But first, we want to express how grateful we are with all the creative ideas en helpful bug reports you all have posted on the forum, wrote in the survey and sent us by email. We are honored to work for such a pleasant community of fellow aviators.
You all have been so honest with us and we would like to return the favor by being honest and transparent as well. So this is an open letter to you about how things are progressing, what we struggle with and what the roadmap looks like.
First impression survey
As you probably know, every new beta tester gets a first impression survey after his/her first week of using EV4. Your input helps us to find difficulties in our workflow and see the weekly progress on what new testers think of EV4 beta so far.
More then half of you took the time to fill in this survey. Thank you!
To give you an impression on what we learned from your input on the survey:
- The installation and registration process for both the app and the website was for the first version not clear. Adding explanation to the welcome email and login pages improved it.
- The initial setup of EasyVFR and downloading the AeroData takes 1 to 9 minutes (mean is 4). Which is reasonable.
- The forum works good for reporting bugs and discussing functionality and you say that you likely will use the feature development upvote.
- We did respond on most of your reports but still can improve the speed. We do our best. And luckily beta testers themselves are getting on the forum more active by the day, and help each other out.
- For half of you, the new structure is clear and easy to understand without a manual. For the other half, it takes more time since it is completely different from EV3.
We will keep working on both improving the menu flow and growing our new knowledge base (you find it on https://easyvfr4.aero via the bottom right blue support button)
And please keep on posting ideas and suggestions on the forum. We really use them in development. - Based on the responses of every new batch of users, with every new version, the performance of EV4 is significantly improving on all devices.
But still, there are several devices that give problems when trying to run EV4. Most of the time we can together figure it out. So please, if you have a device (with 64-bit and at least 2GB RAM) where EV4 isn't running well on - Post a report on the forum or send it to @pocketfms.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">helpdesk@pocketfms.com. Describe your device (manufacturer, model number, version of the operating system, etc), what you did on the app before it occurs and if you can, include some print screens or even a screen video.
EasyVFR 4.0.570 - Airport Plates
In the latest update, we finally managed to implement the high-resolution Airport Plates. To be honest it took more time than expected. The techniques behind it were already implemented. But finalizing the process of updating, downloading and selecting the plates in a smooth and user-friendly flow, without forcing the user to download multiple GB's at once, was a bigger challenge than expected.
In that process, we choose to leave out the plate-open-thumbnail on the map known from EasyVFR 3 and bring the plates directly under the airfield-quick-info-window. Plates start downloading as soon as you open the airfield info window.
So, now if you are planning a flight you only have to open the airports that you want charts from, and EV4 will download the airport plates. Saving multiple GB's. When you have time, a good internet connection and enough memory left on your device, you can decide to download all the plates from the countries you have activated.
EasyVFR 4.0.57X - Basic weather
Future EV4 updates will have an even more advanced weather system than EV3 had. We have the data for that! But before we do that, we need to get the basics right. The next version will include only METAR and TAF data as well as GAFOR info.
Getting the approval of the Almighty & On holiday
The coming month we have to work on a boring part of app development: Getting the blessing of Apple (Google is easy) to bring this new app to their App Store. This process can take a couple of months.
Besides that, several people on our team are taking a well deserved holiday in the coming weeks. Speaking of that, we just started a trip report section on this forum. Feel free to share here your flying trips and how you use EasyVFR 4 in flight: https://easyvfr4.aero/community/trip-report/
Eager as we are on bringing EV4 to the global aviation community, we also think that quality takes time. Especially in the aviation market, where every country has it's own unique standards. This is also one of the feedback points we got from you. "The product is great and it has the ability to be the game-changer, but please do not rush." is something we have heard more than once.
At the same time, we need to know what the public thinks of EV4.
So we decided to take a country by country-approach. Once EV4 has everything a pilot in a specific country needs, only then we will release it to the App- and Play-store in that specific country.
This sounds like a long process but we estimate that EV4 will be ready for launch in the first countries in September or October.
The rest will follow in a steady pace.
In the meantime, you as a beta tester can use EV4 beta in all countries and get all the coming updates.
If you have any question about what we have written above, or want to tell us something, feel free to reply here on the forum or send us an email at helpdesk@pocketfms.com
Again, thank you very much for your input and help so far! Together we will get EV4 airborne in no time.
Cheers,
The EasyVFR team
Thanks for the heads up, appreciated
Yes, thank you very much.
I will make a trip in Portugal in two weeks and I will test Easyvfr4 in live..
Do we have the possibility to load the charts we have bought in Easyvfr3 ? And where are the IFR points ? I need them to build my FP.
