Comparison of OzRunways vs. AvPlan EFB on iPad

[rgmwa]

OzRunways

 

rgmwa

 

 

[K-man]

Avplan for me.

 

 

[SDQDI]

Well instead of us all posting which one I reckon if we have ozr we hit agree on rgmwa and alternatively if we have avplan hit agree on k-man's post and then you will effectively have your poll:thumb up:

 

And as a side benefit rgmwa and k-man will get a boost in their "like" stats:victory:

 

 

[Doug Evans]

oz runway for me

 

 

[Jaba-who]

Ok I'm going to complicate everything.

 

I use both.

 

Personally I would like to stick with one and learn to drive it properly and get the most from one. Probably AVplan

 

But:

 

I fly in company with two other guys with their own aircraft and they prefer the different apps and are pretty adamant about continuing with just their favourite. When we plan our trips I share our plans with each and when we fly it's great to be able to see where each is on the screen for safety purposes. But that requires I run both on separate iPads.

 

So if you like you can put three of us down - 1 for each and 1 for both.

 

 

[Russ]

It's not "their favourite " app..........it's the best app. So get that into ya. (-:

 

 

[nickduncs84]

IFR guys like avplan. I've used both a lot and think OzR is far better for VFR. Enroute is much for muchness but if you go through the process of filing a flight and and doing a weather briefing for a long flight on both, I think you will find OzR a lot quicker and more intuitive

 

 

[dsam]

IFR guys like avplan. I've used both a lot and think OzR is far better for VFR. Enroute is much for muchness but if you go through the process of filing a flight and and doing a weather briefing for a long flight on both, I think you will find OzR a lot quicker and more intuitive

Not many have "a lot" of experience using both. Glad to hear from you on this. I'll never be doing IFR with my RPC, so it seems there's no pressing need to learn avplan, as I'm quite proficient with OzRunways (perhaps even a "power" user if I do say so myself ;-)

 

 

[Jaba-who]

IFR guys like avplan. I've used both a lot and think OzR is far better for VFR. Enroute is much for muchness but if you go through the process of filing a flight and and doing a weather briefing for a long flight on both, I think you will find OzR a lot quicker and more intuitive

I agree with your last line wholeheartedly. I find AVPlan very non-intuitive. But AVP does some things better than OzR - or it does them before ozrunways who then catch up but AVplan has moved on to something better. Biggest plus of AVP I had a few years ago was everything could be overlaid on one map so you didn't have to change maps at all or open boxes or frames or add stuff to a screen manually.

 

OZR has taken on most of that although it still does a crappy job of weather overlay on the screen map compared to AVP. But AVP retains that lack of intuitiveness.

 

I do a lot of flying but lately have not done much longer stuff where I need to actually have the iPad running at all. But I find when I do open AVP I have to sit and scratch my head a bit or open the manual ( when I can find it).

 

I used OzR the first time in over a year the other day to follow & keep SAR on previously mentioned mate when he was on a long trip and it was so easy to use. Also I noticed that at any one time there were always far more OzR users on the map than AVP users. ( Im meaning I had OZR on one iPad & AVP on another at the same time) That in itself makes me lean a bit toward OZR as I'm more likely going to spot someone closing in on me with OZR than AVP.

 

Just wish the two would get together and make both able to follow traffic/users of the other app. I'd revert to just one then.

 

I do have a question for OZR users which I haven't worked out. AVP lets me send a moving position map to Facebook or some other apps so that non-users of AVP can track me. Great for letting my partner know where I am when I'm flying. Does OZR let users do that?

 

 

[dsam]

https://tx.ozrunways.com

[Jaba-who]

https://tx.ozrunways.com

Thanks for that. Just what I wanted.

 

 

[Downunder]

I use ozrunways and have attended an avplan seminar.

 

I would say that for basic recreational and occasional flying Ozrunways is the go.

 

For professional vfr/ ifr or serious recreational users avplan would be better.

 

 

[Neil_S]

I use AVPlan, and have found it intuitive, I have not used OZRunways. The support I have got from Bev and the guys has been excellent - always a key point for any application for me.

 

I also like the AVPlan weather overlay and the Head Up Display that shows height AGL as well as altitude - useful for ensuring I keep 500 ft AGL over terrain, and potentially very useful if I had to make a forced landing.

 

I have used AVPlan for a trip from Archerfield in QLD to Penfield (Sunbury) in Victoria.

 

As commented before, they seem to leapfrog features, so it probably comes down to whichever you feel most comfortable with - both have a 30 day free trial.

 

HTH

 

Neil

 

 

[dlegg]

I found that with Oz I was able to set up a new aircraft, including w&b figures, in about 10 mins. Really easy. I tried to do the same thing with Avplan and simply gave up after about 1.5hrs in fustration. Ozrunways wins hands down.

 

 

[Jaba-who]

I found that with Oz I was able to set up a new aircraft, including w&b figures, in about 10 mins. Really easy. I tried to do the same thing with Avplan and simply gave up after about 1.5hrs in fustration. Ozrunways wins hands down.

Yep I agree.

I had to use the manual multiple times in AVP to set up my aircraft and it took quite a long time.

 

OZR - took me a little more than 10 minutes but not much and no need to drag open manual to do it.

