going paperless with the iPad

[TXDA2000]

Jeppesen is working on being competively priced, just not the way we'd all like it to go.

 

[ttflyer]

WingX takes about the same time to download than the charts as on the Jepp application. The total download for the complete WingX application might be a little longer because the application does a hell of a lot more than just charts.

WingX chart subscription 75.00 per year.
Jeppesen FD/TC chart subsciption well over 1000.00 per year.

You use who you want but the download time is the same. I've used both; your download time is severerly slowed or sped-up by the current speed of your internet connection.

I wish Jeppesen would get in the game and offer a competitive price (even triple the cost over competitors would keep a long-time customer, however they don't seem to want to budge).

Now...if WingX would just hurry up and get the Nexrad up and running it would be the perfect aviation app.

WingX is actually $99 per year. Foreflight is $75... But both of these prices are for a single license. Jepp gives you four site licenses with each Jeppview subscription. So, unless your a two pilot operation, Jepp is not way out of line.

For four pilots:
Jepp = about $900 per year
WingX = about $400 per year
Foreflight = about $350 per year

So it's about $500 hundred bucks a year (or one trip to the Atlantic/Signature/Sheltair of your choice) more for Jepp. For us, that's worth it - mostly for the ease with updates.

BTW, I have all three. Jepp FD takes about 3-5mins to update. WingX takes about 30mins (if I only download Hi/Lo/Sectionals - no terminal charts!) and Foreflight takes literally a couple of hours and several GB of data... And my internet connect is not slow. Just things to consider.

 

[stupidpilot]

Thanks for all the comments everyone. I would obviously prefer to use Jepps as well but from what I heard they are alot more money than the govt. charts. According to our research, the Jepp subscription is only about $100 less per year versus the paper subscription of the same. The govt. charts are so much cheaper, the iPads would pay for themselves in a couple of years and then we would be saving money. With the Jepps, it would be many, many years before the savings would pay off the iPads.

You work for a company that owns an aircraft worth millions and they're worried about a $1000 expense? I'm wary of owners that penny pinch to that extent.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

You work for a company that owns an aircraft worth millions and they're worried about a $1000 expense? I'm wary of owners that penny pinch to that extent.

from my experience....quite often its not the owners, but the pilots/department managers themselves who over-analyze things such as this.

I have seen $75 dinners analyzed and scrutinized for hours yet Universal is paid $9000 to run a London/Paris trip. Go figure.

But I agree, if you have issues getting a few iPads with Jeppview into a budget, you have problems. Happy, dedicated employees save you a lot more money than an overbearing manager.

 

[semperfido]

from my experience....quite often its not the owners, but the pilots/department managers themselves who over-analyze things such as this.

I have seen $75 dinners analyzed and scrutinized for hours yet Universal is paid $9000 to run a London/Paris trip. Go figure.

But I agree, if you have issues getting a few iPads with Jeppview into a budget, you have problems. Happy, dedicated employees save you a lot more money than an overbearing manager.

Ain't that the truth. We love our pads.

 

[stupidpilot]

from my experience....quite often its not the owners, but the pilots/department managers themselves who over-analyze things such as this.

I have seen $75 dinners analyzed and scrutinized for hours yet Universal is paid $9000 to run a London/Paris trip. Go figure.

But I agree, if you have issues getting a few iPads with Jeppview into a budget, you have problems. Happy, dedicated employees save you a lot more money than an overbearing manager.

Can't argue with you there.

 

[OState597]

No matter what chart software you end up using, the situational awareness that the iPad will give you is priceless. I was used to Jepp binders as well from the 121 world, but I've gotten used to the new plates on the iPad. Let me tell you, when you see your little blue airplane flying around on the approach plate view, and driving down the taxiway on your 10-9 chart, you'll grin every time. In regards to the arrival and approach plate not showing together on the iPad, there is some truth to that (at least with ForeFlight) but rarely is an issue. The Seavu arrival into LAX came to mind when I first read that, as I remembered how fixes on the end of the arrival to ILS25L (for example) overlapped onto the approach plate for 25L (Jepp paper). And also with Foreflight, I found it odd that the SIDs and STARs were the only display that doesn't show the little aircraft icon moving along the airway. Where as all the High Enroutes, approach plates and taxi diagrams show your jet trucking right along.

And with anything digital, just get used to having them fully charged all the time. The geo-positioning feature hits the battery pretty hard, and you may or may not have an AC Charger plug in your cockpit. I personally am an Apple fan, but as anyone here with at least an iPhone knows, sometimes they freeze up and requite the "hard reset." I have had an iPad act up once or twice up there, but nothing limiting. Someone mentioned it above, but it is easy to print off the charts, which I have done on occasion in crazy-busy environments just in case.

 

[TimsKeeper]

wingx

the wingx app is 99 a year. the chart subscription is 75.

 

[Bleeds On]

And also with Foreflight, I found it odd that the SIDs and STARs were the only display that doesn't show the little aircraft icon moving along the airway.

STARs and DPs are often not drawn to scale.

 

[ttflyer]

the wingx app is 99 a year. the chart subscription is 75.

Actually, the wingx app includes approach charts, so it's $99 per year with charts. If you want those charts "geo-refereanced", you have to pay "Seattle Avionics" an additional $75 per year for that capability with wingx.

So Wingx for four pilots = $400; With "geo-referancing", it's $700....

 

[OState597]

STARs and DPs are often not drawn to scale.

Ahhh good point...That would be the reason!

 

[Hugh Johnson]

STARs and DPs are often not drawn to scale.

SIDS and STARS are not geo-referenced.

 

[Bleeds On]

SIDS and STARS are not geo-referenced.

Not sure if that was an attempt to correct me or what. Let me rephrase...Because the charts are not drawn to scale, you can't georeference the chart.

 

[Hugh Johnson]

Tomato's/Tomahtoes! I think I said the same thing, wasn't correcting, can't spell anyway and I don't correct anyone.

 

[Bleeds On]

That's cool. Guess my panties were in a bunch after dealing with half the people I did today.
Back on topic...As of today I've decided to back off of Jepp TC/FD for charts. Not sure if others have had the problems we've had. I.e., we did an update in Moscow only to find they decided our subscription was expired and wiped out all our charts from the iPad. Anyone who's tried to call Jepp for service knows you'll sit on hold for 45 minutes listening to that awesome beat. It's best to go online and do the chat thing, but don't expect that in Russia. Long story short, we've had more problems with their electronic charting than anything. Not the app's fault but something in their IT dept. To their benefit, their download times have Foreflight beat. Badly.