Prior to updating all of our apps to support iPhone OS 3.0, we studied prior iPhone and iPod touch update adoption rates. Conclusion: be ready, customers upgrade fast. After one week in the wild, here’s what’s shakin’ (it turns out that updating was wise):
iPhone OS 3.0 Adoption
AdMob reported today that 44% of web requests in their network are now coming from the new OS. Conclusion: ForeFlight customers are early adopters on the bleeding edge!
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Team ForeFlight picked up an iPhone 3GS this morning at the local AT&T Store. We had pre-ordered the day of the announcement, so we just walked right in during AT&T’s “special” hours from 7:00am-9:00am.
Our first impression? The iPhone 3GS is fast. Very fast. It’s noticeably speedier when launching apps and surfing the web. The new compass is integrated with Google Maps and points you in the right direction.
Of course we took it for a spin with all of the ForeFlight iPhone aviation apps: ForeFlight Mobile, Checklist Pro, ForeFlight File, and AOPA Airports. All of the apps launch faster, and tapping between tabs is a little zippier. We work hard to make our apps run quickly, even on the older phones, so most of the speed changes are hard to measure with a stopwatch. (Think subsecond, not second.)
However, in ForeFlight Mobile, we install A/FD data and airport thumbnail diagrams to the phone so that pilots can use the app offline. This data takes a minute to download, and then a minute or two to install. We made the code as fast as possible, but the slower chips on the older iPhones and iPod touch models still take a while to install everything. Since pilots only need to do this once a month, it isn’t a big hassle – but we always love faster!
Here’s a comparison chart of installing the airport database and diagrams on a first generation iPhone (Edge), a first generation iPod touch, and the new iPhone 3GS. Download times are not included in these numbers; it’s only the installation of data (extracting and writing to disk).
As you can see, the iPhone 3GS is much speedier than earlier models. For pilots who are buying their first iPhone, we strongly recommend getting the iPhone 3GS instead of the earlier iPhone 3G model. And if you’re already a ForeFlight user and have the itch to upgrade, we can’t blame you!
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Tomorrow is “3-Day”! The third generation of Apple’s iPhone OS operation system – iPhone OS 3.0 – hits Apple’s software update servers tomorrow.
Are you curious to know how quickly iPhone owners upgrade? Charts put out by AdMob indicate that about 30% of iPhone owners will upgrade within the first week of a new iPhone OS release, and a steady stream of iPhone owners upgrade over the following weeks. That means a lot of ForeFlight customers (and we are grateful there are many of you!) will be sporting the new iPhone OS by this weekend.
We’re happy to announce that we submitted updates for all of our apps in advance of the launch. Apple is quite busy working through the backlog of apps awaiting approval, but we are confident you will at least see ForeFlight Mobile 2.3.2 shortly.
Here’s a quick rundown of the updates:
So, are you getting a new iPhone 3GS? Send in your first impressions! We’d love to hear.
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A new data cycle begins in 2 days and updated ForeFlight databases are available for you to download. ForeFlight Mobile and AOPA Airports users can download these updates using the Download Manager, accessible from the “Downloads” section of the application. If you don’t see that section, press the “More” button on the bottom of the application to find it!
And, as always, it’s OK to download them early! Your application will wait to use the new data until it becomes effective.
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It’s heating up here in Texas, as is the pace of app and feature updates. ForeFlight Mobile 2.3.1 is now available in iTunes App Store. Please see our helpful info page on how to update.
This is a minor update that improves download management for users on slower networks. Also included is a new “Download All” feature that lets you download all databases in one shot.
Other changes in this release:
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We’re thrilled to announce that a shiny new iPhone app – ‘AOPA Airports, Powered by ForeFlight‘ – is now available for download from iTunes App Store! The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and ForeFlight partnered to bring this must have know-before-you-go airport information to the iPhone and iPod touch. The application is a free download and is usable at no charge to current AOPA members. ForeFlight Mobile customers also get access to this important information resource via a free update coming soon.
If you are not familiar with the AOPA, read Thomas Horne’s article about the how the AOPA has helped shape aviation. If you are not familiar with ‘General Aviation‘ (GA), visit http://gaservesamerica.com to learn about our rare freedom, the importance to our economy, and how all of us benefit.
Launching the AOPA Airports application is a great way for the ForeFlight Team to help celebrate AOPA’s 70th birthday and pledge our support for its mission. The challenges to GA are constant and often ill-conceived. A strong voice that speaks on behalf of GA and pilots is essential in protecting this rare freedom.
If you aren’t a member, join. If your membership has lapsed, renew. If you aren’t involved, act. If you’ve thought about learning to fly, go!
Happy 70th birthday, AOPA!
Members, go get the app and send feedback!
AOPA, ForeFlight Partner to Offer AOPA Airport Directory
On iPhone™, iPod touch Platforms
Frederick, MD – Effective immediately, AOPA members who use an Apple® iPhone or
iPod® touch can have direct access to AOPA’s Airport Directory on their devices. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association has partnered with ForeFlight, a leader in aviation applications for the iPhone and the iPod touch, to offer the complete directory as a download that is free to AOPA members. The application, called AOPA Airports, is available for download today from the iTunes App Store.
