AirNav VFR - what happens when the charts expire?

[rdarby]

Does anyone use this?

 

I want to get all the charts, so that I can look at different parts of the country and plan out future trips. Since it can take a year to build up to a major trip to say Birdsville, I want to be able to plan on expired charts and then update the ones I need just before I go.

 

That way I can subscribe to those for my local area only, and just get an upgrade to them all when needed.

 

But their site isn't clear on this, and I have been told you can't use the VTC's and VNC's at all in the software if expired?

 

Anyone know?

 

Thanks

 

Ryan

 

 

[Bruce Robbins]

G'Day Ryan,

 

I use AirNav. In my version the software just refuses to load once the maps have expired. You cannot even look at old flight plans.

 

Bruce

 

 

[rdarby]

Thanks Bruce. I must say that sucks, but I can understand the legal reasons for it.

 

I think I may buy a bunch of WAC's in paper form and use them.

 

BTW, I did some googling and apparantly someone described a patch to the software that lets it load but only use certain parts when it expires. They said contact Sentient about it, but this was a post from years ago. Ryan

 

 

[Tomo]

You could try this - http://www.ivfr.net/

 

 

[ossie]

try turning the clock on your pc back

 

 

[Guest Andys@coffs]

try turning the clock on your pc back

and disconnecting from the net...if your connected then the start up may well use the standard clock sync routine with internet time servers and that gets undone before you can try it....

Andy

 

 

[Spriteah]

I've given up on the software but from memory I think the WAC continues to work but vnc vtc won't. Might be cheaper to buy an iPad and get ozrunways!

 

 

[rdarby]

I've put OzRunways on my iPhone. I downloaded the whole country's WAC's onto it for a month trial. I've ordered a bluetooth GPS to go with it. I even did some planning on it. It's actually pretty good. I plan on using it as a backup only, and still using my paper maps, so I think it will be fine for that. And it's a lot cheaper than AirNav VFR.

 

I did order a demo version of AirNav and will see what it's like.

 

So farI have worked out that OzRunways is more for the maps (which are a much cheaper subscription) and for use on an iPhone to turn it into a GPS, and AirNav VFR is more for planning, but OzRunways let me, on the iPhone only, do a basic plan. I just can't print, add frequencies and notes etc. At least not that I could see, but I won't need to. I will get a cheap way to have a little plane moving along a line to show me if I'm lost, and to see if I'm about to get into Amberly Airspace again.

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

Sentient claim in their license that their license with Airservices for use of the maps prohibits use of expired maps, so that is the reason for disabling their use when they expire.

 

I like Airnav VFR, but only subscribe to the one map pack, as that covers all my flying. For that, and what it does, it is good value.

 

Your situation would seem to be better suited to paper maps for planning a one off trip into areas you probably won't fly over again.

 

Google Earth is pretty handy too, as an adjunct, and you can draw route overlays as well as putting place markers on the map. All saved in a file on your PC that can be loaded onto another PC if needed.

 

I've also used small screenshots from Google Earth in a drawing package to make my own DAPs for landing strips that aren't in ERSA.

 

 

[kaz3g]

I've put OzRunways on my iPhone. ....I will get a cheap way to have a little plane moving along a line to show me if I'm lost, and to see if I'm about to get into Amberly Airspace again.

Oh dear!

 

I'm not whiter than white, either darbs. Years ago I did a trip to Hamilton. I went into Essendon first then around the south of the Melbourne CBD, cut up through Altona to KMart and then to Bacchus, or so I thought. Got a bit stressed between SNP and the Bridge and then mistook Toyota for KMart so turned north-west a tad early and climbed across the corner of Melbourne CTA. 2500 when I should have been 1500...not pretty!

 

I have had a GPS with me ever since. Still use the paper charts with clock and compass, but check myself against the magic box all the time.

 

kaz

 

 

[rdarby]

They were very nice about it too! It was a murky day, I thought it was okay when I set out but I got into difficulties. I had a back door as I could see my way to the sea, but not North, and was wondering around looking for TV Towers and listening to them calling an aircraft in the wrong place, and then I went cold and realised it was me. They offered me navigational assistance and basically realised they had a lost idiot on their hands and were quite polite about it all!

 

The moral is, if in doubt call up ATC or whatever centre you are near and ask for help. Very nice guys. I think we in RAA think that because we can't fly in their space, they think we are naughty children, but it isn't like that, they are happy to help, and someone to talk to can help calm you down!

 

My bluetooth GPS arrives late in the week apparantly, so I am going to test it out on Sunday.

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

I run AirNav on a touchscreen notebook on the dash with a bluetooth GPS. May plan an upgrade to a Windows tablet sometime this yearDo the flight plan on my desktop.. then transfer it to the notebook for the flight. ...

Perhaps you could login to Sentient's web site support forum and vote for or second my request for an ability to export a flight plan for import to another instance of Airnav VFR.

Currently, transfer of a flight plan to another instance is not supported.

 

It is possible to do it, but only if you have the knowledge to use a text editor to change indexes and references in the ".pln" file and you also merge the user waypoints and aircraft definitions files from each instance of the program. Takes quite a bit of in detail technical analysis of the program's data files, structures and relationships. Even the logic of the process is not as simple as you may think. It could not be done without interactive user input to answer merge questions that the utility would have to present.

 

It could be achieved with an external utility, but it would be better if Sentient simply provided a Plan Export and a Plan Import feature.