Yeah, this is an aviation blog (sort of) and I, to my knowledge, have never posted anything like this before, but I am impressed with the Mighty I-Phone. This device has been tested on the Line (by yours truly) for seven months. I have dropped it 50+ times, vibrated it in turbulence, frozen it in the far North, heated it in the Mojave, pressure tested it at altitude, spilled coffee on it, splattered mustard on it, crushed it at the bottom of a crew bag, and it keeps on working.
I can say that this beautiful little piece of technology is truly worth what I paid for it, which, considering what it will do, is not much. In my opinion, the epitome of intrinsic value.
OK, OK, I'll get back to flying soon.
Life on the Line continues...
I can say that this beautiful little piece of technology is truly worth what I paid for it, which, considering what it will do, is not much. In my opinion, the epitome of intrinsic value.
OK, OK, I'll get back to flying soon.
Life on the Line continues...
35 comments:
So dave, what what flying iPhone specific apps do you use?
Glad to see you have AeroWX on the first page! What a great little app that one is. Have you checked out ForeFlight at all (although, it may not be exactly suited to your needs, its designed more for pilots who don't have dispatchers :)
I downloaded Crew Rest, but Im not a crew member, so it served little purpose... I really like the X-Plane Airliner (MD-88 is my fav.) for the rest of you all, Dave Im sure you fly enough to buy this $10 app. I wish there were a way to get my GPS to work on Airplane Mode.
same with me Dave, I just love the sheer beauty of it and it totally pays off just by its existence :-)
All very well, but does it receive and make calls anywhere in the world?
Mogg
You could have shown it running the artificial horizon app that you can get :)
I haven't tried it, but the spirit level certainly works.
5...4...3...2
Counting down to the obligatory comment about having a phone turned on at 38,000 feet...
It is in Airplane mode...Nice to know it's rugged at least.
I too am interested in knowing what aviation apps you use. I developed my own app called xWind which is just a simply crosswind calculator, but I know there are a tonne of other useful ones out there. Anything specific you like?
We're in a family plan (4) under contract with Sprint. So, no iPhones in the near future for me. Any opinions from readers on what Sprint-available equipment offering comes closest (note I didn't say "close") to the iPhone?
Yes! The iPhone is a great phone for pilots. Just search for aviation in the appstore, you'll find all kind of good apps.
Dave,
Could we get a celebrity playlist?
Also, iPod in space?
http://gizmodo.com/368351/ipod-pictured-onboard-space-shuttle-endeavour
Well, I like gizmos that have all those nice colors and nice apps to mess with...Heck if it has a working phone inside, that's ok too!..There's always time to talk flying....Thanks......by the way..I used to fly the small Cessnas and we didn't have but one color at night...heh
Hi Dave,
As a center controller who longs to fly the line someday, I really enjoy your perspectives...it keeps my flying dreams alive. I really enyoy the insight you provide on this great profession.
I'm sure we have talked to one another on the radio at some point in our careers. It would be interesting to compare notes sometime. Any thoughts on how to share contact info privately? Thanks.
Captain Dave, I love your blog. You're great...I hope there's a book soon!
But I can't believe you just wrote a post on the i-phone!!
:-)
Happy flying!
ForeFlight...Expensive app, but absolutely worth it to me.
I'm a fellow iPhoner Dave and I honestly don't know how I ever managed without it :) I have AeroWX too! The iPod is still my favourite feature - not having to carry a fully functioning 'Pod and phone at once is handy.
My aviation apps:
AeroWX
ADDS website link
FL390 website link!
Sully's Flight
Chopper
FlightControl--->really fun! check it out!!
Not your average high school freshman iPod....
Greyson,
FlightControl is def addictive, thanks! Have any of you other iPhoners checked out X-Plane?
John- I use aero wx mostly. I also use the little weather app that Apple included to plan my clothing needs for the next trip. Also, I use a little app called Around Me to find stuff to do on overnights. It works well.
Matthew- Nope. As you say, I have a dispatcher.
Mogg- I use it from central america to alaska. it works great.
Ron- airplane mode is on.
anonymous 1218 (center controller)- uh, could you give us that frequency again?
I'm locked into Sprint forever! I would looove to have an i-phone: )Love your blog too!
132.85; 135.12 and many others :)
LW @ ZDV
From what you write, it was damn smart for you to buy that clear case!
I used to have an expensive cell phone, but I lost it twice in various crew vans (SFO, DFW), and once in the F class galley (LHR).. Luckily good airline people always returned it to me in ORD, but not before causing some Grey hairs. I downgraded to something cheap knowing how absent minded I tend to be.
I want one Sooooo bad. My spouse is skeptical but your recommendation will help a lot - One fly-guy tends to trust another fly-guy :>} Thanks!!!
I came upon your blog from your SJS comments.
