Christmas Present from Seattle Avionics

Christmas Present from Seattle Avionics (free online planner)

In this mornings AOPA ePilot:
"Flight planning company Seattle Avionics and DTC DUAT have teamed up to offer pilots concerned about the future of their favorite flight planner a new option."

With DUATS using the Flight Prep's Golden Eagle, they now have competition directly aimed at it. I used to be a Golden Eagle user in conjunction with Runwayfinder and Sky Vector because I didn't like the AOPA or EAA flight planners so now happy to see there is now another choice.

http://www.seattleavionics.com
http://www.seattleavionics.com/p_2010-12-24DUATVoyager.aspx

Thank you Seattle Avionics and DUAT.

To all the RVers out there, Merry Happy Ramahanakwansmas!

Just downloaded it (PC user) and entered my info.

Very happy to have something like this to use!

Windows Only

To bad they don't support us Mac and Linux users.

Quick response

zilik said:

To bad they don't support us Mac and Linux users.

Click to expand...

Being a "Mac guy," I agree, but it is a wonderful response to FlightPerp's little power trip.


John Clark ATP, CFI
FAA FAAST Team Member
EAA Flight Advisor
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA

John Clark said:

snip..., but it is a wonderful response to FlightPerp's little power trip....

Click to expand...

Here is a screen shot of a flight plan I knocked out in about five minutes. Dallas down to Austin with current winds, TFRs, weather, etc. Flew this exact route last Friday (saved it in this new app so I don't have to recreate the wheel each trip). Encouraging...

http://i54.tinypic.com/2czri3r.jpg

There isn't a 'rubber band' feature that I've stumbled upon yet, but I've only been playing with it for a few minutes. Much more info than you need for a good day VFR hop, but could be quite useful for IFR and long trip planning (it has a 'trip analyser' that looks for airspace busts and stuff).

Update: Here is an export from another plan I created up to OSH using Victor airways. The software has an 'Export to Google Earth' feature. Not bad for free!




br,
dr

Downloading now as I type. Thanks for the heads-up and the link.

The download site says that "download traffic is extremely high right now" and gives multiple paths to the software!

That would seem to be a yet another very good indication of sentiment out there. I sure hope the message being sent is a message being received!

Thanks again!

Cheers,
Bob

zilik said:

To bad they don't support us Mac and Linux users.

Click to expand...

Seismo,
From Seattle Avionics web page:
System Requirements: Any Windows 7, Vista, or XP machine with 2 GB of RAM should work. You can also use a Mac if you have Boot Camp (ideal), VMWare, or Parallels. (I added the red highlight to draw the eye...)

Merry Christmas!

Thank you

Wow!!! That?s a great Flight Planning Program.
Thank you,

Squeak
RV7A

Concern about IT security

I'm sure it is an excellent product. However, I just discovered that it requires the installation and allowing of Microsoft DirectX runtime.

Some of us old IT security guys balk at that. I'll stick with Golden Eagle for now.

Judge for yourself. I suggest you search on "directx security" first, though.

hevansrv7a said:

I'm sure it is an excellent product. However, I just discovered that it requires the installation and allowing of Microsoft DirectX runtime.

Some of us old IT security guys balk at that. I'll stick with Golden Eagle for now.

Judge for yourself. I suggest you search on "directx security" first, though.

Click to expand...

Meh... pretty low on my list of security worries, given I'm running a PC connected to the internet at all. And, I do like being able to run MS Flight Sim along with other games at times too.

But of course, judge for yourself.

Another reason to do business with Seattle Avionics.

I have been following the whole FlighPrep thing since it first popped up here. To me their tactics are what will keep me from doing business with them. Seattle Avionics on the other hand seems to be more in tune with the needs of GA. I recently switched to a AV8OR ACE from Lowrance 2000c (another company that I will never deal with again)... What made up my mind on the AV8OR was the subscription costs. I can do a fair bit of flying for the savings of going with the AV8OR over a Garmin. It is Seattle Avionics who provide that savings. With the new DUATVoyager, I have another reason the do business with them... If they offer a way to upload flight plans to my AV8OR using their full Voyager sotware, then that will be the software I will BUY.

