It looks like I will be going ahead and getting the NAV data myself. Thanks for the help on single-monitor tips.

I tried out Air Display for my macbook air and it works fairly well. I followed the tutorial for setting up flight in pseudo-full screen mode. Clicking on the map still cuts the sound off, and the macbook's screen is a little choppy, but once you get everything set up it's not too bad. I also found that I could fit in a small browser window alongside GMap, which could be useful for skyvector, google maps, or something like that.

 

There's a free trail for the OS X version of Air Display (it works for 1 hour, and the full version is $20), but I think I might try out the iOS version for $10. I like being able to seamlessly use my macbook to tinker with skyvector, look up airport info, or check google maps.

 

If anyone has tried the iOS version on an iPhone I'd love to hear how it works. Does GMAP fit on an iPhone? Does anyone know exactly what the resolution is for GMap? I'm thinking it should fit, or almost fit, on the fairly high res. iPhone screen, but I'm not sure, and I don't think there's any trail version of the iOS version to test.

Sorry Magic, there's a queue of us asking about iGadget functionality. Might come eventually, especially with all us asking!

 

I've used Airtrack with xplane, having another window to sort your navigation out is excellent.

 

Thanks for those pics Jeroen, you've sold a few of us! I assume it does not eat fps?

Got the nav data. Having a great time. I have to keep reminding myself to ctrl-shft-z away the gmap machine thing and enjoy the view.

Hmmm...one thing that bugs me is that the job postings do not seem to give me the airport ID for the destination airport. they only provide the name of the airport. I am taking a job, going into my browser to AirNav, and getting the ICAO code..then searching for it within my gmap, and getting info like ILS frequencies, etc. is there a way of searching for an airport in gmap without the code?

My ideal would be to take a job, and have no destination marker at all anywhere, and I would basically have to use gmap to make my way there. Right now I am having trouble searching for the destination for lack of a code, and I also can't turn off that darn destination marker!

My ideal would be to take a job, and have no destination marker at all anywhere, and I would basically have to use gmap to make my way there. Right now I am having trouble searching for the destination for lack of a code, and I also can't turn off that darn destination marker!

 

In the file Flight.cfg (in <user>Appdata/Roaming/Microsoft/Flight) look for...

 

[PointOfInterestSystem]

VisibleSetting=0

 

If you set the value to "1" the destination marker is disabled.

 

Once you discover the power of configuration file editing, you will probably want to just associate the .cfg file extension with Notepad. :)

 

The World Nav Data clearly shows everything on the map.

 

Now, you know what you're doing, don't you?

 

You're moving away from VOR radio nav, into the GPS age.

Considering that Alaska's weather makes VOR reception unusable much of the time, because of the altitude required to pick them up (getting into IMC conditions), the accident rate was very high. This is why the Capstone project was put into effect. The idea was to equip all Alaska based aircraft with moving map GPS.

http://www.planeandp...apstone-project

 

Your pics, are much like the portable GPS used in my RV. This pic is mearly hitting the direct to button from a point near my present location. In reality, for multi-state cross country mountain trips, I lay out everything with pencil & ruler on a current sectional map. I then use on line flight planners, and print out a log. From that, I can enter airports, navaid locations, and waypoints into the GPS. I'll seldom fly "complete" established VOR airway routes.........as I prefer points of interest that I select. More than not, plans will be a combination of airways, mountain passes, and just where I want to go. The GPS is very accurate.

 

In the RV:

 

Note: just noticed this when I posted the pic. At my aircraft's exact location, there is actually a mountain ridge right below. It's hard to tell with the airplane symbol above it. Around 12 years ago, or so............two pilots (one a CFI) were flying in total darkness from CDC to DTA. The plan was to open an instrument flight plan in flight. They forgot about the "one mountain" range in between. They were using a very old GPS that had just a line to follow, and no terrain. Flying at 8500', they hit the mountain ridge, without a seconds notice. It was so dark, they didn't see it at all. Lucky for them, they both survived, and cell phones worked. As you can see, with my GPS, the mountain would be hard to miss. A warning square will pop up with large red blinking "X's", as well as an audio warning in the headphones. The "green" at the top of the screen is rain showers. This weather is uplinked from XM weather. The boundries on the left are military restricted areas. Nice to know exact boundries. At least within 3 feet.

Very interesting article... I was not familiar with the ADS-B network. Thanks for sharing!

is there a way of searching for an airport in gmap without the code?

 

I've been using PlanG again. I can leave it running, minimized, and it has a "Find" function (magnifying glass in upper left corner) where you can enter the name of the airport, and it will give you the ICAO code, then minimize it again. Workaround for now.

Hmmm...one thing that bugs me is that the job postings do not seem to give me the airport ID for the destination airport. they only provide the name of the airport. I am taking a job, going into my browser to AirNav, and getting the ICAO code..then searching for it within my gmap, and getting info like ILS frequencies, etc. is there a way of searching for an airport in gmap without the code?

My ideal would be to take a job, and have no destination marker at all anywhere, and I would basically have to use gmap to make my way there. Right now I am having trouble searching for the destination for lack of a code, and I also can't turn off that darn destination marker!

 

Yes, that is a problem. The easiest solution is to go to http://www.airnav.com/airports/ and enter the name of tha airport: this will lead you to the ICAO code. You can use that to find the airport in GMap.

