Pocket PC on the flight deck

Hi all,
I just read my latest Aviation Consumer and AOPA Pilot. I have been in
search of a backup option for my attitude indicator. I have inquired and
looked at the electric AIs. The responses were luke warm to the quality
of the AIs. If I am spending $2000 for an instrument I expect it to work
period.
The Articles could not have come at a better time. I love the idea of
spending a little more and getting a multi function system.
The mini/Micro efis's on the pocket pc seems like a great idea! I can
run moving map software and the EFIS at the same time as well as do some
pre-flight planning and get weather too!

The legal aspects are few. In an emergency the rule book is out the
window. so It can be use d to get you down if necessary.

Michelle
--

Michelle P ATP-ASEL, CP-AMEL, and AMT-A&P

"Elisabeth" a Maule M-7-235B (no two are alike)

Volunteer Pilot, Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic

Volunteer Builder, Habitat for Humanity

The legal aspects are few. In an emergency the rule book is out the
window. so It can be use d to get you down if necessary.

These devices sound terrific.

Can anyone post a "real-world" PIREP?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

I did alot of research recently into this and since I already have the
Anywhere Map system I leaned towards their offerings. Their AI from all
accounts looks really good. Only reason I didnt get it is the wiring: I
currently am wireless between the GPS and the PocketPC (Bluetooth), this
doesnt work with their AI or WX system, but it probably is something they
are working on. But figuring wireless is not an issue and you dont care
about the wires, which arent that bad, you could have the AI under your
seat, a wire going out of it into your PocketPC, the other going to the GPS,
the battery in the AI would back-up both the PPC and the GPS in case of
total electrical failure - it all sounds good. The AI and GPS software work
seamlessly together.
As far as the WX they offer, its through a satphone, and it also is not
bluetooth, yet. I'm not totally sold on it, and for the price I'm not sure
of its worth unless you dabble alot in IFR conditions, which I avoid as I'm
mostly always single pilot. Anyway, check out www.controlvision.com , I'm
pretty happy with them as a company so far, always improving software,
always there to answer questions, and the stuff I have works pretty darn
good.
Chris

Chris,
Which make and model are you using? It looks like the higher end
Compaq's are the way to go.
Michelle

SeeAndAvoid wrote:

I did alot of research recently into this and since I already have the
Anywhere Map system I leaned towards their offerings. Their AI from all
accounts looks really good. Only reason I didnt get it is the wiring: I
currently am wireless between the GPS and the PocketPC (Bluetooth), this
doesnt work with their AI or WX system, but it probably is something they
are working on. But figuring wireless is not an issue and you dont care
about the wires, which arent that bad, you could have the AI under your
seat, a wire going out of it into your PocketPC, the other going to the GPS,
the battery in the AI would back-up both the PPC and the GPS in case of
total electrical failure - it all sounds good. The AI and GPS software work
seamlessly together.
As far as the WX they offer, its through a satphone, and it also is not
bluetooth, yet. I'm not totally sold on it, and for the price I'm not sure
of its worth unless you dabble alot in IFR conditions, which I avoid as I'm
mostly always single pilot. Anyway, check out www.controlvision.com , I'm
pretty happy with them as a company so far, always improving software,
always there to answer questions, and the stuff I have works pretty darn
good.
Chris





--

Michelle P ATP-ASEL, CP-AMEL, and AMT-A&P

"Elisabeth" a Maule M-7-235B (no two are alike)

Volunteer Pilot, Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic

Volunteer Builder, Habitat for Humanity

Michelle, Other sites to look at for Palm and Pocket PC programs
(different like Mac and PC) are as follows:

http://www.palmflying.com/palmefmm.html

and

http://www.palmaviation.com/software.../palm_soft.htm

This site has Palm and PocketPC nav programs listed.

I believe that as long as the GPS unit can output NMEA 0183 data that
will work. Some PDAs accept a GPS module but that form factor may or
may not work with a computer. Plus you need reasonable visibility to
GPS satellites so a PDA mounted on a yoke with integral GPS module may
not perform ideally.

Ron Lee

Those little palm-things are fine for smooth air.
Just wait until you really need it and are bouncing up and down and
sideways trying to hit a little box on the screen with the stylus.

I have the HP (no more Compaq) Ipaq 5555 and Controlvisions Tracker Blue
GPS. It's a wireless bluetooth GPS with WAAS. While they say its line of
sight and limited in range, I've had it work through two floors in my house
and at opposite ends. In the airplane the gps doesnt point directly at the
Ipaq, the gps is towards the very front and out of sight, but it never
hiccups.

For now though the AI/WX don't work if you use bluetooth gps. If you go
totally wired, all three integrate together fine. Hiding the wires was
never a problem when I had them.

