EFB stands for Electronic Flight Bag. An EFB provides everything you need for flight planning and navigation in the one handy device (iPad, iPhone, Android Tablet, Android phone).  This includes maps, airfield information, airspace documentation, flight planning and moving map GPS display.

In Australia, AvPlan EFB is a CASA approved paper replacement under CASR 175.295 [formerly CAR 233 1 (h)], which means you may fly without paper maps and charts.

iOS

We recommend a WiFi+Cellular iPad. This device has a built in GPS while the WiFi only iPads do not.

You do not require a data SIM to be installed for the GPS to function (although a data SIM is useful for updating weather forecasts etc when away from WiFi Access).

Storage-wise, we recommend purchasing 32Gb or higher.  New synthetic vision capabilities, plus the ability to operate in multiple countries means that many of our users are storing more and more important information.  AvPlan can run on a 16 Gb device, however very careful attention must be paid to regions/map options are downloaded.

Choosing between iPad (10 inch), iPad Mini (8 inch) or iPad Pro (10 or 12 inch) is a personal decision.  Most of the time, the choice of size comes down to ergonomics of the cockpit(s) you expect to fly in.  Ensure that the size of your iPad works well in the space – the last thing you’d want is your tablet getting in the way of an important procedure/switch/dial/lever/control column.

Android

We recommend the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, in either the 8 inch size or 10 inch size, or the Nexus 9 tablet.

We do not recommend any tablets based on an Intel Atom processor.

Make sure you are aware of the rules regarding EFB mounting in your country.

You have quite a few options (all are free!):

You can download one of our user manuals here –

http://www.avplan-efb.com/avplan/avplan-user-manual/#toggle-id-1

You can watch our online tutorials here –

http://www.avplan-efb.com/avplan/tutorials/#toggle-id-1

Or, you can book in for an available online demo also known as Webinar)  here –

http://www.avplan-efb.com/avplan/avplan-efb-events/#toggle-id-1

Any recently recorded webinars can be viewed here:

You can also contact our support team on –

support@avplan-efb.com

Yes, we do. The Android version is called AvPlan Lite and is available in the Google Play store. The thirty day free trial also applies to AvPlan Lite.  Should you like to proceed with purchasing AvPlan Lite after the trial, please visit our website’s store.

We are currently working on a full EFB version for Android, which is currently in beta and we aim to launch during 2018.

Not yet, but watch this space!

AvPlan strongly recommends you carry a second device and/or a portable charger as back up.  If not, current paper maps/charts/plates.

An AvPlan subscription covers one pilot for up to three of their devices – including any combination of tablets or phones, iOS or Android.

Yes you do need a GPS if you’d like to have a moving-map display.  Without GPS position updates, AvPlan EFB will purely be a paper replacement.  As AvPlan EFB stores all basic information requirements on your device, you’ll still at least be able to view static maps, airfield information, plus make and submit flight plans.

However, there are many wireless GPS devices on the market, made by companies such as Bad Elf, Dual and Garmin.

You can operate AvPlan without cellular data during flight, as AvPlan downloads and stores important information (weather/winds/NOTAMs etc.  i.e. the “must have” information) prior to you departing during your preflight planning. However, you will not be able to receive periodic weather data updates, or file a flight plan whilst aloft (i.e. the “nice to have” information).

Take off any covers that obscure viewing the back of the iPad.

Turn it over and look at the back of the device.

Look along the top of the iPad, between the power button and the headphone socket.

If it is only metal along the top of the device, it is a WiFi Only device.  (see below)

A WiFi+Cell will have a black or white bar running along the top of the device.

AvPlan provides multiple mechanisms to get printouts from AvPlan to your printer. AvPlan supports AirPrint, can send print files to another app (Some non AirPrint printers have apps in the App Store to print to them, or there are some generic printing apps in the App Store, such as Print Central Pro). Another option is email – AvPlan supports emailing printouts of your plan, loading, weather, ERSA and DAP pages anywhere.

The RNP2 boundary is defined in AIP GEN 3.3 paragraph 4.7.  See below:

AvPlan allows you to run your one subscription across three devices, and allows the subscription to run across multiple platforms, for example an iPad and two iPhones; or an iPad, an Android Tablet and an Android phone, etc.

This is very simple. Go to Settings > User Settings > Sync Flight Plans and/or Sync Aircraft.

Make sure you do this on each device to enable synching.