 

 

[Nico13]

Hi all,

 

Well I'm the new guy on the block in this discussion only three hours into my training.

 

Having said that I'm a button pusher and just love the tech behind all this stuff so I decided to look at this stuff well in advance of needing it.

 

Downloaded OZ R for a start and had a bit of a play but a couple of days later my Instructor showed me AV Plan so I thought I'd look at that as well.

 

Now keep in mind I'm just using these in simulation type situations, I didn't or haven't given OZ R a good try as yet as a couple of things just didn't seem to work for me right off.

 

AV Plan on the other hand had everything just seem to fall into place and personally I found the interface quite intuitive and after three weeks of the trial I have only just downloaded the manual to look at.

 

On that note I do work with computers all day at work, eight screens and lord knows how many different programs, not an IT person but a Laboratory worker so that helps I guess.

 

Again having said all of that it would seem I should go back and have another look at OZ R and give it a fair trial before it runs out.

 

Thanks for all the comments, very helpful for me at this stage, looking forward to using one or the other in the not to distant future.

 

 

[Birdseye]

At this point I'd be focusing on using maps and learning the principles of navigation. Once you have those mastered then take a look at the electronic aids.

 

 

[dsam]

Since I started this thread mid 2015, I've been happy to stick with OzRunways, and for what it is worth I find the interface more intuitive.

 

Interestingly, I recently spent 20 hours in my cockpit on an outback excursion with a very experienced AvPlan user (also a beta tester for them, and an IFR pilot). At no time did I find that he had better situational awareness using AvPlan, than I had with OzRunways. Each of us could call up specific info whilst enroute without hesitation (eg. Met, aerodrome info, Weight & Balance etc. etc.)

 

Ultimately, we are fortunate in Australia to have two competitive products to choose from, each one keeping the other "honest" with the latest features.

 

I've concluded that one can use whichever interface one finds most intuitive. For me, that's been OzRunways.

 

 

[coljones]

The big biggy with both AvPlan and OzRunways is who is your mobile provider. There is nothing worse than being somewhere and getting zero bars and you want info on the pad now so you can get going on your way. I am biased but the Telstra network is by far the most extensive and covers vast swathes of Australia. The Telstra $140 2 year prepaid SIM gives you 16GB of data and can be rolled over. The other App to have is NAIPS which provides access to weather and Notams on the road.

 

Getting upfront and personal with a map, pencil and E6B will deliver you a much better big picture than any tablet. When you zoom in on a map you lose all the surroundings and when you zoom out you lose all the detail.

 

 

[dsam]

Yes, Telstra prepaid SIM is my recommendation too. I also prefer full size iPads, not mini, as I like having more map "real estate" so I don't need to zoom in & out so often to balance detail viewing with surrounding view.

 

Even so, an iPad on a kneeboard always beats juggling & re-folding paper maps, E6B, reading glasses, sunglasses, joystick etc. all in a small cockpit.

 

Note: make sure your sunglasses aren't polarised, or you'll have trouble seeing the iPad screen.

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

It's just like asking if you use iPhone or Android, people tend to be advocates for the one they use, which is generally the only one they have tried. Me, I use Avplan, greatest thing since sliced bread, my only criticism would be that it is a little heavy on power usage.

 

 

[Nico13]

At this point I'd be focusing on using maps and learning the principles of navigation. Once you have those mastered then take a look at the electronic aids.

Yes I most definitely agree with the learning process of the Maps and methodology first.

I was just looking at the software as you can learn a lot from the maps on there as I don't have maps of my own at this stage.

 

 

[Pearo]

Yes I most definitely agree with the learning process of the Maps and methodology first.I was just looking at the software as you can learn a lot from the maps on there as I don't have maps of my own at this stage.

I have started really using the iPad these days, but if I am doing a long flight into unfamiliar territory I still plan on paper and I still log positions on a paper map in conjunction with the iPad. This is a hangover from my sailing, I still like having my position logged on chart in case things go bad.

 

 

[Birdseye]

Yes I most definitely agree with the learning process of the Maps and methodology first.I was just looking at the software as you can learn a lot from the maps on there as I don't have maps of my own at this stage.

They are pretty much of a muchness; each has similar features and a bit of leap-frogging goes on in terms of adding features. The best advice I can give is not to subscribe from the Apple Store if you are using an iPad, it will cost you more than going to Ozrunways site, however I don't know about Avplan in that regard.

 

 

[Nico13]

I have started really using the iPad these days, but if I am doing a long flight into unfamiliar territory I still plan on paper and I still log positions on a paper map in conjunction with the iPad. This is a hangover from my sailing, I still like having my position logged on chart in case things go bad.

I'm a great believer in backups whatever they may be, a good tip thanks.

 

They are pretty much of a muchness; each has similar features and a bit of leap-frogging goes on in terms of adding features. The best advice I can give is not to subscribe from the Apple Store if you are using an iPad, it will cost you more than going to Ozrunways site, however I don't know about Avplan in that regard.

Yes thanks for the tip on price, I did know about OZ R website price and have just had a look at AV Plan and they offer a similar deal from their website, about a forty dollar saving for the VFR version.

 

Weather is looking good for Monday, its got to the point where I've booked two sessions a week for my lessons in the coming month as I was missing every second week because of weather.

 

Cheers guys,