ForeFlight improves flight planning in latest update

This month’s update to ForeFlight is now available and adds several new improvements and capabilities to the app. This includes improvements to the flight planning controls on the Maps screen, support for Civil Twilight, visual depiction of headwind/tailwind and groundspeed in the Map profile view, additional hazard altitude options, new VFR charts for North Africa Japan, and support for additional jet models in the Runway Analysis product.

Here’s a quick summary of what’s new based on subscription type, with full details included below:

Basic – Maps flight planning improvements, Civil Twilight support, additional hazard altitude options

Pro Plus – n/a

Performance Plus with Runway Analysis – headwind/tailwind in the Map profile view, Runway Analysis support for the Piper M700, Cessna Citation 550B Bravo, and Cessna Citation 560 V.

Flight planning updates

The first thing to check out is the updated layout of the flight planning drawer on the maps screen. First, you’ll see a new strip across the bottom with key flight information, like trip distance, ETE/ETA, fuel required, headwind/tailwind component, and more:

If you’re a Performance Plus customer, switch over the Profile view and tap the layers menu at the top right to select one of two new options: Headwind/Tailwind and Estimated Groundspeed.

The Headwind/Tailwind layer displays the forecast wind component at each altitude and color codes the more favorable forecast points in green. The Estimated Groundspeed shows similar data to help identify the most efficient altitude and also factors in airplane performance.

Because this data tends to get cluttered in the small frame size, ForeFlight added the option to expand the drawer vertically by tapping and dragging the thin gray control line at the bottom of the window up or down:

Civil twilight support

Pilots must consider several different nighttime criteria when flying in the dark. Going back to school, here are the definitions and how they apply to normal operations:

Passenger currency > Complete at least three takeoffs and landings in the preceding 90 days to a full stop from one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise.

Logging flight time at night > The time you’re in the air after the end of evening twilight and before morning twilight begins.

Aircraft position lights > They are required to be on between sunset and sunrise.

ForeFlight has always provided accurate sunset and sunrise data, but identifying the bookends of civil twilight required a Google search or borrowing an almanac from your favorite farmer. ForeFlight finally simplified this step and now includes this data with the existing solar information for airports:

ForeFlight’s solar information uses latitude and longitude to accurately calculate when the sun is 6° below the horizon, providing a more precise measurement for FAA night flight requirements.

What else is new

Additional Hazard Altitude Options – You can switch to new lower altitude limits when flying low and slow by going to Map Settings > Hazards > Hazard Altitudes > Low: 100’ / 500’.

New VFR Add-On Charts – ForeFlight added new VFR chart coverage for customers in North Africa and Japan

New Runway Analysis Support – ForeFlight’s advanced Runway Analysis product for turbine aircraft now supports the Piper M700, Cessna Citation 550B Bravo, and Cessna Citation 560 V.