I-Fly ... often w/o it : {

[skypilot007]

Admittedly not a techie, ive paid for ifly for several yrs now & rarely seem to use it. The continual acknowlegement requiring tapping to remove them, superimposed on each other, + alerts that my maps are out of date, those giant red chevrons indicating imminent in flight collisions, when theres not a planes in sight, just result, especially in a bit of turbulence, in too much pecking at the glass ... & not enough outside visual scanning for my taste.
Mine often goes off line somewhere in the flight, resulting in a need to close the app & reboot ???
Would be nice to have a choice for a simple screen, user customizeable for traffic only, optional alerts, w/ smaller traffic conflict symbols & a choice down to < 1 mile. I dont need or want to know whos 3 mi. behind me exiting to my 16:00, or hitting a nav. fix 2k above me.

 

[Tony Bolstad]

Admittedly not a techie, ive paid for ifly for several yrs now & rarely seem to use it. The continual acknowlegement requiring tapping to remove them, superimposed on each other, + alerts that my maps are out of date, those giant red chevrons indicating imminent in flight collisions, when theres not a planes in sight, just result, especially in a bit of turbulence, in too much pecking at the glass ... & not enough outside visual scanning for my taste.
Mine often goes off line somewhere in the flight, resulting in a need to close the app & reboot ???
Would be nice to have a choice for a simple screen, user customizeable for traffic only, optional alerts, w/ smaller traffic conflict symbols & a choice down to < 1 mile. I dont need or want to know whos 3 mi. behind me exiting to my 16:00, or hitting a nav. fix 2k above me.

Skypilot, here are a few settings that might help get you a very minimal looking screen and minimize some of the alerts that are bothering you:

• map out of date warnings - nothing you can do there except to update your charts. This alert is a good thing to help make sure you have most curret information and is probably an iFly liability thing
• menu, setup, Alerts and warnings
  • Airspace Alerts, Alert Modes - click on each of the 8 items and select Do Not Alert for each one
  • Terrain Alerts
    • uncheck Terrain Alerts and Obstruction Alerts
    • select Map Highlights, uncheck show highlights on map
    • select Reduce Alerting when approaching..., uncheck enable airport zone alert
    • alert Thresholds, select Relaxed
  • Traffic Alerts
    • uncheck Enable Traffic alerts if you don't want info about any traffic near you (it really is there even if you don't visually spot it. I've heard planes in the pattern and can see them on iFly but haven't been able to visually spot them until they are on final, even though I know where to look for them at. Our eyes are not as good as we think).
      • if you want only most critical then leave traffic alerts checked then set the alert thresholds to 2nm and vertical clearance to 2500 ft
      • Under the Select Alert Thresholds Options click on the Help Me? option to get an explanation of how to set things
      • the traffic alert is currently a hockey puck that you define the size of and you will get an alert on any traffic in that space, even if not on a converging course.
    • leave the check mark ON for filter ghost traffic (that's usually your plane)
  • Vertical Speed to target settings
    • select Alert Mode, select Do Not Alert
  • AHRS Alerts
    • select pitch threshold, select Disabled
    • select roll threshold, select Disabled
• menu, setup, Map Settings
  • SUA Display modes
    • go through each of the 7 SUA types and set to hidden if you don't want to see any shading (I personally like Shaded/Outlined on all of mine)
    • If you're always flying down low put a check mark on the Hide SUA above 10,000'
  • Uncheck Enable Auto Taxi
  • Uncheck Auto-show apt Diagrams
• close all menus and on the main map page select the Inst Group icon then select Blank
• on the main screen select Map Mode button:
  • uncheck Nexrad
  • uncheck Terrain Highlights
  • uncheck airmet/sigmet
  • uncheck traffic
  • uncheck obstructions

I have ifly loaded on windows, android phone, android tablet and an iPad Mini4 and have not had any shutdowns other than one of the beta test versions a while back that we were all testing out. Never a shutdown in flight. Maybe force a refresh from the play/app store to make sure you have the latest version.

