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Selecting an EFB app

When I got my license, there was no such thing as a smartphone, let alone an iPad. During my flying hiatus, I was aware that electronic flight bag apps for smartphones and tablets had come into being, but I never had the need to check them out. Once I decided to get current again, one of the first things I started looking at was the selection of EFB apps available for both iOS and Android devices.

Because I didn't want to commit to a subscription plan right away, I started out looking at the zero-cost options that were available. I settled on FltPlan Go, which is available for both iOS and Android devices. I could run it on my iPad Pro, and on my Android phone, though the Android version lacks a couple of features that the iOS version has. It works pretty well, and is relatively feature-rich. It's support for ADS-B is actually pretty nice, and the iOS version even has audible traffic alerts if another aircraft comes close enough. It only says the word "traffic" over and over again, though. I wish it included more information, like direction, distance, and altitude. The Garmin GTN 650 in the rental plane includes that, and it's really nice. Even so, it works great with my Stratux ADS-B receiver. But so do a lot of EFB apps.

Although it works pretty well, and is probably good enough for now, it does seem a bit unpolished. I wanted to see if any of the other apps available would suit me better. Of course, Foreflight is the daddy, the one that everyone (at least in the US) thinks of first when the topic of EFB apps comes up. I've heard a lot of good things about it, and I may still check it out in the near future.

Another app that has been recommended to me is Garmin Pilot. However, my understanding is that it is somewhat more proprietary than Foreflight, and my understanding is that it does not work with any ADS-B receivers other than those from Garmin. So that pretty much rules it out immediately.

To start, I've decided to try out FlyQ from Seattle Avionics. I've heard it compares well to Foreflight, and other popular apps, and one of their big selling points is that you are no more than two taps from any information you need. The pricing model appears a bit better than Foreflight's, in that it costs a bit less and the basic/VFR subscription plan provides a couple of features you don't get with Foreflight's basic plan. Take synthetic vision for example. Not that I should actually need it, since I'll be flying VFR, but if I ever mess up and end up in IFR conditions, it'll be helpful.

Like many such apps, FlyQ offers a 30-day free trial, which I started today. Hopefully I'll be able to fly once or twice during the trial period.

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