“The iPhone and iPod touch are tremendous platforms with exciting capabilities that make them ideal for aviation related applications,” said Chris O’Callaghan, AOPA’s vice president of ePublishing. “And there is no one who exploits those capabilities better than ForeFlight.”
“ForeFlight was founded by pilots, for pilots, and we believe strongly in our products – we use them extensively when we fly,” said ForeFlight co-founder Jason Miller. “We’re proud to have earned AOPA’s trust, and to have been selected as the exclusive iPhone and iPod touch application provider for AOPA’s Airport Directory.”
As with the print edition of AOPA’s Airport Directory, data in the ForeFlight electronic version cover airport info, FBOs, airport services, and more. Features include a download manager for keeping the data up-to-date every 56 days, thousands of airport diagrams, features for saving favorite airports and recently viewed airports, and finding nearby airports.
The AOPA Airports application can be downloaded on its own from the iTunes App Store, but the directory will also be made available within ForeFlight’s flagship iPhone application, ForeFlight Mobile, the premier flight-planning software for the iPhone and the iPod touch. Both applications take full advantage of the iPhone’s intuitive Multi-Touch™ user interface.
“We are doing this to support AOPA’s mission,” said Miller, “and to leverage the unequalled power of the iPhone/iPod touch platform for the benefit of the members.”
“It’s also a great way for pilots to go green by reducing the amount of paper they use,” concluded O’Callaghan. “It brings one of AOPA’s oldest and most popular member benefits into the future.”
ForeFlight’s mobile aviation software, designed and built specifically for iPhone and iPod touch, delivers Preflight Intelligence™ and Inflight Intelligence™ to thousands of pilots around the world. ForeFlight’s other aviation products include ForeFlight Checklist Pro, ForeFlight File, and ForeFlight Desktop.
With more than 415,000 members, representing 70% of all pilots in the United States, AOPA is the largest, most influential aviation association in the world. AOPA has achieved its prominent position through effective advocacy, enlightened leadership, technical competence, efficient partnerships, and hard work. Providing member services that range from representation at the federal, state, and local levels to legal services, advice, and other assistance, AOPA has built a service organization that far exceeds any other in the aviation community.
More information about the AOPA Airports application, including screenshots and demonstration videos, is available at http://www.aopa.org/iPhone. More information about ForeFlight and their other applications is available on their website at http://www.foreflight.com.
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ForeFlight 2.3, the leading iPhone aviation app, is now available for download from iTunes App Store! Like all 2.x updates, ForeFlight 2.3 is a free upgrade for existing users. Click here for instructions on how to download and install the new version.
Check out all the new features in ForeFlight 2.3:
Enjoy!
-the ForeFlight Team
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Tonight we uploaded ForeFlight 2.3 to iTunes and it is now pending Apple’s approval! 2.3 is a huge release – enormous, even – and we’re excited it’s on the way to you. Here’s what’s new:
ForeFlight Mobile 2.3 will be available in the App Store later this month. In the meantime, here are some screenshots to tide you over. Enjoy!
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Today we’re proud to announce ForeFlight Checklist Lite v2.0, our first free iPhone app! We know it’s hard to buy apps without trying them first, so this lets you experience how easy it is to walk through a checklist on your iPhone or iPod Touch. Checklist Lite lets you create checklists from two example templates, edit them on your iPhone, and test out our popular features like night-mode and flip-to-view emergency procedures.
We want every pilot to take it for a spin!
See the chart to see what features are available in Checklist Lite versus Checklist Pro:
| Feature | Checklist Lite | Checklist Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Create multiple checklists |  |
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| Tap to check, tap to skip, and status | |
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| Flip-to-view emergency procedures | |
|
| Day mode and night mode | |
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| Edit checklists on iPhone or iPod Touch | |
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| Edit checklists on the web and sync to your iPhone or iPod Touch | |
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| Over two dozen templates for popular aircraft types, derived from official P.O.H. checklists: Cessna, Cirrus, Diamond, Mooney, Piper, and more | |
|
| Share checklists with a friend and download shared checklists | |
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| Backup your checklists to our servers | |
Download Checklist Lite for free and take it for a spin around the pattern!
If you are ready for time saving features like more templates, web editing, online backup, and sharing, then Checklist Pro is for you.
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Today we’re proud to announce ForeFlight Checklist Pro v2.0, Intelligent Checklists for Pilots™. Checklist Pro 2.0 sets the new standard in iPhone aviation checklists, with a rich web application for editing your checklists online and syncing them to your iPhone or iPod touch. We worked countless hours to build Checklist Pro to the standard ForeFlight customers expect.
Here’s what’s new:
View a video walkthrough of the new web site for editing your checklists online
Checklist Pro v2.0 is available in the iPhone App Store for $19.99. Visit our web site to explore features and learn more about the new standard in iPhone aviation checklists.
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