Find and fix the long-standing bug with TFR displays

[Cobra]

This is not a new feature request, but since AP seems to be paying attention to this forum to determine priorities for resource allocation, and this has been a long-standing issue, I'm including it here.

Over the years, users have repeatedly pointed out times when active TFRs were not displayed on iFly GPS. This anomalous TFR behavior persists in the current version of iFly EFB.

iFly *does* display some TFRs--it consistently shows stadiums, for instance (even when no TFR is actually in effect), and also long-standing TFRs like the Bush Presidential TFR in Dallas. But short-term TFRs often don't appear, even when they're active.

I encourage users to post replies to this thread if/when they become aware of an active TFR that iFly is not displaying, to collect data to help with troubleshooting.

In the meantime, anyone who has observed this behavior, please click the "up" arrow to the right (or below, on mobile).

 

[Cobra]

There is documentation of this bug on the old forum site. (Not everyone will be able to see the second link below, but it should work for anyone who used to have access to the Beta forums there):

Displaying TFRs - iFly GPS for Android - iFly EFB

User Login

These are about the "Chinese balloon debris" TFR that was off the east coast for a while a few months ago. The second link shows a side-by-side compare where the TFR was clearly displayed on the skyvector.com website while it was active, but it did not appear on iFly GPS or iFly EFB.

Guess I can repost those images here:

Skyvector:


iFly (GPS and EFB look the same; GPS posted here):

 

[Cobra]

I have to admit, I tried to look for an example of this error today, and I couldn't identify an example of a TFR showing on Skyvector that wasn't displayed on iFly. So this problem may be subtle. (There's a reason it's persisted for years...)

However, I did find at least two quirks that should be addressed. Take a look at the border TFR in southeastern California:


Here's the FAA info on it. Note the times the TFR is active:


iFly has two issues associated with the details of this TFR:
1) When you first tap on the TFR, you'd think it's not active, because that's what iFly initially shows you:

You have to go to page 2 before you see that the TFR actually is active:


2) The daily active times shown by iFly don't match the FAA site.
FAA:


iFly:


Now, item 2 might be an FAA error, where the info provided via the channel iFly picks it up differs from what's published on the FAA website. But it's still worth investigating, and potentially reporting to the FAA if it's found to be their problem....

But item 1 is an obvious user interface error. iFly should always show the Active TFR information first, and any future TFR data on subsequent pages.

 

[Tony Bolstad]

I fly out of KPIL in southern Texas and I've noticed that there have been a few times that the TFR that is over the SpaceX facility east of Brownsville doesn't always show up when in flight even though it was there in Skyvector during my pre-flight planning. This may be an issue with the ADS-B stream. I'll watch for the discrepancy this summer and post here when I see it again.

Tony

 

[mstanton]

Thanks Cobra for keeping this "in front of mind"
(The Chinese balloon posting was mine.) Hopefully we'll see something on this soon.

 

[DRRhodes]

The quirk that I have noticed about the TFR issue is that if you update just prior to departue and that TFR is active it will be present on iFly, if you don't update, and the TFR becomes active while in flight, the ground ADSB IN signals to your recvr do not make it to , or get processed by the iFly , therefore iFly will NOT recognize that new piece of data short of a operator update.

 

[Cobra]

The quirk that I have noticed about the TFR issue is that if you update just prior to departue and that TFR is active it will be present on iFly, if you don't update, and the TFR becomes active while in flight, the ground ADSB IN signals to your recvr do not make it to , or get processed by the iFly , therefore iFly will NOT recognize that new piece of data short of a operator update.

Yeah, that might be part of the "subtlety" of this problem that makes it seem intermittent.

 

[mstanton]

I'm sure this is helpful information, but this TFR was active for about two weeks and never visible in the app...

 

[Chad]

I routinely see the issue with the launch TFRs in Central FL. Next launch I will post a pic.

 

[Chad]

Here are two that I just pulled today.

 

[Cobra]

Here are two that I just pulled today.

For those who have trouble reading the details like I did, that's KVAD on the left and KSPG on the right. As of the time I'm posting this, neither TFR appears to be active. Not sure if that's because they're only active during the daytime or if they've expired.

 

[Chad]

For those who have trouble reading the details like I did, that's KVAD on the left and KSPG on the right. As of the time I'm posting this, neither TFR appears to be active. Not sure if that's because they're only active during the daytime or if they've expired.

I should have pasted them higher res. The baseball game in St Pete is over and the TFR in Valdosta was for an event this weekend and is now over.

 

[Gatormyk]

This is not a new feature request, but since AP seems to be paying attention to this forum to determine priorities for resource allocation, and this has been a long-standing issue, I'm including it here.

Over the years, users have repeatedly pointed out times when active TFRs were not displayed on iFly GPS. This anomalous TFR behavior persists in the current version of iFly EFB.

iFly *does* display some TFRs--it consistently shows stadiums, for instance (even when no TFR is actually in effect), and also long-standing TFRs like the Bush Presidential TFR in Dallas. But short-term TFRs often don't appear, even when they're active.

I encourage users to post replies to this thread if/when they become aware of an active TFR that iFly is not displaying, to collect data to help with troubleshooting.

In the meantime, anyone who has observed this behavior, please click the "up" arrow to the right (or below, on mobile).

I requested something similar during the "original EFB" beta. I stated that with the implementation of TFRs in iFy, although a summary of the critical information of the TFR is perfect for the pilot at first glance (floor and ceiling, times active), since the pilot is ultimately accountable for entering a TFR by the FAA, the pilot should be able to read the full TFR as written by the FAA. This could be done by the pilot clicking on the "More Info" button when the TFR is selected. @Brian did mention back then that it would be implemented but I think it fell through the cracks with the EFB "new direction" decision.

 

[Brian]

This is not a new feature request, but since AP seems to be paying attention to this forum to determine priorities for resource allocation, and this has been a long-standing issue, I'm including it here.

Over the years, users have repeatedly pointed out times when active TFRs were not displayed on iFly GPS. This anomalous TFR behavior persists in the current version of iFly EFB.

iFly *does* display some TFRs--it consistently shows stadiums, for instance (even when no TFR is actually in effect), and also long-standing TFRs like the Bush Presidential TFR in Dallas. But short-term TFRs often don't appear, even when they're active.

I encourage users to post replies to this thread if/when they become aware of an active TFR that iFly is not displaying, to collect data to help with troubleshooting.

In the meantime, anyone who has observed this behavior, please click the "up" arrow to the right (or below, on mobile).

I also responded in other thread, and have added this thread link into our bug list to be fixed for iFly version 12.3/4.