Liunux environment, to Android? More generally, how feasible is apps dev on Android in C?



*a deliberate typo, to make up for Foxmoth's frustration.

Skydemon on ipad
 

well why not. So far I have seen just "no comment" on this, do you know for sure it´s comming?

Suffice to say it is a fairly open secret. Beta version being tested now.

Android is basically Linux under the hood, and you are absolutely correct that C or C++ code can be compiled with Android's version of GCC using the NDK (Native Development Kit). Many organizations do this as a way of having their core functionality portable across different platforms, while using Android's Java APIs for the user interface and other "glue logic".

In fact, it recently became possible to write entire Android apps, including user interaction, using C/C++ rather than Java.

(I am also a software developer for Android and other mobile platforms.)

looked at the Naviator site but so far I can not see much of European data? How good is Naviator for Europe?

I use Airspace Avoid and Pocket FMS (on the PC) which makes a pretty good combo. I understand as well that Airspace Avoid will get a lot of flight planning functions before too long. Right now, any flight plan saved in Pocket FMS on the PC (V1.6 or higher) will automatically be available for AirspaceAvoid (recent version) and displays there. Good start.

I do hope that Jeppesen will finally port at least Jep View over to Android. Now that the 10 inch tabs are out, there really is no reason for them not to unless they are in bed with Apple. In which case I do hope someone else comes up with a solution for Android.

I use the Galaxy Tab, the 7" original one, and am very happy with it. I also tested Airspace Avoid on a cheap chinese Tab (A81E) and it works just fine. Out of an old Yoke mount I attached the universal kind of connector which allows to connect a bracket for both of them to have them in the plane. Once Airspace Avoid can do the flight planning and tracking as well, that will mean good bye to the Garmin 296 which keeps loosing signal.

I actually think it's a fantastic app, but the EU charts are very lacking. Although all the important waypoints are present (VOR, DME, Airfields), and you can even direct to on ICAO code or even just airport name, the charts are very basic. Only 3 colours indicating towns, land and water, towns are just a splat on the land. Really not enough to navigate with visually, although you could get direct to headings and vor track quite well.

I have contacted the developer twice now, and he has said on both occasions that there are 'copyright' issues which prevent it happening. I fail to understand how this developer is facing these issues when there are many other apps using CAA charts (mainly for iOS mind you) and even their own made charts (airspace avoid). I don't know if anyone else requesting the same would tempt this developer, but it's got some fantastic features and a more detailed chart would top it IMO.

There is good map info available, without any copyright hassles, at the openstreetmap project. I was going to integrate this in my own soft (which only shows planned and effective routes, up till now, plus some waypoints) but couldn't yet find the time for it; and am not hopeful for the future either.

Perhaps when Sky Demon is released for the iPad (Sk-iDemon?) they might do an Android version. They said they wouldn't look at either...

That would seem to be a logical next step given the huge inroads being made by Android.

I'm the developer of the Naviator application. It's not entirely true that I'm not interested in improving the EU charts. I'm currently working on some improvements to the map that I hope will make it much more useful for VFR flying in Europe as well as the rest of the world (the 3-colour base map will be a thing of the past).

If anyone knows a good data source for European airspace boundaries, I'd love to hear about it.

Cheers,
Mike

our engineless friends flying gliders are using such files for their loggers/ipaqs...
Czech republic, Germany
etc...but I am quite sure I have seen all the national files at a single location in the past........