Demand for useing your cell phone as gps device for flying?

Hi,

being a private pilot since 2003 I always wanted to use gps for flying.
I learned flying in san diego in between of all these class bravo and
the mexico border. So before my solo x-country a got a e-trex which was
all right for the purpose. But after typing a set of waypoints into the
e-trex my fingertips began to hurt.
A year later I purchased a hp ipaq and a Bluetooth gps which I use for
car navigation, too. For flying I used ozi-explorer with scanned
sectional charts. Not to bad for flying, but while I get busy flying
it's hard to use the little pen and the sectional maps becoming hard
to read on the display.
A pilot friend showed me his garmin gps. I like the way of setting my
route by typing the letter-codes of airports, vor and other waypoints.
But since I'm flying just about 20h a year in my varation, it's
seems too expensive to me.
So being a software developer I tried to build my own solution. It's
a software written in .net wich makes it possible to use on any device
providing .net runtime. I got a new cell-phone wich is a windows mobile
phone. So I use a windows cell-phone, but it's also possible to use a
pda or a tablet pc.
The idea is: As a vfr pilot I plan my trips using the charts, draw my
route using waypoints. Then I type these waypoints into my cell phone a
have my route programmed. So I have two options: typing a letter code
(KSAN or OCN), or giving coordinates like in a e-trex). Setting a route
with about 5 to 10 waypoints is not big job.
While flying you get these informations:
- A display of your situation concerning your route in form of an HSI
display (your heading, your course as an arrow and your deviation).
- A Map view, where you see waypoints (airports, vor) and airspaces
around you.
- Numeric information about your position (coordinates), altitude and
groundspeed
When displaying an airfield, its not just a static symbol, you see the
runway directions and length four your situation awareness. When
displaying airspaces, these airspaces a displayed red when your alt is
in between the airspace altitude boundaries (very helpful in southern
california class bravo mess).

I used it in november and it worked for me. On sunny days it's
sometimes hard to see the details, but that's the same with pda
solutions.

Screenshots:
http://62.141.38.86/Snap002.jpg
http://62.141.38.86/Snap003.jpg

So I would like to read your opinions. Would you like to use such a
system?
Since I don't monitor the group often, please add my mailadress as cc:
ml2_lankenaus.de (replace _ with @)

I can provide a version for testing. You would need a windows mobile
2003 (or newer) cell phone and a Bluetooth gps. It's possible to try
the software with MS Flight Simulator. I used that feature for
development time.

To be honest, I'm planning to improve and sell the software, if I see
the demand is there. Price should be between 25-50$

Regards
Komischeszeichen

I personally wouldn't find it of any interest.
--
Gene Seibel
Gene & Sue's Aeroplanes - http://pad39a.com/gene/planes.html
Because we fly, we envy no one.

While flying you get these informations:
- A display of your situation concerning your route in form of an HSI
display (your heading, your course as an arrow and your deviation).
- A Map view, where you see waypoints (airports, vor) and airspaces
around you.

Interesting idea, but...

I haven't seen a cell phone with a big enough screen to double as a GPS
display in the plane. The ones that *do* have a big enough screen would not
be useable (IMO) as a cell phone.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Hi Jay,

the displays used in windows smartphones are pretty large:
http://www.pocket.at/smartphone/smartpics/qtek8020.jpg
I stick the phone on the front-window just left of upper panel area
(pa28). You don't need to move forward to see the
HSI and your lateral position. To see details you might need a closer
look.

regards
Komischeszeichen

I fly in areas with no cell phone coverage... so now how to get the gps
coords from the cell phone signal...

what is wrong with pilotage and map reading anyway... that still works when
the batteries die..

BT

"komischeszeichen" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi Jay,

the displays used in windows smartphones are pretty large:
http://www.pocket.at/smartphone/smartpics/qtek8020.jpg
I stick the phone on the front-window just left of upper panel area
(pa28). You don't need to move forward to see the
HSI and your lateral position. To see details you might need a closer
look.

regards
Komischeszeichen

Hi BTIZ,

you don't need cell phone coverage. The phone uses an external blutooth
gps.
There is nothing wrong with pilotage!

