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Frequently asked questions over the AviatorCalc flight planning software.

Table of Contents 

  1. What type of mobile phone do I need to run the software?
  2. How do I know if my mobile phone can run the software?
  3. How do I download the software into my mobile phone?
  4. How much does the software cost?
  5. The price is in Euros but I am paying in a local currency?
  6. Will the software run on a Blackberry?
  7. Why do I need an activation code?
  8. How accurate is AviatorCalc Software?
  9. Can I use the software in flying examinations?
  10. Aren't mobile phones forbidden near aircraft?
  11. May I use the software during flight?
  12. Will the on-line weather program display my airfield?.
  13. I want to upgrade or re-install AviatorCalc.
  14. Can I run AviatorCalc on a Personal Computer?
  15. Will AviatorCalc run on an Apple iPhone?
  16. Why do the screens in AviatorCalc behave differently and use different keyboards
  17. Why do I have to enter Airport data in two places

What type of mobile phone do I need to run the software ?

To run AviatorCalc you need a modern graphics mobile phone capable of running Java programs and games which conforms to the MIDP 2.0 CLDC 1.0 specification or higher. To run the GPS locator program then the MIDP 2.0 CLDC 1.0 specification or higher is required. More information...

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How do I know if my mobile phone can run the software?

If you have a mobile phone which is capable of downloading and playing games software then it will most likely run the software. Nearly all modern phones will almost certainly be capable of running AviatorCalc with a few exceptions. More information...

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How do I download the software into my mobile phone ?

There are two main ways:

  • Download the software directly into your mobile phone use a web link.
  • Download the software to your PC and install it using an application installer program such as Nokia PC suite. Check your mobile phone manufacturer's documentation to see how games are installed in your device. The AviatorCalc software loads in the same way.

Go to the Download page.

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How much does the software cost?

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The price is in Euros but I'm paying in my local currency?

The products are priced in Euros. Payments are made through PayPal, our payments agency. They will convert the Euro price into your local currency at a favorable rate. Your PayPal account or Credit card will be debited accordingly. See Currency Converter.

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Will the software run on a Blackberry?

Yes AviatorCalc version 3.4 onwards now has touch screen capability so products such as the Blackberry storm will run. Our advice is still to download the free Crosswind demonstration to test on your device. If the Crosswind demo runs then so should the full product.

More information on Blackberry>>

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Why do I need an Activation code ?

The activation code is required to enable the software.  It is also prove that you have accepted the user agreement and will not distribute copies of the software to any other persons. It is sent by e-mail to the e-mail address you have supplied in the Activation Code Request form. This should normally take no more than a few minutes depending upon your internet service provider. If you do not receive your activation code the please fill in the Online Form available in the Contact drop down menu above.

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How accurate is AviatorCalc?

As in all aspects of flying there are always limitations and this software is no different and should never be used as the sole reference for flight planning. The software routines were thoroughly tested by four independent commercial pilots and instructors. The results of their testing is recorded in the manuals in the section called "Detailed Product Specification and Limitations". This shows a direct comparison with two other popular flight planning tools. Please download the manuals for further information. You should look at the test results and decide if the product suits your particular needs.

WARNING: If AviatorCalc gives an indication that is close to any limits for a particular calculation then the Pilot Operating Handbok (POH) must always be consulted.

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Can I use the software in exams?

No. The software is not intended to be used in Flying Examinations even if your particular examining board allows it. 

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Aren't mobile phones forbidden near aircraft ?

Yes indeed, this is often the case particularly when re-fuelling an aircraft. They can also interfere with Aircraft Navigation Systems and they can without special onboard equipment disturb the operation of mobile cell telephone networks. This is why the product is only intended as a Pre-flight planning tool and training aid. 
Read more >>

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May I use the software during a flight?

Most definitely not.  The product is not intended for use during flight and is only intended for use as a Pre-flight planning tool and training aid. The principle reason is that mobile phones can interfere with aircraft navigation systems, cause problems with cell telephone networks or otherwise distract the pilot. If you have a Flight Mode on your mobile phone then most of the dangers are removed other than the distraction of the pilot.
Read more >>

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Will the online weather program display my airfield?