We have recently restructured our subscriptions to allow you to purchase different tier-levels of AvPlan according to your flight profile. AvPlan Standard is perfect for VFR pilots who like to plan flights, while IFR and Pro upgrades are offer more detailed functions suitable for advanced/IFR and/or career pilots.

AvPlan Lite is available on both iOS and Android, and offers a simplified interface without the detailed flight planning.  It still contains all the moving map and documentation you’d expect… simply build a route and fly it!

To include a new device under your subscription:

• Install AvPlan EFB or Lite from the App Store (for iOS) or Play Store (for Android) on your new device.

• When you run AvPlan for the first time, it will give you the opportunity to enter your login details.

• Enter the same email address and password you use on your current device, then tap ‘Sign In’.

• AvPlan will then contact the server and pick up your subscription(s).

Yes, the maps are organized in sections across the country.

Go to Settings > Data Downloads and you will be presented with a map.  Find the state/region you would like to download and tap within it’s borders on the map, then select Download. This will download the charts, maps and airport information documents that apply to this region.

For most pilots, making sure Low Alt is selected at the top of the page will ensure appropriate maps are downloaded for lower-level operations.  Jet/turboprop will also need to tap High Alt and download those regions as well to ensure that high level enroute maps are downloaded too.

Go to Settings>Data Downloads>Other Downloads and click on the maps you’d like to download. The PCA is listed at the top.

The icon means you have data to be downloaded and updated. Make sure you are connected to WiFi, then tap on the red update button and your data will be updated.

Yes. Go to Settings>User Settings>Automatic Data Download.

This allows you to enable AvPlan to download data when on a wifi network.

Yes. Go to Settings>Data Downloads and tap on the area you’d like to delete. An option box will appear, allowing you to tap delete.

Sometimes bluetooth and WiFi tend to slow things down. Try turning off Bluetooth on your device and see if your downloads are faster

Yes!  We have a guide that take you through the various steps.

Download the AvPlan EFB – FSX Connection Guide here.

Please note that connecting AvPlan EFB to FSX requires at least a medium level of computing knowledge. Users will have to be able to download and extract files to correct directories and be comfortable editing text files.

Here is a list of currently known devices that AvPlan Lite (version 2.1.1 and above) happily runs on.

Devices that are built on a Intel ATOM CPU platform are not recommended for AvPlan Lite.

Most Android devices are built with an ARM CPU.  Intel CPUs require a special layer of conversion to every singe instruction sent to the CPU, which causes app slow-down and instability when heavy computations are required.

Are you happily running AvPlan Lite on an Android device that is not mentioned in the above list?  Let us know

The initial release of AvPlan EFB for Android is currently in testing and the final stages of development.  Our aim is to release it mid-2018.

Many issues experienced on an iOS device can be remedied by these simple procedures in order:

1.  Fully quit an app.

When you tap the Home button to return to your icons, you are not necessarily exiting an app like one does on a desktop/laptop computer.  It is simply backgrounded for quick recall for use later.  When an app is backgrounded, it is given to iOS to manage and can be fully shut down if memory resources become scarce.

• Double-Tap the Home button (the large round physical button near where you plug the iPad/iPhone to charge).

• Flick up the app’s screenshot from the list so it disappears from view.

• Tap the Home button once to return to your Home screen with your app icons.

2. Hard-reboot the iPad/iPhone

Don’t worry…This is not as scary as the name may suggest.  It’s not damaging to your saved data or installed apps (as opposed to a Factory Reset), it’s a more comprehensive way of rebooting the device.

• Press and hold both the Home button and the Power button at the same time.  Hold them both down until the screen goes black, once it does, release both buttons.

• Wait for a couple of seconds.  Press and hold the Power button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.   If the Apple logo appears on the screen automatically, skip this particular step.

• Allow the device to boot up normally.  Once it does, retry the app.

3. Ignoring Saved Settings upon AvPlan startup.

This can be handy when you are trying to figure out an issue.  When this setting is applied, when the app starts no flight plan will automatically opened, no user settings will be applied (map overlay selections, etc), allowing you to see if the app works correctly without those settings and help diagnose a cause.

• Double-Tap the Home button (the large round physical button near where you plug the iPad/iPhone to charge).

• Flick up the app’s screenshot from the list so it disappears from view.

• Tap the Home button once to return to your Home screen with your app icons.

• Visit the general Settings app for your iPad.

