USING THE MAP WHEN FLYING (iOS)

In addition to its use in creating and editing flight plans, the Map screen in the iOS app is likely to be the screen you use the most before and during a flight, as it allows you to view essential information and track your position with respect to the flight plan route.

Viewing General Flight Information

There is a series of settings you can apply to the Map screen to view various types of flight information. In each case, tap the icon shown to view the options available.

Icon	Function	Details
	Settings	Tap to expand the list of all settings options, showing which ones are active (blue) or switched off (grey).
	Waypoints	Tap to view user waypoints, visual reference points (VRP) or all waypoints.
	Airfields	Tap to view airfields for IFR or VFR flights, helicopter pads or all airfields. Then tap a location to view current weather data and links to other detailed information in a pop-up box. Click Show Plates to download (if necessary) and display the plates in a panel for viewing on the screen.
	Airways	Tap to view high or low level airways with their identifiers.
	Weather	Tap to view recent weather radar and/or lightning data on the map. Drag the slider at the bottom of the screen to view the information at different times.
	Hide All	Tap to turn off all the information settings listed above from the map. Tap to enable the settings (you will need to switch on the required options again).
	Route Settings	Tap to add segment information and route guidance to the map (see below).
	Map Library	Tap to display a library of maps you can download and activate to add to the screen (see below).
	Map Overlays	Tap to add overlays to the map, including details of NOTAMs and where they apply (see below).
	Draw	Tap Scratchpad to open a notepad layer on the Map screen where you can add notes or sketches (save these by tapping Done). Also select this option to view previous notes saved to this layer from other screens. Tap Draw on Map to annotate directly on the map, and then tap Done to save the notations. Tap + to add more layers of notations and then scroll through them using the numbers at the top of the screen. Hide all the notations by turning off the On Map Notations overlay (tap and then ). Note that the drawing tool will be disabled if the zoom level is above a certain value, as the effect of the earth's curvature is too great for accurate annotation. In both drawing modes, tap to delete the contents of any layer if required.

Viewing Weather Information for a Location

In addition to the weather overlay that you can apply using the map settings (see the table above), you can quickly view weather information for a specific location in two ways:

When planning a flight in the Quick File screen, tap the coloured box to the right of the departure and arrival locations in the top panel.
A pop-up box will show details for the airfield including METAR information.
When viewing a route in the map screen, tap any location and a pop-up box will show METAR information for that location (for airfields) or for three nearby locations (for waypoints).
If there is no information available for an airfield, then the forecast at a nearby airfield is shown instead.

Refer to this online article for further details.

Map Library

The Map Library gives an easy way to manage the mapping information stored and displayed in your app. To add information to your map screen:

Tap and then in the map screen to display the Map Library.
Select an option from the list and tap ....
You can search the list using the Search box near the top of the library panel.
If you can't see the map option you want, tap and purchase the required map under the Charts tab in the Shop screen.
Look at the Details of the map if preferred, and then tap Download to save it to your device.
Charts currently downloading are shown at the top of the list in the Map Library with the progress displayed.
Once a map is downloaded to your device, you can choose to Activate it immediately or wait until Later.
Activating a map displays it on the map screen. You can activate a downloaded map at any time by tapping the map in the Map Library list.
Activated charts are listed first (alphabetically by country) in the Map Library list, followed by charts that are downloaded but deactivated, and finally charts that are not yet downloaded.

Note that the Countries and Cities chart is always available in the app.

You can also use the Map Library to manage the maps on your device:

To deactivate an activated map, tap the map in the Map Library list.
This will remove it from the map screen, but not delete it from your device. You can reactivate it at any time in the same way.
To update a downloaded map, tap ... and then select Reload.
To delete a map completely, tap ..., select Delete, and confirm you want to delete the map.

To delete all the maps on your device:

Tap to display the maps you have downloaded to your device.
Tap to select all maps, then tap and confirm you want to delete the maps.

Viewing Your Flight Route

Depending on the last time you used the Map screen, there may or may not be a route already displayed.

To select a new route, tap in the top right of the screen and select a flight from the list displayed (these can be active, draft, or historic flights saved on your app).
Tap repeatedly to centre the screen on the entire route, the departure point and the destination in turn.
Tap Flight Log or on the tab near the bottom of the screen to view a simple flight log for the route.
This lists the target waypoint for each stage of the route, with the fuel consumption, bearing, distance, and estimated flight and arrival times. The current stage of the route being flown is highlighted.
Tap the tab again to hide the flight log.
Note: When your device is offline, wind and weather data cannot be applied to optimise the accuracy of the flight log calculations.
Tap Vertical Profile or on the tab near the bottom of the screen to view a vertical profile of your route.
Note: Your device must be connected to wi-fi to create a vertical profile, although you can continue to view it once your device is offline. If the accuracy of your current position is too low, or if you are off-track by more than 5 NM, your aircraft icon will not be shown on the vertical profile for safety.
To increase the information shown on the profile, you can download the terrain data for the area being flown if available (also see the Settings menu). You can also include regions of airspace if this overlay option is enabled on your account.

Adding Overlays

You can add various overlays to the map depending on the features enabled on your account. These always include the details of NOTAMs currently applying on or near to your route, and any user defined areas configured in the web app. The information on NOTAMs is updated automatically every 30 minutes when your device is connected to Wi-fi.

