ForeFlight now supports synthetic vision on iPhone
ForeFlight released version 10.5 today, adding a few highly sought after features. Most notably, this update brings synthetic vision to the iPhone, allowing pilots to use one of the most popular iPad features in ForeFlight on the smaller screen.
Since we first started flying with the iPad, we’ve highly recommended the use of an iPhone as a reliable backup for charts and navigation data. Now, as the iPhone screen size continues to grow, it makes even more sense to keep an iPhone in the cockpit as not only a backup device, but as a tool to supplement flight data. In fact, with the aging iPad mini, many pilots with smaller cockpits have turned to the iPhone as their go-to device for charts and moving maps in the cockpit.
ForeFlight version 10.5 now supports the same synthetic vision we’ve come to love on the iPad. We’ve heard many requests from pilots for this feature so they can run a backup attitude on their iPhone while saving valuable real estate on their tablet screen for aviation maps, approach charts, and critical flight planning information.
As with the synthetic vision on the iPad, once paired with an AHRS-capable ADS-B receiver like Stratus, dynamic pitch and bank visualization becomes available. 3D traffic targets will also be visible when connected to a compatible ADS-B receiver. (Read our buyer’s guide for details on portable ADS-B equipment.) The iPhone also supports Glance Mode, allowing you to swipe within Synthetic Vision to view terrain and traffic in any direction.
Unlike synthetic vision on the iPad, there is no split-screen option. This makes sense though, as you’d really only want to use this feature in full screen. It requires at least an iPhone 6 or newer, so no support for smaller phones like the iPhone 5, 5s or SE. Another limitation on the iPhone is that there are no airspeed or altitude tapes, but you can still overlay the instrument readouts at the bottom of the screen if desired. Synthetic vision on iPad or iPhone requires a Pro Plus subscription or higher.
In addition to synthetic vision on iPhone, ForeFlight slipped in a few other features. Logbook entries now display your flight route on an interactive map. The route is drawn on the Aeronautical Map layer and even zooming down to view taxi movements on the airport diagram is displayed. When the logbook entry is associated with a TrackLog, ForeFlight will depict the actual route; otherwise, the planned route will be shown.
ForeFlight also added the ability to share navlog and flight plan information as a PDF using the “send-to” option from the Flights tab. The update adds a new step climb feature that will let you know when a step climb is required to reach a planned flight’s final cruise altitude, by adding indicators in the Route Advisor, Altitude Advisor, and the flight plan filing form. Lastly, ForeFlight now supports full native resolution of the new 11″ and 12.9″ iPad Pro.
When will ForeFlight support synthetic vision on Android phones?
If an iPhone/iPad can detect altitude,lay/lon position, obstacle clearance, ground speed,relative attitudes all on its own, why would you need another device to run synthetic vision??
An external device is not required for synthetic vision to work on either the iPad or iPhone. If you want pitch and bank attitude information then you’ll need to connect to a compatible AHRS input.
Meant to say lat/lon but this “smart” phone changed it to lay. Maybe that’s the answer to my question! Lol
These apple devices already have accelerometer’s on board and will detect pitch and roll.
Someone has it figured out already I see. Not sure how well it works but check out openflightsolutions. Devices also have internal gyroscope
Oops. I guess they use another “box” as well. But back to my original question as I thought this phone already knows everything about what attitude it is in?
Requires a premium subscription.