It also took some work and expense to keep the nav databases current. These portable GPS systems were a nice-to-have accessory in the cockpit, but didn’t replace paper charts or provide much in the way of preflight weather or trip planning. Garmin dominated this segment with a variety of hardware options and screen sizes, with its products selling for as much as $2,500. The Rise of the iPadīefore the iPad’s introduction in 2010, pilots primarily relied on handheld GPS receivers to provide supplemental airport data and a moving map in the cockpit. They’ve also grown to offer international chart and trip support thanks to partnerships with Jeppesen and Eurocontrol. Both apps have all the features and capabilities to feel right at home in the cockpit of a student pilot learning to fly, while simultaneously meeting the needs of professional pilots flying turbine airplanes. When you break it down, though, the real question you should be asking is which app is best for you.

The mission of both apps has also grown from electronic chart display to full flight planning and substituting as an integrated avionics system - and now they can do more than many certified avionics products. It didn’t take long after the Wright brothers’ first flight for pilots to form strong opinions in aviation, and today you won’t find a more hotly debated topic than which iPad app is best for pilots: ForeFlight Mobile or Garmin Pilot.Īviation-app developers have come and gone since the iPad was released in 2010, and there are just a handful of single-solution apps used by pilots today, with ForeFlight and Garmin Pilot at the top of that list. Stop by your favorite general aviation airport and you are likely to find pilots in a spirited discussion, defending the merits of low-wing versus high-wing airplanes, or north-up versus track-up on a moving-map display.

Universal fms trainer app