Tony

 

[Cobra]

Tony's answer is pretty comprehensive. In short, there are many customization options available to help you dial-in the level of alerting you prefer.

As for "simple display", try this: From the main map display, tap Map Mode, then select "Vector" near the top of the menu, and see if you like that better.

 

[Gatormyk]

Admittedly not a techie, ive paid for ifly for several yrs now & rarely seem to use it. The continual acknowlegement requiring tapping to remove them, superimposed on each other, + alerts that my maps are out of date, those giant red chevrons indicating imminent in flight collisions, when theres not a planes in sight, just result, especially in a bit of turbulence, in too much pecking at the glass ... & not enough outside visual scanning for my taste.
Mine often goes off line somewhere in the flight, resulting in a need to close the app & reboot ???
Would be nice to have a choice for a simple screen, user customizeable for traffic only, optional alerts, w/ smaller traffic conflict symbols & a choice down to < 1 mile. I dont need or want to know whos 3 mi. behind me exiting to my 16:00, or hitting a nav. fix 2k above me.

Good for you for making looking outside the aircraft your priority and recognizing that an electronic device is distracting you from that. Use of the device is completely optional but recommended due to the situational awareness it can provide a pilot which can improve overall safety. An app can distract you from the number 1 priority of the pilot, which is to fly the plane, but only if you let it. That being said, the app can be made to be less distracting if you are finding certain things about the app is distracting you in flight... such as flooding you with too much data and constant pop-up notifications that ask you to acknowledge by tapping.

The app is extremely configurable and can achieve the simplicity you wish. If that is a screen shot of your app set up it seems that your "Instrument Group" setup is very simple with only 6 instruments visible. You can also opt to turn them off altogether. If you find the VFR map/chart too "busy", try the "Vector" Map Mode. I often cruise with the Vector map with "Track Up" setting (Track Up/North Up button it lower right of map). While in the "Map Mode" selection menu, you can also turn off some or all of the additional artifacts you don't want to see on the map. For the least cluttered map, turn off everything except maybe "Traffic" if that is all you wish to see. In Vector map mode, much less detail and data is displayed on the screen and anything readable with letters and numbers always appear right-side up. In Vector map mode, I also find ADS-B Traffic icons are more visible. In Track Up mode, when you are moving in flight your "own ship" icon will move closer to the bottom of the screen displaying more information about what is in front of you and less about what is behind you. You can also use the zoom buttons (the big "+" and "-" buttons in the lower right of the screen to adjust the distance visible on the map. Often for me when attempting to tap an airport to get information about that airport, there may be a Traffic icon so close to the airport that I accidentally tap that instead of the airport. In that situation, I go to Map Mode and uncheck the Traffic option, then return to the map and wait few moments then tap the airport and get the info I need. Afterward, I go back into Map Mode and reenable the Traffic option (very important to remember to go back and do this if you wish to see ADS-B traffic on the map again).

To manage pop-up notifications requiring you to tap something on the screen, go to Menu > Settings > Alerts and Warnings. You can adjust the criteria for when those occur (usually a horizontal and vertical distance setting). You can turn off/on the pop-up notifications for Terrain, Obstruction & Traffic with a single checkbox. For Airspace, Vertical Speed to Target and AHRS alerts, you have to go in and turn those off for each item within those categories. Timers will generate a pop-up notification but you don't seem to have any of those configured (from your screenshot).

I hope this helps! In the end even after configuring the app to be balanced between utility and distraction, if you find it too distracting during critical phases of flight remove the distraction either by ignoring it, turning the screen off or shutting it down altogether. You can always turn it back on later when you need it.

 

[skypilot007]

Just want to put out a big thankyou to all who responded, Im going to read & hopefully understand this advice before I pull back & meet the sunrise this am ...I'll bring my i-pad & try some of your advice. I know this can bring additional safety to my flying, once I focus and apply myself...increasingly difficult I must add as I approach maturity (mid 60's !), I know I need to do my part, so it can do its.
Thnx again. John.

