David, would you consider to evaluate the Flyisfun (Link)?
Targeted at VFR flights, yet it has pretty impressive price/performance ratio. Long list of features includes navigation, moving terrain and topo maps, airspace warnings and plenty of others, with new features being added at a high pace.
Of course, if you do all your navigation IFR-style – including identifying visual reporting points etc by GPS reference only, then they are perfectly suitable. […] But I was referring to VFR flying.
Yes, what does VFR have to do with navigation by landmarks? I don’t see any advantage of 1930s style navigation over using the GPS and a moving map so I don’t do it. SkyDemon or a similar product is all I need for safe and enjoyable VFR flying. The main difficulty of VFR flying is airspace avoidance and there nothing beats a GPS.
IMHO contrary to what some pilots say a GPS is just as helpful in VFR flying as it is IFR. Of course, if you fly your Cub in 500 ft you might navigate by “landmarks”. But that’s about it, right? On any xcountry flight a GPS is extremely helpful in airspace avoidance etc., and I would never fly without one again. Or take the typical german traffic pattern to VFR fields: I see no chance to follow those without a good GPS (better: active charts).
Garmin are emphatically “in” and have been very supportive.
David, would you consider to evaluate the Flyisfun (Link)?
Am happy to consider it. It looks like it’s Android only, which will make the logistics a bit more tricky, so I might write that one up on a separate occasion. Indeed, I’m beginning to feel that I might have bitten off a rather bigger chew than I had first thought. I am contemplating splitting it in to two – the most logical being and IFR focus versus a VFR one. I’ll keep you all posted.
As for SkyDemon, they were fine with the idea that I’d do a review and suggested that I borrow a copy of it from someone else, so I don’t think they don’t want to be compared. They just wouldn’t support it or provide a licence for this purpose.
Just doing a compilation of all the available apps for this purpose would be helpful.
IMHO contrary to what some pilots say a GPS is just as helpful in VFR flying as it is IFR.
I’m not saying that a GPS isn’t helpful for VFR flying. Of course it is. What I am saying is that you shouldn’t fly VFR without proper charts and that proper charts should permit visual navigation.
I’m not saying that a GPS isn’t helpful for VFR flying. Of course it is. What I am saying is that you shouldn’t fly VFR without proper charts and that proper charts should permit visual navigation.
I don’t agree. Where does VFR require navigation by landmarks (I presume this is what you mean by “visual navigation”)? GPS is all I need, as much as I do not have to be able to read a paper street map when driving a car but can rely entirely on my GPS. I do not see anything in SkyDemon et al that would make me want to carry any other charts. Charting mistakes aside but those can be found on paper as well. Ever since Jeppesen stopped their VFR maps, I consider the pan-European uniformness of SkyDemon to be safer and more useable than differing map layouts in each country.
Achima I have to agree with you, especially the differing charts across europe. SD has be an absolute saviour for me and the only thing I carry in paper form is what I have printed from SkyDemon. I perhaps should say that whilst I fly VFR (often “on top”) when out of site of the surface a paper chart is only of use in finding VOR, NDB etc or whatever you use for navigation. Perhaps AA is referring only to flights in sight of the surface and well away from any CAS that might be infinged inadvertantly.
the only thing I carry in paper form is what I have printed from SkyDemon
I think you are breaking the law by flying VFR without a proper chart and would have a problem if you get a ramp inspection.
I think you are breaking the law by flying VFR without a proper chart and would have a problem if you get a ramp inspection.
I can only answer based on German law: no, the law just requires “up to date and suitable maps”. There is no official map, Jeppesen (the standard for years) is by no means “official”. By using SkyDemon, an established product and keeping it up to date, I am absolutely in compliance.
I would be surprised if it was any different elsewhere.
The only paper I carry on board is the one to clean the oil dipstick. And the EASA license 