 

This search function is btw a very welcome feature, some sort of bonus, because (as we all know) Flight has no option to search for an airport. So... if you look up the ICAO code and then search it with GMap (making sure it's disconnected temporarily), you will see where it is: then you can zoom out in GMap and THAT will help you find the actual airport on the Flight map (which you have to do obvioulsy if you want to take off there)! (I also use Plan-G which (of course) has a search option already, but for those who don't have Plan-G this workaround is nice.)

 

About the jobs: without GMap I think flying jobs is rather impossible in large parts of Alaska UNLESS you fly as high as you can as quickly as possible. The thing is: you are on an airport. You go to the Job board. You accept a job based on distance (I do) because you don't have a CLUE (well, I don't) where that destination airport is on the map... You also have no option to search it in Flight itself. So you simply accept a job but then you are faced with a destination marker (well, not me, of course) that is somewhere behind a lot of mountains (too high to pass so quickly) and a lot of possible passes... Which one to pick? You have no idea... The ingame map can't even be accessed but it wouldn't help you at all.

 

So I feel a bit sorry for those who don't know about GMap and still want to do jobs in Alaska. Seems as if the MS team didn't give this too much thought...?

 

If I want to do a job, I go to a random airport (which I pick in Plan-G, not Flight...) ,then I pick a job based on the distance, then I look for that destination in Plan-G and plan te flight which I load in GMap... In short: we need a better map and a flight planner in Flight.

 

Now, you know what you're doing, don't you?

 

You're moving away from VOR radio nav, into the GPS age.

 

LOL Yes, I know. However, I still use VOR for approaches and also for some flights if I see in Plan-G it can be done. I save GMap for low and slow through the valleys flight, which are impossible without a good map. (GMap still is a bit of an immersion killer, of course: I never liked and if possible never used popups in FSX either, but well... sometimes you have no choice).

name='LAdamson' timestamp='1341458966' post='2411439']

Now, you know what you're doing, don't you?

 

You're moving away from VOR radio nav, into the GPS age.

Considering that Alaska's weather makes VOR reception unusable much of the time, because of the altitude required to pick them up (getting into IMC conditions), the accident rate was very high. This is why the Capstone project was put into effect. The idea was to equip all Alaska based aircraft with moving map GPS.

http://www.planeandp...apstone-project

 

Your pics, are much like the portable GPS used in my RV. This pic is mearly hitting the direct to button from a point near my present location. In reality, for multi-state cross country mountain trips, I lay out everything with pencil & ruler on a current sectional map. I then use on line flight planners, and print out a log. From that, I can enter airports, navaid locations, and waypoints into the GPS. I'll seldom fly "complete" established VOR airway routes.........as I prefer points of interest that I select. More than not, plans will be a combination of airways, mountain passes, and just where I want to go. The GPS is very accurate.

 

In the RV:

 

Note: just noticed this when I posted the pic. At my aircraft's exact location, there is actually a mountain ridge right below. It's hard to tell with the airplane symbol above it. Around 12 years ago, or so............two pilots (one a CFI) were flying in total darkness from CDC to DTA. The plan was to open an instrument flight plan in flight. They forgot about the "one mountain" range in between. They were using a very old GPS that had just a line to follow, and no terrain. Flying at 8500', they hit the mountain ridge, without a seconds notice. It was so dark, they didn't see it at all. Lucky for them, they both survived, and cell phones worked. As you can see, with my GPS, the mountain would be hard to miss. A warning square will pop up with large red blinking "X's", as well as an audio warning in the headphones. The "green" at the top of the screen is rain showers. This weather is uplinked from XM weather. The boundries on the left are military restricted areas. Nice to know exact boundries. At least within 3 feet.

[/u]

nice picture . who makes that unit? and if posible can you get me the price also???

Jeroen, far from being an immersion killer, having a moving map always in sight is probably how a majority of real GA pilots are flying now. Moving Maps with GPS make navigation finally easy - "just follow the magenta line". As Larry points out, you can have airspace restrictions, terrain avoidance, and even weather on the screen. This is the way to go.

 

There is nothing wrong with learning to navigate with navaids like VOR. But, it is not as efficient or as easy as a moving map with GPS.

 

Best regards.

Luis

Jeroen, far from being an immersion killer, having a moving map always in sight is probably how a majority of real GA pilots are flying now. Moving Maps with GPS make navigation finally easy - "just follow the magenta line". As Larry points out, you can have airspace restrictions, terrain avoidance, and even weather on the screen. This is the way to go.

 

There is nothing wrong with learning to navigate with navaids like VOR. But, it is not as efficient or as easy as a moving map with GPS.

 

Best regards.

Luis

 

O, no, don't get me wrong: it's not the moving map ITSELF that I would call an immersion killer: not at all! A POPUP window is, however! Well, to me it is. In FSX I NEVER ever used popup windows (the last few years): if the VC (which I never left during a flight) did not have a GPS in it, I wouldn't use a GPS. SImple as that. Having to use a shortcut to call up a GPS (or any other device) is an immersion killer for me because it doesn't look real to have a flat 2D instrument in my view... In FSX I went so far to not buy some planes because they didn't have the instruments I wanted in the VC itself. No matter how good the included popup was, I wouldn't buy it.

If you set the value to "1" the destination marker is disabled

 

Works perfect, thank you.

nice picture . who makes that unit? and if posible can you get me the price also???

 

That's a Garmin 696. Since it's been replaced by the 7xx touch screen series, they're on the much cheaper side these days.