The software has a rough air interface giving you larger buttons. Even in
moderate turbulence I rarely use them though and once your flight plan is
set up you don't fool with the unit much. Maybe you zoom in or out, but you
dont have to touch the screen for that. It's not an issue.

As far as the neverending MS slamming, this program froze ONCE on me in two
years, and it probably wasn't the operating system. And even if you need to
reboot everything it's not like rebooting a PC, it only takes one push on
the bottom of the unit and its back up and ready to go. This is a backup
system, all of it, the AI/WX/Moving Map. Would I trust WinXP as the PRIMARY
system as it is now? I'd be hesitant. But this isnt a primary system.

As far as PocketPC's, I love mine, I'm on my second (wife inherited the
first and likes it alot). Some like the PalmOS better, and Garmin makes
their IQue that uses the PalmOS and has a moving map and built in GPS.
There are lots of programs out there, aviation and others, for the Palm,
including EFIS types. At the time of my decision I didnt like Palms
handwriting recognition, you had to use their Grafitti, which is special
characters. With PPC, you just wrote like you normally do, and the latest
OS is even better at deciphering your writing no matter how sloppy.

You probably need to go out and use each kind, see what you like. But also
decide on which aviation software you prefer as they are usually made for
one OS or the other, not both. Waiting for anything from Apple would be
like waiting for hell to freeze over. And as usual there'd be only a couple
of overpriced choices with no support after a few years.

So, how would it operate? Turn it on (AI/Moving Map), leave it on, and
enjoy. The AI would automatically display itself over the moving map in
case a spiral is detected. If all electrical is lost, the AI would power
the Ipaq and the GPS for longer than you'd choose to stay in the air if it
were to happen, and probably longer than your tanks would give you. If
you're in total darkness the Ipaq would be backlit with the moving map and
AI at your disposal. If you want WX you can easily add it, and in case of
emergency you have a working satphone to make voice calls. Dont take my
word for it, check out their website and their user forums. And once
again, I dont work for them, just a satisfied customer.

Chris

Jay,
My problem is that I have no clue about a pocket PC. They look useful
but I am clueless about the internal and the workings. I have made a
couple of trips to the Store and done some searching on the net even hit
the manufactures websites. I have little information other than I can
connect a GPS to is and the EFIS offerings. I was thinking Bluetooth
between the GPS and the Pocket PC but as another netter has mentioned
this is not currently working?
I would like a GPS that I can use for both the Pocket PC and my PowerBook G4
Michelle

Jay Honeck wrote:

The legal aspects are few. In an emergency the rule book is out the
window. so It can be use d to get you down if necessary.



These devices sound terrific.

Can anyone post a "real-world" PIREP?



--

Michelle P ATP-ASEL, CP-AMEL, and AMT-A&P

"Elisabeth" a Maule M-7-235B (no two are alike)

Volunteer Pilot, Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic

Volunteer Builder, Habitat for Humanity

I also noted that the product will 'PopUp' (forced focus) if your attitude
gets out of whack. Good feature!

--

Thx, {|;-)

Victor J. (Jim) Osborne, Jr.



take off my shoes to reply

Michelle P wrote:

Hi all,
I just read my latest Aviation Consumer and AOPA Pilot. I have been in
search of a backup option for my attitude indicator. I have inquired and
looked at the electric AIs. The responses were luke warm to the quality
of the AIs. If I am spending $2000 for an instrument I expect it to work
period.
The Articles could not have come at a better time. I love the idea of
spending a little more and getting a multi function system.
The mini/Micro efis's on the pocket pc seems like a great idea! I can
run moving map software and the EFIS at the same time as well as do some
pre-flight planning and get weather too!

The legal aspects are few. In an emergency the rule book is out the
window. so It can be use d to get you down if necessary.

Michelle

It sounds great except for how you would actually use it in an ACTUAL
emergency.

1) Your flying along as an IFR pilot in the soup when suddenly you AI
goes out. This is not the time to reach into your flight bad and pull
out your laptop or PDA and boot it up.

2) Your flying along as an VFR pilot and inadvertently end up in the
soup while at the same time your AI goes out. This really is not the
time to reach into your flight bad and pull out your laptop or PDA and
boot it up.

3) You leave the laptop or PDA on for the whole flight. Maybe it's
conveniently clamped to your yoke. An hour into the flight you end up
into the soup but fortunately you have your PDA all booted up and ready
to go.

Option 3 sounds like it would work, except for this plan to work
effectively. It would have to be mounted and running at all times. This
is an inconvenient location for me to install stand by stuff, and I
think it would end up being in the bag when really needed, see option #1
and #2. This is what makes the back up electrical AI more appealing to
me. On at all times and out of the way.

John Roncallo