SkyDemon Mobile Navigation Features

Interactive Vector Moving Map

Our sophisticated mapping engine is vector-based, allowing you to zoom to any level you wish. Individual features can be turned on and off so your display only ever includes features you are interested in. Dynamic airspace adjustment means that only airspace within a thousand feet of your planned levels (or your current level, if higher) is shown. The moving map can be static or set to follow your position, in either a north-up or heading-up orientation. It can be intuitively panned around by simply dragging on the screen.

Aeronautical data featured on the map includes controlled airspace, special use airspace, airways, fixed obstructions, airfields, radio navigation aids, reporting points and towns; all of which are displayed appropriate to the chosen zoom level. If you zoom in you can even see the individual runways at airports. The configured route, aeroplane position and trajectory (both lateral and vertical) are overlaid.

The charts used in SkyDemon are proprietary and include much more data than is actually displayed on the map. You can obtain more information about any map feature by simply holding your finger over it. Inspecting a piece of airspace, for example, you can obtain the relevant callsign and frequency to penetrate it or look up its vertical boundaries. Inspecting an airfield reveals all the ATS communication facilities it offers, so forgetting to write them down prior to flight is no cause for concern.

Instruments

Flight and route parameters are display in clear boxes beside the map. Groundspeed is displayed first, and units are configurable: knots, mph and kmph are supported. The next instrument toggles between distance to the next waypoint and distance to the end of the route, and units supported are nautical miles, statute miles and kilometres. Next comes the ETE or ETA at the next waypoint or the end of the route. Finally your altitude above mean sea level is shown on a similar display. Toggling the display of an instrument is as simple as touching it with your finger.

At the bottom of the main map is the direction indicator. This is presented as a compass rose which rotates as your track over the ground changes, with your exact track shown in the middle. When navigating, a purple line is drawn to the point towards which you should be flying. Keeping on track is as simple as keeping this line pointing upwards. Alternatively the direction indicator can be hidden and replaced with a simple course correction indicator, which gives you a quick visual cue if you need to turn slightly to maintain your desired course.

Other indicators always onscreen are GPS fix status, battery status and current time. All times can be switched between local (device) and zulu timezones.

Approaching Features

One of the unique features pioneered in SkyDemon is the powerful Approaching Features instrument. This instrument displays a constantly-updated vertical profile of your trajectory, including terrain elevation, airspace, obstructions and other ground-based features. Plotted on top of this is the aeroplane position complete with projected vertical flightpath. This pictorial readout of all features ahead brings an unprecedented level of situational awareness.

As you approach any airfield forming part of your planned route, the extended centreline of the nearest runway is drawn on the main map. If you are aligned on this centreline a glideslope is also drawn in the approaching features instrument. Shown here is the glideslope drawn when approaching Bournemouth's runway 26.

Next: Safety Features