)
AirspaceAVOID basics.
After a few seconds, you will see an airspace structure with a small airplane symbol in the middle - that's you. Initially, AirspaceAVOID doesn't know where you are located so you may have to step outside to allow the GPS receiver to obtain a proper fix. On iPhones / iPads, the Location Service obtained by cell tower positioning will indicate your approximate position very quickly, however this is not sufficiently accurate for aviation positioning. The GPS Location Service will generally take longer, and older iPhones (3GS) may take several minutes. AirspaceAVOID will warn you when positioning accuracy is insufficient.
) |
| Main screen |
As you see, the airports in your vicinity are also displayed as an added safety feature; grey airports have a hard surface runway, the green ones don't. The symbol size represents the longest runway length available. You can pan the image by simply dragging it, and zoom by sliding your finger up or down along the rightmost side of the screen. Pinch-zooming is also possible, depending on the device and platform used. Also depending on device and platform there is the capability to rotate the screen from portrait to landscape layout and vice versa, simply by rotating your device.
When the GPS reports that you're moving, the airplane will be oriented in the direction of travel and a magenta / white blocked line will protrude from its front. The line's total length represents 10 minutes of travel time, so each segment of the line covers 2.5 minutes at present speed.
) |
|---|
| Airspace information |
If you tap on, or close near, an airspace border its information will be shown. If multiple airspaces exist at the location, all will be listed. In that case, airspaces will be sorted first on their Class (A-G), the one with the lowest floor on top of the list. After that, the airspaces without a Class will be listed, again those with the lowest floor on top of the list. If you zoom too far out, these info taps will be ignored.
The grey slider bar on the right hand side indicates that more info is available by scrolling the window, and the red X-button closes the information window. The information shown can consist of the airspace's upper- and lower level, name, class, type and callsign and frequency of the governing agency. Altitudes are in feet where applicable, AGL meaning Above Ground Level and AMSL indicating Above Mean Sea Level.
Right, what are those buttons for?
Some buttons will be permanently displayed at the bottom of the screen:
 |
Open or close the menu system. | |
 |
Show or hide the Dashboard. | |
 |
Go to airport. | |
 |
Hide airspace over a given altitude. | |
 |
Calibrate GPS altitude. |
The MENU button unveils additional functionality in AirspaceAVOID. When enabled you will see a series of buttons being overlaid on the map, pressing MENU again will remove these buttons. At this time these buttons in the menu would be:
 |
Cycle Base Map(s), which will switch to the next available map. | |
 |
Airspace Labels, which will display labels alongside the boundaries of the displayed airspaces, so you can quickly identify which airspaces you're approaching. | |
 |
Load FlightPlan which will load a FlightPlan from the PocketFMS Cloud. These FlightPlans can only be saved there by the PocketFMS software v 1.6.0 and onwards. | |
 |
End FlightPlan closes an open FlightPlan and removed the track information from the map. |
The Dashboard is the information tape at the bottom of the screen. You can slide it sideways to show more information. The Dashboard will display your magnetic track, ground speed, GPS altitude, the present time (UTC), the Desired Track (DTK), the bearing (BRG), the Estimated Time Enroute (ETE) to your planned destination and the distance to run. Obviously, some of these will only show values if you have made a flight plan.
A simple flight planning option is available: by pressing the [GoTo] button and entering the ICAO identifier for an airport, a direct line from your present position to that airport will be drawn, for you to follow. By no means intended to be a solution to all your navigation issues, but usefull nonetheless.
However, if you are a licenced PocketFMS user, version 1.6.0 and later can save your FlightPlans in the 'PocketFMS Cloud' and you can download and use them in AirspaceAVOID! For this to function, please make sure you enter the same email address & registration number in AirspaceAVOID that you use for PocketFMS. Doing so will also ensure you can download the PocketFMS Base Maps for free in AirspaceAVOID.
You can set a filter for high airspaces for purposes of decluttering. If you e.g. enter 6500 here, all airspaces starting over 6500' will be hidden on the map and omitted from the airspace information listings. However, should you start climbing to within 1000' of that altitude, this limit will automatically be raised in 1000 feet steps.
The GPS Calibrate function allows you to match your GPS altitude to the pressure altitude. Since a GPS altitude is not based on either AGL or AMSL, some correction is required. Provided the GPS fix is accurate enough you will be asked to enter the altitude as displayed on your altimeter, after which AirspaceAVOID will compensate accordingly. As long as you haven't set this calibration, an amber bar will be displayed on this button.
Airspace Warnings.
)
|
|---|
| Airspace warning |
The real power of AirspaceAVOID is your increased situational awareness. You will be constanly yet effortlessly informed on the airspaces surrounding you, and clearly warned when you're getting too close to any airspace.
2 Minutes prior to entry, a red window will be displayed which clearly mentions which airspace you should be wary of. The airspace in question will have its boundary changed into a 'running snake' so that no misunderstanding is possible. The airspace's upper- and lower limit are also displayed, and, if available, the callsign and frequency of the governing agency for you to negotiate a crossing clearance with.
Background Maps.
)
|
|---|
| ICAO background map |
Maps are not included by default, but you can purchase these from within the AirspaceAVOID app itself. From the Start Screen, select [Download Data], and then [Base Maps Catalogue]. With your permission, your personal map licences will be verified, after which you can either select to [Buy] a licence or to [Download] the map. Your licences are remembered on our server for when you need to download your maps again e.g. after a reinstallation. The purchase takes place online and requires no more than a minute or so.
When complete, press [Back] and then [Base Maps] again. The map licence you purchased will now be downloadable. Please bear in mind that these map files can be quite large - don't update them while roaming! To see which maps are available, please check our online Map Catalogue.
If you have entered your PocketFMS email address & registration number in AirspaceAVOID and your licence is valid, all maps in the Catalogue that are marked with an asterisk (*) are free to download and use in AirspaceAVOID!
