Smarter Search, Stunning New Maps, and much more
Hello Fellow Aviator!
Hello Fellow Aviator! 👋
Just ahead of AERO Friedrichshafen, we rolled out EasyVFR 4.5—a feature-packed update designed to make your planning and flying experience even easier, safer, and more enjoyable.
Visitors at AERO were genuinely excited about what they saw—especially the new high-definition Satellite basemap, which received an incredibly warm welcome. Now, we’re thrilled to introduce version 4.5 to the entire EasyVFR community and share some of the many improvements we’ve made.
In this post, we’ll walk you through what’s new—and how it all works.
This release marks a significant step forward—not just in terms of features, but also in preparing the app for exciting innovations ahead.
A heartfelt thank-you to our amazing beta testers—your feedback continues to shape and improve EasyVFR every step of the way. 🙏
Go ahead, explore EasyVFR 4.5—and let us know what you think!
Blue skies and safe flying,
— The EasyVFR Team ✈️
On this page:
New Basemaps
We’ve added a whole new layer of visual context for your flights. EasyVFR now supports high-quality raster basemaps, including:
- Satellite imagery (ESRI) – High-resolution, real-world terrain views.
- OpenStreetMap (OSM) – Ideal for visual navigation with roads, towns, and topography.
- OpenTopo and more – Rich detail for mountain flying or off-the-beaten-path routes.
Try it yourself:
Select the Map Layers Menu → Select Basemap, and pick your favorite.
✅ Tiles are downloaded automatically as you pan the map and are stored offline for future use.
⚠️ An internet connection is required to load tiles for areas you haven’t viewed yet, also when flying.
Fix/Radial/Distance (FRD) Search
The FRD search (also known as OBS-style search ) has received a huge upgrade. You can now define a waypoint from any aeronautical object or place name, not just VORs.
Examples:
GMH/270/30→ 30 NM west (270° radial) from Germinghausen VORfriedrichshafen/035/15→ 15 NM northeast of Friedrichshafen cityLFOQ/090/25→ 25 NM east of Blois Le Breuil Airfield
Route actions based on your flight plan
Depending on your route status:
If a route is active:
- Depart → Add as first waypoint
- Insert → Add at the best logical position
- Append → Add to the end of your route
- Direct-To and Continue → Fly there, then resume route
If no route is active:
- Depart → Start a new route
- Direct-To → Navigate directly to the location
Search Behavior & Category Selection
By default, the Search window opens on the Airfields tab, meaning an FRD search will initially match airfields based on the entered fix name.
Tip: To search beyond airfields, switch category tabs in the Search window: → Airfields, Beacons, IFR Waypoints, VFR Reporting Points, Places, User Waypoints
NOTAM improvements
NOTAMs are critical—but they shouldn’t clutter your screen. With version 4.5, they’re now:
- No more duplicate titles when published in multiple languages (e.g., Finnish + English)
- If coordinates are missing from NOTAM text, but provided via metadata, EasyVFR now plots the polygon shape—not just a default circle
- Tap any NOTAM label to instantly open its full information card
- Longer NOTAM text no longer cuts off in infocards or briefing documents.
Smarter MSA Calculation in TripKit
Planning with terrain in mind just got smarter for EasyVFR Pro and FFM users. The Minimum Safe Altitude (MSA) calculation in TripKit has been refined:
✔ Highest terrain elevation
✔ Plus highest obstacle in a 5 NM corridor
✔ +1,000 ft safety buffer
✔ If terrain exceeds 5,000 ft → add another 1,000 ft
Result: a more realistic and safer MSA for every leg of your route.
Mass & Balance Now Includes Landing Weight
The TripKit PDF for EasyVFR Pro and FFM users now includes landing weight and center of gravity both in chart and table format—giving you better oversight on fuel burn and aircraft configuration from start to touchdown.
Line Obstacles for Norway and Austria
We’ve added detailed line obstacles for Norway and Austria. These are now fully visualized on the map with heights of towers and cables, including objects like:
- Cable cars over fjords and valleys
- High-voltage powerlines
- Bridges across mountain passes
Now clearly drawn on the map to enhance hazard awareness—especially when flying VFR through challenging terrain.
More Enhancements & Fixes
Here are a few more gems in EasyVFR 4.5:
- Direct-To from Google Search – You can now use Google Geocode search results directly for navigation—no need to create a user waypoint first.
- Recent Search History – The AeroData search window now remembers your last 20 searches, making it easier to revisit frequently used locations.
- Tap to Reveal Info Cards – Tapping on any airspace label or NOTAM label now opens its full information card automatically.
- Smoother Map Rendering – Airspace label performance has been significantly improved for faster, clearer rendering.
- Improved Realtime Rendering (RR) – Now enabled for all maps on iOS devices with an A12 GPU or newer. On other devices, RR is enabled when a raster basemap is selected
- Earth Magnetic Model 2025 – The app now uses the most up-to-date magnetic variation model for accurate headings and compass behavior.
- Weather Sync – The WX slider now correctly syncs with pressure and rain chart timelines.
- MGL SD Card Creation – Preparing MGL SD cards via Menu → Dynon and MGL EFIS → MGL Data SD Card now also works smoothly on macOS.
There’s even more under the hood—too much to list here! See the release notes for all the details.
Behind the Scenes: Preparing for the Future
While many of the improvements in EasyVFR 4.5 are immediately visible, some of the most exciting progress is happening quietly behind the scenes.
We’ve made major upgrades to our infrastructure and data pipelines, laying the groundwork for even more EasyVFR innovations—and opening the door for our partners to tap into what we do best. More on that later. 😉
What we can share already is this:
- 📡 Bluetooth connectivity for smarter cockpit integration
- 🗺️ New chart providers for more flexible map options
- ⚡ Faster NOTAM updates and lighter, more responsive dynamic airspace mapping
- ✨ And a few surprises—exclusive features we’ll reveal later this season
We’re building the future of EasyVFR—and this is just the beginning.
Stay tuned.
How to Update?
Updating to EasyVFR 4.5 is easy—just follow the link for your platform:
- iOS → Head to the iOS AppStore.
- Android → Find us on Google Play store.
- macOS (Apple Silicon) → Look under iOS apps in the AppStore.
- Windows, macOS (Intel/Catalina) → Visit our knowledge base for the latest downloads.
New to EasyVFR?
Start your journey with EasyVFR 4 today!
📱 Download the app using the links above ☝️
🧾 Create your free account directly in the app
Try it out and let us know what you think. We’ve got even more exciting features on the way—so stay tuned!
0 reacties