What I am getting at is that Seattle Avionics has already received my business because they were fairly priced and was the reason for me going with the AV8OR. Now they offer another reasonable option for flight planning, with the possibility making a sale for their full version... When you treat the customer right... right from the beginning, the will come back, and their business grows. Simply concept, really

Update from Seattle Avionics

Unbelievable customer service! I had sent an email to Seattle Avionics just prior to adding my last post about uploading flight plans to the AV8OR. By the time I had made the post I had reeceived this reply from Steve Podradchik (CEO of Seattle Avionics):

Thanks for the very kind words

As it happens even Duat voyager can export flight plans to the av8or. Its the one gps that it will export to

Happy holidays!

Thanks, Steve

Sent from my iPhone

I wasn't expecting a reply back until at least Tuesday given the holidays, let alone Christmas Day!

Blue Lion said:

I wasn't expecting a reply back until at least Tuesday given the holidays, let alone Christmas Day!

Click to expand...

Gerald,
I agree...that is going above and beyond, regardless of what business you're talking about. Says a lot about the people behind the product.

Blue Lion said:

Unbelievable customer service! I had sent an email to Seattle Avionics just prior to adding my last post about uploading flight plans to the AV8OR. By the time I had made the post I had reeceived this reply from Steve Podradchik (CEO of Seattle Avionics):

Thanks for the very kind words

As it happens even Duat voyager can export flight plans to the av8or. Its the one gps that it will export to

Happy holidays!

Thanks, Steve

Sent from my iPhone

I wasn't expecting a reply back until at least Tuesday given the holidays, let alone Christmas Day!

Click to expand...

Ditto. All I did was send a note whining about no service for Mac's...only PC's. Today (Christmas) the same Steve sent me a reply that said he too has a Mac, an IPhone and an IPad and feels my pain. Fact is...8% of the market does not warrant the expense of a complete re-write of the software. But! they are working on something else that may work. I'm impressed!

USA only?

Hello guys,

I downloaded the programm, and was wondering if it would have worldwide charts.

Actualy I can not get it started because I need to type in my pilots license but it looks like you need a American Pilots license?!?

Regards, Tonny.

Someday, Maybe.

Michael White said:

Seismo,
From Seattle Avionics web page:
System Requirements: Any Windows 7, Vista, or XP machine with 2 GB of RAM should work. You can also use a Mac if you have Boot Camp (ideal), VMWare, or Parallels. (I added the red highlight to draw the eye...)

Merry Christmas!

Click to expand...

Moose,

Boot camp, VMWare etc requires I install windows as the alternate OS. It aint gonna happen.

Voyager already outputs flight plans directly to the AV8OR

Thank you for the kind words, Blue Lion. We're always working hard here at Seattle Avionics to make flying safer, more fun, and more affordable (without hurting others). All versions of Voyager's award-winning flight planners support export to not only the BendixKing AV8ORs, but all Garmin handhelds, 430/530w/G1000, and many competitive software programs like WingX and Anywhere Map too. SmartPlan Premier is on sale for only $49 for the holidays instead of its usual $199 to own forever. http://www.seattleavionics.com/Products.aspx#gpm1_6

OK I'll be patient......

jrutteriii said:

Hi Tony,

Just wanted to let you know that we just started shipping over 16,000 charts/plates/airport diagrams geo-referenced for ALL EU countries for the AV8OR ACE handheld GPS a few months ago. We're working on an EU version of Voyager, but it's won't be ready for a few more months, sorry, soon though!

Fly safe,
John Rutter
SASoftware

Click to expand...

Hello John,

Welcome to the forums! And thanks for the quick reply.
Seeing the replies from other RV-ators, I will be looking out for it!

Kind regards, Tonny.