Tap and then in the map screen.
In the pop-up box, slide the slider to the right to activate the required overlay.
Use the sliders to suppress (hide) specific types of NOTAM if preferred to prevent the map becoming too crowded.
If you choose to suppress any NOTAMs, a red dot is shown next to the settings button as a reminder.
Tap X to close the pop-up box.

User defined areas are shown with a coloured border. The area over which each NOTAM applies is displayed as a circle (unless coordinates are provided in the NOTAM, in which case it will be represented by an appropriate polygon). In the centre is a circular marker labelled with an exclamation mark; tap this to view details about all the NOTAMs in that area.

The colours of the NOTAM circles and the borders of user defined areas can be adjusted in the app's Settings menu.

To remove an overlay, tap and (which will be coloured blue if an overlay is selected), and slide the appropriate slider to the left.

Other overlays that may be available (if enabled on your account) include:

VFR procedures: displays the VFR vector tracks for an airfield, to assist you in following the correct procedures when using that airfield.

On map notations: displays the combined layers of annotations drawn on the map.

Airspace: use the slider to choose the maximum flight level for which the airspace class or type is displayed. Refer to this online article for further details.

Tracking Your Position

The mobile device you are using to run the iOS FlightPlan app can be tracked during a flight and associated with one of the aircraft on your account. You can then compare your flown route with the filed flight plan.

Tap in the top right of the screen and select the aircraft you are going to fly.
Tap in the bottom left of the screen to centre the map on your current location with north at the top of the screen (the button will turn blue).
Tap this button again to set the direction of travel towards the top of the screen (shown by the symbol ). You can disable the centred view by dragging the map in any direction.
Based on the tracking settings in the app, a recording of your flight will start when the aircraft exceeds the set speed and continue until the speed falls below this value once again. When complete, the recording is saved as a VFR flight in the Historic flight tab for you to review. It is not filed or sent to any of the AFTN addresses normally notified of flight plans.
To view the planned route of a flight, tap in the top right of the screen and select a flight from the list displayed.
The route is displayed on the same map as your current position.
To disable tracking at any time, tap again (it will be coloured blue) and confirm by tapping Disable.

Note: The current accuracy of the GPS tracking for your device is displayed next to the button. This value is shown in red if it exceeds the safety limit set in the app's Settings menu, and tracking is not possible (the aircraft icon is not displayed and the button is disabled).

Route Settings

These settings allow you to view helpful information about your route to help you quickly make informed decisions as needed during the flight.

Tap and then in the map screen.
Use the sliders to activate Segment Information or Route Guidance.

Segment Information displays the magnetic bearing, distance and flight time (based on planned speeds or the actual speed derived from GPS when in flight) for each stage of the route.
Route Guidance displays extra information at the bottom of the screen showing the bearing, distance and ETE to the next waypoint along the route from your present location. If you are off-track, you can tap a waypoint and then ; the guidance panel then displays both the direct path to that waypoint (indicated by ) and the path to the next waypoint along the route (indicated by ).

Refer to this online article for further details.

Measuring Distances

Using two fingers, press and hold two locations on the screen for several seconds.
The two positions are marked with circles and a pop-up box shows the distance (in nautical miles (NM), kilometres and statutory miles) and bearing between them (in each direction).
Tap and drag either marker to adjust the measurement.
Tap anywhere on the map to remove the measurement.

Viewing Airspace Information

This option is only available on certain accounts. It allows the various classes and types of airspace to be viewed as a map overlay. Each area is clearly labelled with the name, type and vertical limits of the airspace. The colours used in the overlay are selected in your account settings in the web app.

Tap a location and select Airspace Information from the pop-up box.
All the classes and types of airspace for that location are listed (tap Airspaces out of filtered range to view those regions not shown on the map as they are above the selected flight level limit). The airspace labels adjust as you zoom in/out and pan around the map.
Tap an item in the list, and the selected airspace region is highlighted on the map.
You can view essential information about the airspace including the vertical limits and transponder frequencies. For Traffic Management Zones (TMZs), the transponder squawk code is also shown.
Tap the left arrow to return to the Airspace Information list. Tap it again to return to the location pop-up box.

Viewing Geo-Referenced Airport Plates

This option is only available on certain accounts. It allows selected airport plates to be superimposed on to the map so that you can view your route and position in relation to the information on the plate.

When you tap an airfield location and then select Show Plates, the geo-referenced plates available are shown in a panel on the left of the screen marked with .

Tap a geo-referenced plate in the list and choose from the options displayed.
As PDF displays the plate in a separate screen which can be annotated, saved or printed.
On Map places the plate on to the map at the correct location and scale. A button is displayed alongside the list of plates; tap this to view a toolbar of buttons for adjusting the settings of the geo-referenced plates.
Tap and use the slider to adjust the transparency of the plate so that you can also see the map layer and route details.
Tap to open the plate as a PDF on your device, from where you can annotate, save or print the information.
Tap to hide or show the list of plates.
Tap to hide the plate on the map, and tap to view it again.
To change the geo-referenced plate shown, tap the airfield location again, tap Change Plate and select another plate from the list.
To close the list of plates and remove all geo-referenced plates from the screen, tap the airfield location and select Hide Plate.

Tip: Once you have reviewed a geo-referenced plate, you can activate the VFR procedures overlay to display the vector tracks for an airfield without the map being obscured by the other information in the plate