• On the left, scroll down to find AvPlan EFB and select it.

• On the right, scroll down and look for an option called ‘Ignore Saved Settings’. Set this to YES.

• Tap the Home button.

• Start AvPlan.  (Note that ‘Ignore Saved Settings’ will automatically go back to NO after this startup)

Many issues with Android apps can be remedied by a full shutdown/restart of the app.  In the mobile device world, simply tapping the Home button/key doesn’t shut down the app.  The app is actually ‘backgrounded’, which means it has been given to the Android operating system to hold on to and quickly bring it back up in the future.  If memory resources become scarce, Android may choose to shut it down fully itself.

To fully shut down an app:

•Tap the Overview button  .  This opens a list of thumbnail images of apps and Chrome tabs you’ve worked with recently.  If your device is running Android 4.4 or lower, your Overview button looks like this .   On Samsung devices, the recent apps button can be found here:

•To remove a thumbnail from the list, swipe it left or right.

•Tap your Home button/key to return to your app icons.  On Nexus devices, the home button looks like this:  If your device is running Android 4.4 or lower, your Home button looks like this  .  Samsung devices have a physical button at the bottom of the screen, near the device is plugged in to charge (see picture above).

To fully power off an Android device:

• Press and hold the Power button until the screen goes black.  Once it does, release the power button.  Your device is now off.

• Power on your device by pressing and holding the power button until you see the device welcome screen/animation.

‘Unable to Download Weather’ error

The ‘Unable to download Weather‘ messages are usually caused by one of two things:

1.  NAIPS login details (usually the password) has changed or is incorrect.

• Tap Settings > User Settings > NAIPS Details
  • The page should be filled with your details from NAIPS.  If it is, go to #2.   If not:
• Delete the dots in the password field, then re-type them and tap the Return key.  If the password is correct, the page should fill with your details provided by NAIPS. If not, you will need to log on to the NAIPS website and get a new password.

2. Data connection issue.  Check that you’re connected to the internet (either via Telstra/Optus or your home WiFi).  Open something like the Safari app and visit a page like www.themercury.com.au and see if it loads.   If it doesn’t, see what you can do to remedy the data situation.   If it does, try re-starting AvPlan itself (see iOS Troubleshooting).

Common error messages returned by NAIPS:

xsd:acid

The “xsd:acid” error refers to the aircraft ICAO type code within your selected aircraft profile.

• Tap Settings > Aircraft Type Database > [your type] > Basic Performance.  Check the second field from the top: ICAO Type Identifier.

• Also, check the Perf. Category (note that this is your aircraft’s approach speed on final, not its cruise speed) and Wake Turb. Category are all set correctly.   NAIPS returns an error when these don’t align with what it expects.

• Tap the back button when you’ve finished editing at least twice – you’ll be prompted to save your changes.  Tap Save.

• Then you can re-try your submission.

xsd:opr

The “xsd:opr” error refers to the Company/Owner field within your selected aircraft profile.

• Tap Settings > Aircraft Type Database > [your type] > [your rego].  Under the subheading ICAO Flight Plans, check the field marked Company.

• Edit this field so the company name is less than 13 characters.  Any longer, and the error will still occur.

• Tap the back button when you’ve finished editing at least twice – you’ll be prompted to save your changes.  Tap Save.

• Then you can re-try your submission.

For a RED map:

This is caused by the Terrain Overlay.  In Plan Mode, your map will be tinted to show terrain based on your highest planned cruise altitude (if you haven’t set an altitude, everything will be tinted red).  In Fly Mode, the map is tinted according to your current GPS altitude.  Terrain within 1500′ to 500′ will be tinted yellow, whereas terrain 501′ to above will be tinted red.

• Tap En Route to view your map.
• Tap the Map Settings button (two gears icon, top right corner of screen)
• Un-tick Terrain Overlay
• Your map should return to normal

An example of the Terrain Overlay in action while set to Plan mode and a cruise height selected in the flight plan.

For an Orange/Blue/Purple map:

This is caused by a SIGMET that is current over your viewing area that may have not been active the last time you viewed it.

• Tap En Route to view your map.
• Tap the Weather Overlays button (RADAR icon, near the top right corner of screen)
• Un-tick SIGMETs
• Your map should return to normal

Above is an example of AIRMETs and Severe Turbulence SIGMETs over USA, below is an example of Severe Icing and Severe Turbulence SIGMETs over Australia.