The online weather program takes it's data from the NOAA website which has most airfields in the world. You can test this on the Online Weather Page.

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I want to upgrade or re-install AviatorCalc

Upgrading from earlier versions of AviatorCalc is completely FREE. You only pay for the software once.

Go to the AviatorCalc re-install and upgrade form.

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Will AviatorCalc run on a Personal Computer

You can run AviatorCalc on a Personal Computer but you will need software which emulates a Mobile Phone. There are a number of these but the easiest we have found is  the Research in Motion (RIM) Blackberry Storm simulator. Click here to see an example of the Blackberry simulator. You can download the simulator from:

http://www.blackberry.com/developers/downloads/simulators/index.shtml

Once you have downloaded the simulator you need to load the AviatorCalc program into the BB simulator. The AviatorCalc and Crosswind programs can be obtained from the download page supplied to you by e-mail when you registered the software. Download the option which say Blackberry ALX zip file. Unzip this to a  directory on your PC.

Run the Blackberry simulator. Go to the menu File -> Load Java program. Select the directory where you downloaded the ALX zip file. After loading the program navigate to the Applications or Download directory in the simulator to run the program.

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Will AviatorCalc run on an Apple iPhone 

No. Regrettably the Apple iPhone doesn't natively support Java applications. Sun Microsystems has developed a Java Virtual Machine for Apple's iPhone and released it in July 2008, enabling Java applications such as AviatorCalc to run on the iPhone. However there still seem to be legal issues which make commercial use difficult. We will keep an eye on this development as it unfolds. More information>>

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Why do the screens in AviatorCalc behave differently and use different keyboards 

AviatorCalc uses Java Mobile Edition (Java ME) from Sun Microsystems. This provides two screen interfaces.

1) A high level interface used by AviatorCalc's  Aircraft, Airport and Waypoint database programs.
2) A low level interface which is used in AviatorCalc's graphical screens.

The way these two interfaces works is quite different. The high level interface uses a "Form" to enter data. A program can specify if the field being entered is Numeric only or Alpha-Numeric or a floating point number. On touch phones the system provides a soft keyboard. This soft keyboard is not available in the low-level interface used by programs such as the visual crosswind calculator. For this reason AviatorCalc must provide it's own touch keyboard for these programs. Some devices do have a menu option to display a soft keyboard but as this isn't standard across all telephones AviatorCalc must still use it's own soft keyboard.

The low level interface only provides a key code corresponding to the key which has been pressed. The program must then interpret this code and display it. This is fine for traditional mobile phone numeric keypads (The ITU-T keyboard) but can be a problem with the mini-QWERTY and half-QWERTY keyboards which require using a shift key to generate the correct code. A  number of manufacturer's have not made this key sticky  so it has to be pressed each time. Fortunately the latest AviatorCalc software allows you to specify the type of QWERTY keyboard used by your device.

 More information on Java ME>>

 More information on keyboard types >>

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Why do I have to enter Airport Information in two places 

AviatorCalc has two databases where Airport (APT) information is held, namely the Airport Database and the Waypoint Database.  Apart from the ICAO code and Airport name, the information in these databases is quite different. The Airport Database contains information about the runway in use, runway information, related Navaid information and Airport operating frequencies etc. The Waypoint database  contains the geographic location and magnetic variation of the waypoint. There are also three types of waypoint namely Airport (APT), Navaid (NAV) and Waypoint (WPT) such as a visual or instrument reporting point. This requires a record format quite different to the Airport Database record. There was also the question of performance with the Flight Plan program so the Waypoint database record needed to be kept as small as possible.  If we had simply added the co-ordinates to the Airport Database we would have had to suffer the overhead of loading information each time from the Airport Database that wouldn't be used in the Flight Plan.

The Airport Database is used however when e-mailing the Flight Plan as it takes the Airport operating radio frequencies from the Airport Database. However this operation makes little impact on the performance given the general overhead to e-mail the Flight plan.

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AviatorCalc was developed by
Bob Rathbone Consultancy
www.bobrathbone.com

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Copyright © 2007. Bob Rathbone. All rights reserved.