Komischeszeichen

I for one think it sounds cool. I would look into marketing your software.
Who know, it could make you rich.

--
John Huthmaker

http://www.cogentnetworking.com
"komischeszeichen" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi,

being a private pilot since 2003 I always wanted to use gps for flying.
I learned flying in san diego in between of all these class bravo and
the mexico border. So before my solo x-country a got a e-trex which was
all right for the purpose. But after typing a set of waypoints into the
e-trex my fingertips began to hurt.
A year later I purchased a hp ipaq and a Bluetooth gps which I use for
car navigation, too. For flying I used ozi-explorer with scanned
sectional charts. Not to bad for flying, but while I get busy flying
it's hard to use the little pen and the sectional maps becoming hard
to read on the display.
A pilot friend showed me his garmin gps. I like the way of setting my
route by typing the letter-codes of airports, vor and other waypoints.
But since I'm flying just about 20h a year in my varation, it's
seems too expensive to me.
So being a software developer I tried to build my own solution. It's
a software written in .net wich makes it possible to use on any device
providing .net runtime. I got a new cell-phone wich is a windows mobile
phone. So I use a windows cell-phone, but it's also possible to use a
pda or a tablet pc.
The idea is: As a vfr pilot I plan my trips using the charts, draw my
route using waypoints. Then I type these waypoints into my cell phone a
have my route programmed. So I have two options: typing a letter code
(KSAN or OCN), or giving coordinates like in a e-trex). Setting a route
with about 5 to 10 waypoints is not big job.
While flying you get these informations:
- A display of your situation concerning your route in form of an HSI
display (your heading, your course as an arrow and your deviation).
- A Map view, where you see waypoints (airports, vor) and airspaces
around you.
- Numeric information about your position (coordinates), altitude and
groundspeed
When displaying an airfield, its not just a static symbol, you see the
runway directions and length four your situation awareness. When
displaying airspaces, these airspaces a displayed red when your alt is
in between the airspace altitude boundaries (very helpful in southern
california class bravo mess).

I used it in november and it worked for me. On sunny days it's
sometimes hard to see the details, but that's the same with pda
solutions.

Screenshots:
http://62.141.38.86/Snap002.jpg
http://62.141.38.86/Snap003.jpg

So I would like to read your opinions. Would you like to use such a
system?
Since I don't monitor the group often, please add my mailadress as cc:
ml2_lankenaus.de (replace _ with @)

I can provide a version for testing. You would need a windows mobile
2003 (or newer) cell phone and a Bluetooth gps. It's possible to try
the software with MS Flight Simulator. I used that feature for
development time.

To be honest, I'm planning to improve and sell the software, if I see
the demand is there. Price should be between 25-50$

Regards
Komischeszeichen

On 10 Dec 2005 05:13:25 -0800, "komischeszeichen"
wrote in .com::

Would you like to use such a system?

Will your software run on this Windows Mobile™ Pocket PC phone running
Windows Mobile 5.0:
http://www.alltel.com/business/wirel...ovox/6700.html
http://www.mobiletechreview.com/Sprint-PPC-6700.htm
http://www1.sprintpcs.com/explore/Ph...=1134231393809

the displays used in windows smartphones are pretty large:
http://www.pocket.at/smartphone/smartpics/qtek8020.jpg

Hee hee!

You are clearly under age 40.

At 47, any screen less than five inches diagonally is problematic...

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Hi Larray,

it realy should run on that device. The text behind the first link
said, it has bluetooth. But
I don't have experience with Windows Mobile 2005 so I can't make
promises. If you have such
a Device, we can try to make it work...

The Device seem to be be a phone as well. I just would like to make
clear: The software
don't need the cell phone feature. It runs on PDA without phone as
well.

regards
Komischeszeichen

Larry Dighera schrieb:

On 10 Dec 2005 05:13:25 -0800, "komischeszeichen"
wrote in .com::

Would you like to use such a system?

Will your software run on this Windows Mobile™ Pocket PC phone running
Windows Mobile 5.0:
http://www.alltel.com/business/wirel...ovox/6700.html
http://www.mobiletechreview.com/Sprint-PPC-6700.htm
http://www1.sprintpcs.com/explore/Ph...=1134231393809