A dedicated phone application for paramotor pilots.
Stephane Nicole has created what looks like a cool app for Android Users who fly PPG. I haven’t gotten to try it yet but will offer a review after I do. There is a basic version that’s free and a paid version with more functionality that’ll set you back a whopping $2.
Here is the basic information provided by its creator. Don’t drop your phone!
PPGpS is a Flight Computer for Powered Paraglider Pilots. There is a free version (PPGpS Lite) and a paid version (PPGpS).
PPGpS provides:
- Real time flight information
- Wind direction and speed estimation
- Takeoff and Landing phases auto-detection
- Return home information (display estimated travel time and bearing)
- Fuel calculation and warning
- Airspace display (OpenAir files)
- Emergency geo-localized SMS
- Barometric sensor support to improve altitude accuracy
- QHN, QFE Altimeter setting
- Online and offline maps
- Offline maps creator
- Google Maps and OpenStreetMap map providers
- Rotating Map
- Log flights in KML (for Google Earth), IGC (Leonardo servers) and GPX files
- Replay recorded flights
- Waypoint management
- Especially developed for Paramotor
- Embedded User Manual and Tip of the day feature.
- Real time flight tracking on www.ppgps.info
- Variometer
- Sunset time
- FlyNet2, Flight Bandit, BlueFlyVario variometer support
- Android Wear SmartWatch support with PPGpS Wear
It allows different maps if you’ve got signal: Google or OpenStreetMap. You can download map files in case you don’t have an internet connection during the flight. That uses moderate phone memory, of course.
Use the integrated PPGpS Offline Map Creator to generate offline maps.
PPGpS also provides the altitude, bearing, magnetic compass, acceleration and ground speed. If I understand it correctly, it even attempts to report the winds aloft which seems like some pretty tricky programming. Additionally, you can:
- Switch between instantaneous, average and maximum values by clicking on the instruments.
- Create waypoints on the map and follow the displayed route (bearing, estimated travel time and distance).
- It also computes the distance traveled and the estimated travel time to return home according to the wind.
- The average ground speeds are graphically displayed for every azimuth.
- Launch the Demonstration mode to have a quick tour.