iFly GPS Forum

I bought an airplane in Arkansas this week and flew it home yesterday to Indiana. It was a straight flight but with a few restricted areas to avoid. I was really pleased with the IFly and its simple operation. I could move the map around and see nearby airports on the route as well as other items of interest. Zooming in to read the airport info or out to see a wider view as simple and quick. Things did get a little annoying when it got bumpy but not so much that I wasn't still happy with the unit. I was able to see the display quite well even with the sun behind me shining in the side window. The route worked out very well and being old I followed with my finger on a real paper sectional and found no errors or troubles. The times and distances were dead on though it was a little frustrating to watch the estimated time enroute bump back up when the plane slowed due to winds aloft....its painful to watch your 30 minutes left to go jump back up to 45....not the fault of the unit though.
Now on the other hand the plane was equipped with a Garmin GPS Map 196. It is a neat little unit but its just that-a little unit. The display disappeared frequently due to glare and with no color in the display it was not always easy to pick out information. It seems to work well and it has a lot of features but most I'll never use. The instrument panel setup isn't nearly as useable as the selection of instruments is scattered over a number of pages where the IFly has nice readouts for everything on the map. I'm also trying to figure out how my direct flight with one takeoff and one landing shows up on the past flights as having 2 landings....I didn't even bounce the landing on this flight and there was only one. The Garmin does have automotive and marine capability but I don't have a boat and I don't need a GPS for driving so I don't need a lot of their capability.
Just wanted to post a comparison and a note to say thanks to the Adventure Pilot bunch for a job well done. I know you're updating all the time because nothing is perfect for long but I'm a pleased customer who is glad I didn't spend the money on the Garmin to start with.
Thanks guys

Frank

I did use the remote for a little while but one of the bumps bounced my hand off the copilots seat and I dropped the remote....naturally it slid back under the rear seat. I did have a good laugh and figured I wasn't going after it being solo. I did manage ok though with severe clear and light wind. The thermals were pretty strong and sharp but bracing my hand on the case and carefully using a free finger to move things or hit buttons worked pretty well. It was just the occasional inadvertant bump on the screen that was annoying. I have no complaints however and I imagine the 196 is going to be a backup for me with the IFly primary.

Thanks

Frank

We recently took the first trip with our new iFly, Wichita Falls to Port Aransas. Nice system. The only problem we had was the GPS lost lock near Austin, both going out and coming back. I suspect it was because I had it mounted by the mag compass, and the compensating magnets provided just enough interference to drop the satellites as we entered the Austin wierdness bubble. The WSMR GPS jamming notam was active, as well, but we should've been outside that. My Brand L handheld kept track, but it wasn't by the compass and it did have reduced signal strength. I've bought an external antenna and expect no further issues.

The TFR feature was a real lifesaver flying over the Possum Kingdom fires.