SkyDemon Mobile Documentation: Flying a Route
When you are ready to go flying, just create or open a route using the instructions in the previous section. Start your device a couple of minutes before you leave to give the GPS a chance to acquire a fix if necessary.
Route Guidance
SkyDemon looks for the route segment closest to your position and assumes it's the one you are navigating, highlighting it with a white line down the middle, and displays several cues to help you get to your next waypoint. The name of the next waypoint is always shown at the top of the screen, e.g. "Next: Sheffield City". When the waypoint is an airfield you can touch this heading to bring up the dynamic airfield plate.
If you are using the direction indicator instrument (the large compass rose at the bottom of the main map) you will see that a purple bug attaches itself to the outside of the rose, marking the course you must fly to reach your next waypoint. Simply fly so that the bug is aligned with the marker at the top, and you'll get there. If you are not using the full direction indicator rose then a course correction figure is displayed in its place, which just tells you to turn left or right by a specified number of degrees to maintain your course.
iPad users will find that they can toggle between the Direction Indicator and a small course correction indicator simply by touching on that part of the screen. In addition users can pull out the DI from the bottom of the map turning it into the HSI/ILS which can be moved around and adjusted as desired for improved situational awareness.
The DST NXT instrument shows the distance to either the next waypoint or the end of your route. Touch the instrument to cycle between these two display modes. The distance units can be configured in the Change Units screen under the Settings menu.
The ETA NXT instrument shows either the ETA at or the ETE to your next waypoint or the end of your route. Touch the instrument to cycle between these four display modes. Estimated Time of Arrival shows the real time in hours and minutes at which you'll arrive (zulu or local depending upon setup), and Estimated Time Enroute shows the length of time in hours and minutes before you arrive. If the time is 12:20, you are doing 120kt and there are 20 miles to your next waypoint, your ETA will be 12:30 and your ETE will be 00:10.
The Moving Map
The SkyDemon chart follows the position of the aircraft, aligning itself so that most of the map covers the path ahead of you. When you drag the map around to explore it, it will revert to following the aircraft when you have left it alone for 20 seconds. You will notice that once you have moved the map around so that the aircraft itself is no longer visible, there is a yellow arrow pointing to it showing its distance away from the edge of the map. You can touch this arrow to force the map to immediately revert to following the aircraft position.
TIP: You can stop the chart from following the aircraft position by selecting Follow Position from the Chart menu. If a green bar is displayed then the map will revert back to your aircraft position after a few seconds. If there is no green bar then the map will remain in whichever location you choose. iPad users can simply toggle On/Off.
The orientation of the chart can be changed so that north is always up (the default), track is always up (so the map rotates as you turn) or your course is always up (so the map rotates for each leg of your journey). To change the orientation, open the Chart menu then the Orientation menu and select your preference.
Position Reporting
SkyDemon can give you a plain-English position report at any time. To obtain it, simply touch the aircraft symbol on your Mobile MD. The nearest significant waypoint to your current position is found and an 8-point compass bearing from it is taken and shown onscreen. This is very useful when asked to provide such information by ATC as you would otherwise not have it to hand. This information is always displayed at the top of the map on the iPad and gives quick access to the Live Pilot Log when tapped.
Live Pilot Log
The Route View, which you have used previously to plan routes on your Mobile MD device using the keyboard, changes its appearance slightly once you are in flight. It becomes a live pilot log, showing your progress through each leg of your journey, when you arrived at each waypoint you have passed and when you will arrive at each waypoint you have yet to reach.
When you open the Route View while in flight you will see your list of waypoints but without the buttons for editing the route. You can switch back into editing mode if you wish by pressing the Edit button.
TIP: Remember that the waypoints in this window can be touched to reveal more information. If you therefore need to look up a frequency for an airfield or radio aid later on in your journey just go to the route view and touch it.
The leg you are currently navigating is highlighted in green, with a progress bar in the background showing your progress along the leg.
As previously mentioned, iPad users can access the Live Pilot Log by tapping on the position report at the top of the screen or via the main menu.
Dynamic Airfield Plates
SkyDemon charts have a wealth of information not normally displayed on the map while flying, including detailed plates for many airfields. To show the plate for an airfield, bring up the map context menu by pressing and holding your finger over the airfield, select it from the list then press View Plate or View Approach Info on the iPad. The plate contains much of the information you need to make a visual approach to any field.
TIP: You can also access airfield plates by touching the airfield name where it appears in the Route View on the Mobile MD or from the Live Pilot Log on the iPad.
The airfield plate shows a detailed map of the runway layout, depicting location, orientation, surface and dimensions (where available). Overlaid on the map is an aircraft symbol or an arrow pointing towards the aircraft location. This map, which also includes radio navigation aids that are situated at the airfield, can be dragged around and zoomed just like the main map. You can also touch the runway identifiers to display the landing circuits of each runway.
Use the Pg Dn and Pg Up buttons to move between pages of the plate. The first page is always a map and subsequent pages include textual information where it is available.
Direct To
SkyDemon includes a Direct To functionality to help you quickly replace your route with one from your current position straight to an airfield of your choice. Before using this, you should first configure the feature in Preferences under the Navigation section by indicating the minimum length of runway that is acceptable to you in a diversion.
To activate Direct To, open the Flight menu and select Direct To. A list of nearby airfields is shown whose longest runway is at least the length you have configured. The information includes the airfield name, longest runway length and a rough bearing to the airfield from your current position. The colour of the airfield indicates ownership (red for military, blue for civilian and green for private).
TIP: You can also trigger the Direct To screen on your Mobile MD by double-tapping the SkyDemon button or swiping your finger to the right along the Virtual Radar instrument. It's a good idea to become familiar with doing this in case you ever need to do so in an urgent situation.
Nearby Air Traffic Services (or "Who you gonna call?")
You can bring up a page showing everybody that you can talk to on the radio based on your current position. To do this, bring up the Briefing menu (or the main menu on the iPad) and choose Nearby Air Traffic Services. The list of nearby air traffic services is usually quite a long one (available data varies by country) and is divided into the following sections:
- Current Airspace
The first services shown are those related to airspace you're currently in. For example if you're in controlled airspace, you should see a callsign and frequency listed for the unit controlling the airspace. - Area Radio Services
These are wide-area radio services such as Flight Information Service and Lower Airspace Radar Service in the UK. All units within whose coverage your position lies are listed. - Airfields
All contact frequencies for airfields near to your position are shown, sorted by distance to the field.
Journey Logging and Statistics
SkyDemon automatically keeps a log of every flight you undertake. These logs are stored permanently in the device memory and they are available for detailed inspection on the iPad or from a PC running SkyDemon Plan, and you can also view the statistics for any completed journey (but not its breadcrumb trail) on the device itself.
To view journey statistics on the device, open the Flight menu and choose Journey Logs. You'll see a list of all flights you have taken along with the date of the flight and the size of the file. Touch one to highlight it then press the Load button to load the log and view its statistics.
TIP: You can also permanently delete logs by touching one then pressing Delete.
As you fly, you will see a breadcrumb trail stretching out behind you for the current flight. This can be hidden from the Flight menu if you do not want to see it. The breadcrumb trail will stay onscreen after you've landed, until your next flight begins or until the device is powered off.