A wildlife watering device I coordinated using helo. & volunteers, back in the 90's .. dry rugged mtns w. of gila bend az.

 

[skypilot007]

Im also going to upload fresh charts this am, & yes the vector map is typically what I use in flight, tho never in the pattern, I have disabled a number of the alerts, esp. the terrain feature, as i only fly (litesport) vfr on bluebird days. It'd be nice to have a parachute jump area alert tho for x-country flights, tho I brief the sectional paper chart b4 any of those.

Again, thankyou & tailwinds.

 

[skypilot007]

... well back on tierra firma, dang it ! Pity prem mogas is as expensive as the blue juice nowadaze... oh well, oligarchs haf2 fuel their yachts w/ a bit o profit eh !
I reload fresh charts, reset my settings down to 2 mi/2.5 k, make my plane icon smaller (goes from big to tiny !), put her on vector map...

So, im cruising under the bravo. fast approaching another busy class D, just e. of phx ... blue & red targets clustered above & in front ... and all of a sudden i realize, my icon aint moving, pad indicates a -2 knts grnd speed ... hhmm, i hit the home screen, reload ifly, no change ... I talk to tower get vectored thru their AS up near the top, & continue norte. Pads indicating weak gps signal ... wt- el, it does better than this in my friggn house, weak isnt none! I finally exit the app & give it a few & restart it, whoola, now i have a dialog box telling me I have 24 daze left on my scrip. & would I like to renew? It'd be funny if not so pathetic., I decline and mnge to hit the not now button ... & now some how GPS signal isnt an issue anymore & theirs blue targets all around ... it basically works fine for the remainder of the flight, the only red being me doing semi-steep turns. The self "ghost" takes alot of the fun & focus outta these manouvers.

Another not atypical experience w/ my ifly ...

 

[smoke]

I guess I should ask... What device are you using?

 

[Cobra]

GPS is a hardware thing. iFly uses what it gets, either from your tablet or (if available) from you attached ADSB receiver. If you're having intermittent GPS issues, don't blame iFly, blame your receiver. Look at where the GPS antenna is located, and see if you can give it a better view of the sky for better performance.

 

[Gatormyk]

... well back on tierra firma, dang it ! Pity prem mogas is as expensive as the blue juice nowadaze... oh well, oligarchs haf2 fuel their yachts w/ a bit o profit eh !
I reload fresh charts, reset my settings down to 2 mi/2.5 k, make my plane icon smaller (goes from big to tiny !), put her on vector map...

So, im cruising under the bravo. fast approaching another busy class D, just e. of phx ... blue & red targets clustered above & in front ... and all of a sudden i realize, my icon aint moving, pad indicates a -2 knts grnd speed ... hhmm, i hit the home screen, reload ifly, no change ... I talk to tower get vectored thru their AS up near the top, & continue norte. Pads indicating weak gps signal ... wt- el, it does better than this in my friggn house, weak isnt none! I finally exit the app & give it a few & restart it, whoola, now i have a dialog box telling me I have 24 daze left on my scrip. & would I like to renew? It'd be funny if not so pathetic., I decline and mnge to hit the not now button ... & now some how GPS signal isnt an issue anymore & theirs blue targets all around ... it basically works fine for the remainder of the flight, the only red being me doing semi-steep turns. The self "ghost" takes alot of the fun & focus outta these manouvers.

Another not atypical experience w/ my ifly ...

Ditto on what smoke asked... what device are you using to run iFlyEFB and what are you using for your ADS-B in?

 

[Don Norris]

I use the original Garmin Glo to feed GPS to any tablet I'm using since the first iPad Mini we had did not have GPS.

Garmin GLO™ 2 | BlueTooth GPS Receiver

The GLO™ 2 is a GPS and GLONASS receiver that serves up Garmin caliber GPS data on the mobile device of your choice via BlueTooth® wireless technology.

www.garmin.com

Others have recommended a Bad Elf GPS receiver, but I don't know which one.
Many ADS-B receivers also provide GPS location.

