This is kind of cool with all the talk of simulators of late

[Gig 601XL Builder]

http://www.appareo.com/php/product.php?product=7?osadcampaign=Avweb&cr=SoRealYoullBeReachingForTheStick&kw=banner

[Thomas Borchert]

Gig,

that would be a waste of money IMHO. To do pretty much the same
yourself: Use http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/ (and possibly
http://www.gpsbabel.org/ before) to convert your GPS track file to a
kml file and open that in Google Earth - presto!

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

[Al G[_1_]]

"Thomas Borchert" > wrote in message
...
> Gig,
>
> that would be a waste of money IMHO. To do pretty much the same
> yourself: Use http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/ (and possibly
> http://www.gpsbabel.org/ before) to convert your GPS track file to a
> kml file and open that in Google Earth - presto!
>
> --
> Thomas Borchert (EDDH)
>

That would work, but the Appareo folks have fine tuned the interface
quite a bit. I did some beta test work with this software, and found it easy
to use. I used my old etrex, flew with an instrument student, and then
played back the flight during debrief. There are lots of views, chase plane,
pilots view, overhead, etc. Of course the aircraft used can be changed, so
when you look from the chase plane, you see your type aircraft. I could come
in from a flight, plug in the etrex, and in 1 minute be reviewing the
flight, much as it looked from the aircraft. Be advised, many GPS's will not
track satellites properly while the aircraft is inverted. This may lead to a
gap in playback ability.

Al G

[Thomas Borchert]

Al,

> Be advised, many GPS's will not
> track satellites properly while the aircraft is inverted.
>

More importantly for most applications: Several GPS's will not record
altitude with track.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

[Al G[_1_]]

"Thomas Borchert" > wrote in message
...
> Al,
>
>> Be advised, many GPS's will not
>> track satellites properly while the aircraft is inverted.
>>
>
> More importantly for most applications: Several GPS's will not record
> altitude with track.
>
> --
> Thomas Borchert (EDDH)
>

Really? Even my old yellow etrex does that.

More interesting to me would be a way to download a track(w/ altitude),
from Garmins 430/530. Most of the folks I fly with have one, but we couldn't
find anyway of getting the data out.

Al G

[Mxsmanic]

Very cool, although I don't think the GPS would be accurate enough to
reproduce take-offs and landings in good detail. Minor changes in the
aircraft's position might not be obvious, either, and of course you'd
have no idea of the aircraft's attitude. I presume the flight
recorder option would give more information (I hope).

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

[Thomas Borchert]

Al,

> More interesting to me would be a way to download a track(w/ altitude),
> from Garmins 430/530. Most of the folks I fly with have one, but we couldn't
> find anyway of getting the data out.
>

The main reason for that would be that it doesn't store tracks. Oh wait, you're
talking about recording standard NMEA sentences while in flight? That should be
possible with an RS-232 plug installed, but I am not really sure.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

[Thomas Borchert]

Mxsmanic,

> I don't think the GPS would be accurate enough to
> reproduce take-offs and landings in good detail.
>

You think wrongly. Again.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

[Thomas Borchert]

Mxsmanic,

Oh, as an addendum to my last post, I can send you a .kml file for
Google Earth showing a track of one of my instrument training flights
in the Hamburg area, if you are interested. But I guess you have a
policy against taking files from strangers, too.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)