Frequently asked questions over the AviatorCalc flight planning software.
- What type of mobile phone do I need to
run the software?
- How do I know if my mobile phone can run
the software?
- How do I download the software into my mobile
phone?
- How much does the software cost?
- The price is in Euros but I am paying in a
local currency?
- Will the software run on a Blackberry?
- Why do I need an activation code?
- How accurate is AviatorCalc Software?
- Can I use the software in flying examinations?
- Aren't mobile phones forbidden near aircraft?
- May I use the software during flight?
- Will the on-line weather program display my
airfield?.
- I want to upgrade or re-install
AviatorCalc.
- Can I run AviatorCalc on a Personal Computer?
- Will AviatorCalc run on an Apple iPhone?
- Why do the screens in AviatorCalc behave
differently and use different keyboards
- Why do I have to enter Airport data in
two places
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...
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...
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.
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.
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>>
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.
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.
No. The software is not intended to be used in Flying Examinations even if
your particular examining board allows it.
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 >>
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 >>
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.
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.
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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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>>
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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