The only issues since using the Glo have been the tablets overheating and freezing or dying.

 

[skypilot007]

g' morning good peeps, Im using a new i-pad, the gps antenae is up on the dash w/ full exposure to the stars, have adsb in n out, (u-xx w/ "echo" something or other)
Bottom line for me is ifly is a very unreliable co-pilot, and its a shame i have to have the sectional open & available at a moments notice. The good news is that it forces me to flight plan & really think 2x, weather or not I want/need to fly over the metro rather than just head south, over farmland & open desert.

 

[Gatormyk]

g' morning good peeps, Im using a new i-pad, the gps antenae is up on the dash w/ full exposure to the stars, have adsb in n out, (u-xx w/ "echo" something or other)
Bottom line for me is ifly is a very unreliable co-pilot, and its a shame i have to have the sectional open & available at a moments notice. The good news is that it forces me to flight plan & really think 2x, weather or not I want/need to fly over the metro rather than just head south, over farmland & open desert.

I believe we're all trying to help but can find it difficult without knowing exactly the equipment you have and how they are connected. "u-xx w/ "echo" something or other" isn't anything I can decipher into an actual device. I can't imagine that your GPS antenna is connected to your iPad so I have to assume it is connected to something else... maybe the "u-xx w/ "echo" something or other".

Some electronic EFBs running on a third-party tablet using separate devices for GPS and ADS-B in do require the user to be adept in keeping all of the software and devices up-to-date at all times. If you find that the electronic EFB you're using is unreliable for you, by all means don't use it. Look for other solutions that might work better for you. If paper charts is what works best for you, use those instead. In the end, use whatever will make you the safest pilot you can be while flying an airplane.

I use an iPad Mini 6 currently running iOS 16.6.1 with iFlyEFB version 12.2.7. The only issue I have with the iPad Mini is overheating and shutting down when in direct sunlight for an extended period of time in a warm cockpit. That is a known issue with all iPads regardless of the EFB app running on them. I use an Appareo Stratus 3 which provides WAAS GPS and and is a dual band ADS-B in receiver. I don't use any external antennas connected to the Stratus. The Stratus is connected to my iPad Mini 6 via WiFi. This solution will work with or without ADS-B out and has worked for me without any of the issues you are describing.

 

[skypilot007]

g' Morning (mourning ! ) all, so heres the adsb system i'm working w/ & no my i pad is not hardwired to an antenna, not sure why you'd mention that, anyway to me, the impt. pt. is that while it obviously works some of the time, but normally, not all the time, thus it is of diminished value to me.
Conversely, My Ultra AV-Map AHI has never lost its GPS signal.

I appreciate your comments & assistance and am at a loss to understand our different experiences w/ ifly.

cheers / jg

 

[Don Maxwell]

John, you said earlier, "Im using a new i-pad, the gps antenae is up on the dash w/ full exposure to the stars, have adsb in n out, (u-xx w/ "echo" something or other)."

Skipping all the possible problems that list suggests, I'd think the best solution would be to use a recent iPad with the cell circuitry--which includes a reasonably accurate GPS. You don't have to activate the cell part, so the price of a bulletproof GPS is the hundred-and-some extra bucks for the cell hardware. (And that also lets the iPad get cell data via your phone's hotspot, which does the same thing as a cell contract and is "free.")

 

[Don Norris]

So, you are connecting the iPad to the WiFi from the EchoUAT, right?
Now, when you open iFly - click on Menu, then About, then Connected Devices.
Is the EchoUAT listed? if not, click "Select Wireless Device" at the bottom of the Connected Devices box. Can you find it?

 

[skypilot007]

Don M, the idea of buying another i pad doesnt appeal to me, but i am in process of getting a new i-phone (13) so mebbe i'll load the app on that as well, this i pad seems to have no problem accessing google earth & other gps based software, but it does not have cellular bundled in, it can use my existing i-fone for a hotspot tho.
Don N, next time im at the hangar, prolly sunday, I'll chk to see what the ifly is using for wi-fi, i had assumed it was the Echo, but el-if-i-know !
I'll report back so some other's might benefit from all this & again, mega-thnx to all, for your advice & inputs.