Admittedly too lazy to read all your posts...what equipment are you on? Working for ZW?
All of Dave's previous posts are worth reading if you can find the time!
A beautiful piece of technology!
Your shorter, varied and just what's-on-your-mind type posts are always welcome, Dave. They intersperse beautifully with your longer, gripping stories. Thanks for keeping on posting.
The closest to iphone that sprint will offer is called Palm Pre. Supposedly available this summer.
My iPhone favorites:
Apps:
Pandora - Free music
Stitcher - Free talk shows (CNN, ESPN, The Onion, NPR, etc.)
Wikipanion - Wikipedia app
DirectTv - See what's on and control what you record anywhere you go
iJiggles - Can't...Stop....Laughing... Hard not to have fun with this one
Webapps (if you don't know, these are websites tuned for the iphone. Bookmark them or set them up as icons like an app):
NavMonster.com - Lots of airport information
Games:
Flight Control - Absolute must get
Blocked - Cheaper version of cars. Great puzzle game
Lovin' my iPhone! Lovin' your blog!
When Fifi was designed there were no such things as cellphones. Therefore Fifi is not designed to be resitant against mobile phone signals. That does not mean that Fifi's electronic will be affected. It only means that has not been demonstrated that no equipment is affected.
From an avionics engineer's point of view commercial software is not reliable. For me "airplane mode" is like "switched on". Therefore I would never use any kind of equipment with ability to radiate inside a cockpit during flight. (Actually I will not use any untested equipment, anyway)
You might find this overcautious or paranoid. On the other hand it is good to know that aircraft are build by people thinking this way.
Ron: 4 days ...
Kermit
Look into TruPhone. It's an aap that let's you make VOIP calls from any wireless network at a rate of like 6 cents a minute. I think there are cheaper plans also, but you buy blocks of airtime. For people who travel overseas it's awesome and it's popular with the troops also.
It will also work on the 2G Ipod Touch, but you need a special set of earbuds with a little mic built in.
I remember when I was a small kid walking to school or just out playing around and I'll look up and see a aircraft on approach, or on departure and I'll wonder to myself where there going or coming from; and when I got alittle older and my family would take flights to the Continent. I would sit in the airport and watch all the Air France or Alitalia aircrew walking around, I looking at they're clean white shirts, they're highly press black suits with the gold stripes on the sleeves, they're black service hats with the gold and silver crest on it, in think wow those must be the coolest guys in the world. When I got older, moved to the states, join the military, got married had kids, I would fly to PCS, deploy, or go on vactions I'll notice that the flight crew seem tobe the happest people on the plane.
I remeber flying back from one really bad deployment " God I can't wait untill in get out the Air Force" the PIC of the plane we were on came over the loud speaker and said" ladys and gentlemen I would like to personly thank you for serving our country and if anybody wants to come up in check out the cockpit they're more then welcome." so I thought to myself " you know that would be a cool way to break up these lonng flight." So I took him up in his offer I got in walk to the cockpit door in meet the captain.We had some small talk and he told that I can sit and the left seat, once I got into the PIC chair I look out at FL 360 250nm from Gander VOR, something come over me. You know the feeling a football player gets when he walks on a field for the first time, when a reporter writes his first story or when a rookie cops get when he sits and a police car for the first time. Thats how I felt like I was finally home. One month later I was sittng in and ground school class at a small airport in Northern Utah; when my Instuctor a retired Alaska Airline Captain with 35 plus years in a cockpit asked "what is the last thing a Professional Air Transport Pilot does before his goes to bed, and what is the first thing he does when he wakes-up in the morning ?" the ten of us in the class say thing like, " check the weather reports, go over the flight plain one more time, or check with the dispatch in see if anything diffrent." that old pilot said "No" the last thing a PROFESSIONAL Air Transport Pilot does is Press his uniform and iron his shirt, and the morning a PROFESSIONAL Air Transport Pilot shave his face and trim his hair. The class look at his like he was joking. He told us that A airplane must look like a Professional to the public, other pilots, and that small kid in the terminal. So when ever I heard that there was a plane crash, in the media is downing the pilots, or I hear let some airline is on strike because they're not getting paid enough, or when someone is trash talking airpilots , saying they just got paid to sleep in the cockpit and sexual harass the flight attendents, I smile to myself, pull out my wallet, go to my computerand log on to my flight school web site, pull my visa card, and pay $260 a hour for them to teach me to be a PROFESSIONAL.
tell me again why passengers can't use mobile phones "for safety reasons because they interfere with aircraft systems"? :)
Yes, I know that's not the real reason, just a convenient excuse to prevent a hundred people all screaming into their handsets for the duration of the flight (or until out of reach of transmission towers, at which point they'd start complaining to the cabin crew about the lack of reception).
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