ForeFlight questions for sim pilots

[lennie 48]

Hi Everyone

I don't know if this is the right forum or not?

Looking for some info from anyone using ForeFlight. I saw a youtube video recently of a sim pilot using this app. How do you use it with a sim? Is it worth $99 a year subscription? Do you have a mount for an IPad or use it on your lap?

I am flying mostly GA with twins, single engine, occasional flights with Saab 340 and old F-27s; I use the F1 FTN and am not capable with the 430 or G1000 or other GPS - FMS.; and want to stick with the GTN750/650s. Does ForeFlight add anything that the GTN doesn't?

Appreciate any replies, suggestions!!

[RRVyper 34]

I used Foreflight a few years ago but eventually found it too expensive and the coverage was limited (US, with Canada as an additional cost). It would make sense if you are a pilot and used it for its EFB capabilities when flying in real life, but just for flight sim, it's a pretty extravagant purchase (IMHO). For a free alternative you should check out FltPlan Go. I now just use Navigraph Charts.

Randy

Edit: Probably not the right forum, though.

Edited July 27, 2019 by RRVyper

[lennie 48]

Thanks Randy!

I wondered if they might have a sim price, more like 39.99 or something. Would make it more attractive!

[thibodba57 462]

Try giving WingX a shot.  I believe there's a trial membership., It's also significantly cheaper.

[longhorns3514 0]

I agree with Rob’s list of pros/cons. It is certainly not cheap but well worth it in my opinion. I run ForeFlight on an iPad mounted to my yoke and it’s been one of my favorite purchases for my sim set up to-date; it adds realism and brings some cool features to the table. 

I have since moved to the Performance Plus subscription but I believe that at one time, you could add synthetic vision to the base plan. I would highly recommend it...I have a lot of fun using it to land at ORBX’s KTEX when the weather isn’t quite perfect in the winter.

I set ForeFlight up with FSX Steam about 2 1/2 years ago and still use FSXFlight with P3Dv4 to connect the sim with ForeFlight.

If you want to use the “breadcrumbs” feature, make sure to turn off location services for ForeFlight in your iPad settings as FSXFlight takes care of that. I’ve found that sometimes the iPad sometimes very briefly loses its WiFi connection and a line goes straight from my sim position to my physical position at home. Small, but annoying.

Best Regards,

Drew

[scottb613 1,188]

Hi Folks,

If you use FSXFLIGHT as the means of coms between Foreflight and P3D - it will pass AI traffic data to Foreflight... 

https://fsxflight.com/

While I haven’t checked since Garmin bought FltPlan.com - FltPlan.com had a fine EFB that worked very well with P3D, XP, FSX and is absolutely free - it was the ONLY free source of georeferenced approach plates and taxi diagrams that we’ve ever had... It also supported Apple, Android, and WIndows tablets...

Take a look at “FltPlan GO” - Garmin bought them about a year ago - so I don’t know if it’s still available...

https://flttrack.fltplan.com/FltPlanInfo/FltPlan_Go-Android-iPad_Info.html

I’m currently using Garmin Pilot with P3D via XMAPSYv2 as that’s what I use in the RW...

https://secure.simmarket.com/m-kulke-xmapsy-v2.phtml

My hard case has a stand so I just prop it on my desk...

Regards,

Scott

Edited July 28, 2019 by scottb613

[scottb613 1,188]

11 hours ago, Rob_Ainscough said:

Not ability to detect "simulated" AI aircraft, I've requested this option but not a high priority for the development group ... it obviously does work with real world aircraft traffic with a transmitter/receiver (ADS-B) unit but that means one needs to be flying real world aircraft. 

Hi Rob,

FYI: See above for AI traffic with Foreflight...

Regards,

Scott

[lennie 48]

Thanks guys for this good info! Its what I was looking for. Rob, the video I saw was by Steveo1. I wonder if the community would contact ForeFlight and "encourage" a special price just for simulation? $99 would be ok, except its only for 1 year so a continuing cost, and as I understand it, only covers USA for this price?. I am thinking that I probably won't spring for it right now given that my 10 year old IPad not in current use probably won't handle it, and then another $500 purchase!

[lennie 48]

Thanks Rob, I am glad that you contacted ForeFlight. It was not around when i was an active pilot, and it certainly would have been a good addition to the flight deck. I do sim fly in the UK, Ireland and Europe so that combined cost is not something that i can put in the budget.

Kind regards,

Lennie

[tttocs 301]

On 7/28/2019 at 7:48 AM, scottb613 said:

While I haven’t checked since Garmin bought FltPlan.com - FltPlan.com had a fine EFB that worked very well with P3D, XP, FSX and is absolutely free - it was the ONLY free source of georeferenced approach plates and taxi diagrams that we’ve ever had... It also supported Apple, Android, and WIndows tablets...

Take a look at “FltPlan GO” - Garmin bought them about a year ago - so I don’t know if it’s still available...

Still going strong Scott, despite the buyout from Garmin.

I used ForeFlight for several years, but as I'm not actively flying IRL these days it became awfully hard to justify the cost.  The $99 price doesn't get you Canada, or geo-referenced charts so it gets expensive fast if you want those things.  I moved to FltPlan Go and haven't looked back.  Is ForeFlight better?  Yes - if I resume RW flying in the future I absolutely will pop for a US subscription, but for simming the differences aren't even close to being big enough to justify the expense for me.

It's free to try so you've got nothing to lose but a bit of set up time.  I highly recommend it.

Scott

[scottb613 1,188]

Hi Scott,

Good to hear - I used it for years and was concerned when I heard Garmin purchased them - Garmin usually does nothing for free... 

Oh - FYI - if anyone needs performance profiles for just about every GA or BizJet aircraft out there - FltPlan has a massive library available - which is also free !!! I used to create FSBuild profiles with them...

Regards,

Scott

[LesOReilly 176]

I use FltplanGO for real world flying -- Fltplan.com is the number one website for online flight plan filing.  It works here in Canada just fine for both VFR and IFR filing.  There are plenty of features on it that make be prefer it to Foreflight one of those being that I can download all maps and the full CFS to the device.  I don't have to "pack" the flight...

I have also found the flight planning aspect to be spot on...usually with in a minute or two and the Winds Aloft are always perfect....Now if you want something like that for the flight sim then yeah...Free makes it easier.  But even so in the Real world or the sim world I always go with Fltplan Go...