Heres me n' the tweetybird; A-240, w/ an A-220 on my starboard ... : }

 

[N854HC]

When you look for the Echo wifi signal it will probably not be identified as 'Echo' but will probably appear as 'Ping....'

Getting knowledgeable and proficient with theses modern tools take a bit more effort than paper charts.

Best, John

 

[skypilot007]

Yes, I recall when checking settings; that term "ping" was what my i-pad displayed in the wifi, choices, but just for an experiment, i'm going to try and use my i phone as a hot spot & see if that makes things better or worse. The Echo-UAT definitely has a cable that runs to a dorsal antenna mounted by the factory, so I expect that to be about as good as it gets ??
Re; your latter pt N, no argument, I just dont care for the time required w/ virtually all things digital, i bemoan giving up my comfortable (to use) landline, reduced to pecking away at tiny symbols like a friggn monkey, watching people nearly walk into propellers/traffic while txting ... Im just waiting for the younguns to take away our u-tube, and we have to watch faux ... oh no!
Anybuddy impressed w/ how hard the FAA has made getting into wings seminars ... like its a ntl security issue ... 90 day passwords 12 characters long ... yes I gave up on that too. The law of unintended consequences ...
I wouldn't trade my round gages for a glass panel + a 10 K rebate : }

 

[Walter Boyd]

SkyPilot,

With your antenna puck properly positioned, it's unlikely your Echo would lose a GPS lock (unless there is jamming taking place). But the WiFi connection from the Echo is another matter - it's a bit sketchy. We've seen other devices drop & reconnect wifi randomly on the Echo. If you see an issue where position is lost (look for the bright red "No GPS Position Lock" message at the top of the screen) you should either check your wifi status on your iPad, and reconnect to the Echo. Or you can touch Menu > Setup > ADSB, and this form will give you more details on the ADSB connection.

I agree it would be frustrating to buy another iPad just to have a backup GPS. You could also consider getting a bad-elf GPS, if iFly loses it's ADSB GPS lock, it would fail over to the other GPS.

-Walter

 

[Gatormyk]

SkyPilot,

With your antenna puck properly positioned, it's unlikely your Echo would lose a GPS lock (unless there is jamming taking place). But the WiFi connection from the Echo is another matter - it's a bit sketchy. We've seen other devices drop & reconnect wifi randomly on the Echo. If you see an issue where position is lost (look for the bright red "No GPS Position Lock" message at the top of the screen) you should either check your wifi status on your iPad, and reconnect to the Echo. Or you can touch Menu > Setup > ADSB, and this form will give you more details on the ADSB connection.

I agree it would be frustrating to buy another iPad just to have a backup GPS. You could also consider getting a bad-elf GPS, if iFly loses it's ADSB GPS lock, it would fail over to the other GPS.

-Walter

Great idea to have a backup GPS in case the primary GPS signal drops. For aviation use, I now only purchase tablets that have an internal GPS chip in them for this very reason. If an external GPS device fails, the internal GPS chip "should" take over. Most tablet internal GPS chips are not WAAS capable, but some GPS is better than no GPS.

 

[Cobra]

Most tablet internal GPS chips are not WAAS capable, but some GPS is better than no GPS.

Non-WAAS GPS is perfectly adequate for uncertified tablet applications, anyway. If the way you're using your tablet means an error of a few dozen feet makes a difference, you're using your tablet wrong.

 

[skypilot007]

Apparently, my i-fly got an "alert" to this discussion and decided it better start behaving ... like a garmin !
Yesterdaze flight was absolutely spot on, never froze up, the flight path retained in its entirety ... runways extended ... happy camper here, guess I'm gonna haf2 renew it : }
Mega thnx to all of you for your able assistance. John Gunn