Kind regards
Sylvain
Hi Sylvain,
You can enable the IFR waypoints under AeroData in the Map-Layers menu (that is the most left button). See the attached video.
Unfortunately, it is not possible yet to use your EV3 charts in EV4. Of course, this will be a feature in 4, but expect it late in the summer.
About the bug you mentioned earlier. We think we found the source. Working on a fix now. So hopefully included in the next update.
Have a good trip to Portugal ? If you want, you can share your flight with us under the trip report section on this subforum https://easyvfr4.aero/community/trip-report/
Cheers,
Tim
As you probably don't have many Polish customers, Poland won't be probably available soon 🙁
I hope that in the meantime you will maintain EV3 which is perfectly suitable for my type of flying in Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Germany.
Hi Piotr,
I'm not sure how many Polish users we have, but it aren't a few.
As you know Poland is already downloadable in EV4. (See the attached video)
But I guess you mean the official App and Play store release? It all depends on if EasyVFR 4 can do everything your fellow aviators in Poland are used to have in their air navigation app, to make it a success. What do you are the important unique features and data sources for you in Poland?
Cheer,
Tim
1. All airspace elements.
2. Flexible airspace elements activated per AUP (Airspace Use Plan), TRA, ATZ, military routes.
3. Ordinary weather forecast (METAR, TAF, precipitation radars, EU weather like in EV3).
4. GAMET published by Polish meteorological Institute IMGW (AWIACJA.IMGW.PL).
5. Airport information form AIP and especially AIP VFR.
6. Special use airspace like EA (excercise areas).
Hello all,
One question, now there is only Direct-to and Depart buttons for flight planning, or is it just my tunnel vision..? Arrive button would be nice, too. Just an obsolete note, while starting automatic routing from my current location, Seoul, to EFOU, EV4 stopped. Have a nice Summer Solstice!
Hello,
>
> One question, now there is only Direct-to and Depart buttons for flight planning,
>
As soon as you set a "Depart" WP, you can add as much WPs via the "Append" button
or the "Insert" button as you like 🙂
(So, the last "Append" is also an "arrival" 😉
cheers
bernd
Hi Tim
Just a question is it already possible to file a flight plan
On my device "File ATC" is gray
Hello Tim,
Another question ; is it possible to export a FP to my skyview ? when I click on the button nothing happens..
Hi Tim
Just a question is it already possible to file a flight plan
On my device "File ATC" is gray
This is alpha, so be careful when testing. At any sign of a failure or problem please revert to EasyVFR3 or other means for flightplan filing. The button is grayed when there is no active (purple) route. When you load a route, it first becomes the "workingon" route (distinguisable by yellow colour). After making it active route the file ATC button should become available.
Hello Tim,
Another question ; is it possible to export a FP to my skyview ? when I click on the button nothing happens..
Yes, it should definitely work, this has been tested quite thoroughly. Make sure you are connected to the Dynon Wifi network, no further configuration is required. To confirm EV4 has found the skyview you can do menu->System->Location Source and check if Dynon SkyView is displayed there in dark or light green. FYI, when dark green this means EV4 has found the SkyView, but uses a different GPS source. When light green, it found the dynon and also using its as GPS source.
Just as with the File ATC above it is also a requirement a purple (active) route is loaded, and no scratch (working on, yellow) route is existing.
Thank you Rob, I try next week, don't worry I'll be careful ? ?
ok fine. Thank you Rob.
1. All airspace elements.
2. Flexible airspace elements activated per AUP (Airspace Use Plan), TRA, ATZ, military routes.
3. Ordinary weather forecast (METAR, TAF, precipitation radars, EU weather like in EV3).
4. GAMET published by Polish meteorological Institute IMGW (AWIACJA.IMGW.PL).
5. Airport information form AIP and especially AIP VFR.
6. Special use airspace like EA (excercise areas).
Thank you Piotr for this list.
- 1. and 5. are of course already implemented.
- 3. METARs and TAFs are implemented, the rest will be (and more).
- 4. I added your Polish GAMET request to the suggestions list. You can vote for it here: https://easyvfr4.aero/community/campfire/poland-gamet-published-by-polish-meteorological-institute-imgw/
- 6. As far as I know (I will ask our head AeroData after the weekend to confirm), all special use airspace's as described in the official publications should be included in the AeroData already. If there is something missing please report it by emailing helpdesk@pocketfms.com.
Once we are going to check how ready EV4 is for Poland, I would like to contact some local "experts". May I contact you via email by that time?
Thanks!
Tim
With you 250h I don't consider myself as expert 😉
Of course you can contact me.
Hi Piotr,
We are proud to announce that EasyVFR 4 now has a full AUP implementation! Read more about it at:
Have a nice weekend.
Cheers,
Tim
