Bringing Kelly Up To Speed

In the "Anybody home" thread, our new oracle Kelly made the following statement:

It would be great to start a new thread of conversation with a specific topic you want covered. There are a lot of topics here making it almost impossible to read all of them.

I think that's fair.  There certainly is a lot of material here, and its not as if I went back through all of it when I joined.  In the spirit of cooperation, I am starting this thread so that members can post links to threads they think will provide Kelly (and by proxy, Avidyne) with our most important customer feedback.  I will collect a few personal favorites and post the links for her here.

Seattle Avionics as a potential database supplier
http://forums.avidyne.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1410&title=seattle-avionics-alternative-to-jeppesen

DavidBunin wrote: Suggestions for 10.2.1.0  http://forums.avidyne.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1256&title=suggestions-for-10210

DavidBunin wrote: I think that's fair.  There certainly is a lot of material here, and its not as if I went back through all of it when I joined.  In the spirit of cooperation, I am starting this thread so that members can post links to threads they think will provide Kelly (and by proxy, Avidyne) with our most important customer feedback.  I will collect a few personal favorites and post the links for her here.

I really don’t think gee-whiz enhancements or “nice to haves” should be the priority for Avidyne resources at this time.  They should be focused on bug fixes, working on feature commitments, and making folks whole who were promised capabilities and even paid money in advance. 

Thank you on plantain! (Boeing banana for the new folks, search on that)

I entirely concur on not combining multiple instances of waypoints together, like the FAF and missed hold point on opposing ILS/LOC approaches, when you entered them sequentially. You should allow multiple instances of the same waypoint, just add a spacing gap between each.

* Orest

With respect to combining waypoints, while there are legitimate reasons for the current design, we understand and agree that there are cases where it doesn't work out as you would expect.  We do not agree that it is a safety of flight issue, but we are actively working on a change that I think will address the issues and make the flight plan reflect the way that a pilot actually thinks about it.  I can't say what release it will be in, but it is a known, high-priority item on the list that's getting my personal attention.

Orest, I know you've been the plantain champion for a long time and, rest assured, we haven't been ignoring your pleas.  Indeed it was there in R9, but was based on the autopilot preselect altitude.  When the IFD-series came along, we didn't have access to that altitude value, so we disabled it.  However, as you've suggested, we could base it on the next altitude constraint in the flight plan after the active leg.  In software and in official documentation, we still call it "Range to Altitude Arc", but in conversation we always refer to it as "the banana", in your honor :)  Look for it in 10.2.1!

Someone call an ambulance - Orest is going to faint!

Seriously, it is great to see Avidyne implementing features suggested by readers.

AviSteve wrote: ....high-priority item on the list that's getting my personal attention.

Edited by oskrypuch - 13 Feb 2018 at 3:31pm

AviSteve wrote: With respect to combining waypoints, while there are legitimate reasons for the current design, we understand and agree that there are cases where it doesn't work out as you would expect.  We do not agree that it is a safety of flight issue, but we are actively working on a change that I think will address the issues and make the flight plan reflect the way that a pilot actually thinks about it.

brou0040 wrote: MysticCobra wrote: Is there any effort being made to port the IFD100 to Android, or is that idea dead? I hope not, I'm still hoping for it.

Edited by LANCE - 13 Feb 2018 at 7:34pm

MysticCobra wrote: I would still like an answer to my question.

Can we change the forum software so that Orest's flair reads "Plantain Champion" instead of "Senior Member"? Asking for a friend.

MysticCobra wrote: Is there any effort being made to port the IFD100 to Android, or is that idea dead?

LANCE wrote: I bought an iPad mini after the IFD100 came out - that's why I am supported.

brou0040 wrote: AviSteve wrote: brou0040 wrote: AviSteve wrote: With respect to combining waypoints, while there are legitimate reasons for the current design, we understand and agree that there are cases where it doesn't work out as you would expect.  We do not agree that it is a safety of flight issue, but we are actively working on a change that I think will address the issues and make the flight plan reflect the way that a pilot actually thinks about it. So we are on the same page, the IFD automatically combining waypoints can result in it removing the missed approach hold for the approach you are flying.  I provided an example where it replaced the missed approach hold with a HILPT of a subsequent approach, which looked similar to the missed that it deleted (to me this is dangerous because its easy not to realize the change), but it was on the wrong heading and 1500 feet lower than the missed hold you should have been flying. Because the hold/heading altitude were valid for the HILPT, you wouldn't hit a mountain, but you wouldn't be where ATC is expecting you to be for traffic separation.  The IFD providing guidance that doesn't match the published approaches is what I consider a safety of flight issue.   Do you not agree? We understand the issue; some effects are worse than others.  We ask continued patience and believe that you'll be pleased with the changes being implemented. I'm looking forward to seeing what you have in mind.  If you can say, is this something in the next major build or is the list for beyond that?

A good suggestion.

I like that suggestion!

Regards

Steve,

I would say that Avidyne has already "broken" that philosophy.  For one thing, having the small knob scroll the data block has been a requested feature here in the forums more than once, with what appeared to be positive acceptance from the company.

Also, if the Winds Aloft data is being presented, then the knobs already do two different things.  The big knob zooms the map, and the small knob runs through the W-A altitudes.

Given that the "one thing" precedent has already fallen away, I would add my voice to the chorus requesting that the small knob scroll the data blocks.

David

Ibraham wrote: Steve, On the FMS page, both knobs scroll the flight plan, to zoom the FMS FPL MAP view you must use touch screen. If on both the MAP and FMS/FPL screens, have one of the knobs to zoom and the other one to scroll, that way it will be same on both pages and provide more consistency. I keep trying to use the small knob to scroll the datablock on the map page! Ibrahim

No thank you!  That suggestion for the FMS/FPL Tab removes a key and important functionality, the ability to move around within a FP Block.  That affects selecting approaches, crossing restrictions, waypoints, and approach charts.  One knob is course, selecting data blocks, the other is fine, selecting options within the datablock.  This is important functionality, if removed, would damage the user interface and take away a feature, which makes the IFD such a great product.  And if you had one knob scroll both among and within datablocks, you would get nowhere fast trying to make a change to a flight plan.  I think the current setup is elegant and well thought out.

Gring wrote: There is another where you can select a waypoint within a datablocks and it will give you distance time and bearing.

I searched through the datablock options and found "Designated Waypoint".  That's a nice option I hadn't used.  Thanks!  That makes two.

LANCE wrote: When can we get the Visual Approach like Garmin has? http://newsroom.garmin.com/press-release/featured-releases/garmin-adds-visual-approach-guidance-gtn-650750-touchscreen-navigato

bobcain wrote: I updated my IFD440 today and all went well. Page 9, for/loc/gs 429, of configuration now offers format selection. It defaulted to VHF429. Should it remain or be changed?

paulr wrote: AviSteve wrote: LANCE wrote: When can we get the Visual Approach like Garmin has? http://newsroom.garmin.com/press-release/featured-releases/garmin-adds-visual-approach-guidance-gtn-650750-touchscreen-navigato Similar capability is on our radar, but no ETA yet. Yes please. My home field has no approach slope lights, so night ops are always a little more fun there than they need to be.

Edited by oskrypuch - 01 Mar 2018 at 9:29am

ddgates wrote: Orest, Since you are the proud father of the banana, would you post a picture of it on the Avidyne screen?