ForeFlight unveils feature to streamline IFR flights

Click on image to start slideshow.

The company’s latest solution, called Dynamic Procedures, is another step toward what ForeFlight calls a “data-driven experience” for instrument pilots. The tool allows pilots to view instrument procedures easily by integrating them into the moving map while filtering out unnecessary information for an uncluttered view that is easier to follow.

ForeFlight’s latest introduction comes on the heels of rival Garmin’s SmartCharts, a similar chart-decluttering program that debuted in May for the Garmin Pilot app. The rapid-fire rollouts reflect increasing demand for intuitive flight management tools that improve situational awareness while helping pilots stay ahead of their aircraft.

While many pilots can remember a time when they sought ever more information through their glass panels, the arrival of Dynamic Procedures signals the realization that less is more in certain situations, especially when the pilot is busy. The new system prioritizes information based on the pilot’s flight plan while decluttering the background.

“Dynamic Procedures is a milestone toward a fully interactive, chart-free IFR experience. Instead of re-drawing a traditional chart, we provide pilots just the procedure details they need in concert with our primary data-driven map—filtering the procedure to what is relevant, yet keeping it in context with weather, traffic, terrain, and obstacles,” said Travis Root, ForeFlight’s vice president of product. “It’s the easiest way to brief an approach—and to quickly reference it again as part of your scan.”

Some pilots might still feel nostalgia for the days of traditional paper sectional charts, expertly folded on their laps to show only the immediate area of their flight path. But that group is getting smaller as electronics make flying easier. Flipping and refolding those charts along lengthy routes once passed as “updates”—the best we had before the advent of electronic moving maps. Approach plates, airport diagrams, weather reports, overlays, and notes had to be organized and shuffled efficiently to keep flights running smoothly, especially for IFR pilots.

Over time, apps have increasingly taken over such tasks, with ForeFlight playing a major role. Founded in 2007, the company integrated approach plates with the moving map with its Plates on Maps feature in 2013. Procedure Advisor, introduced in 2015, simplified the loading and activation of approaches while flying. In 2018 the company rolled out Augmented Procedures, which formed the foundation for Dynamic Procedures.

The latest feature uses a sidebar next to the map to display all the information needed for briefing and flying an instrument approach. Several other new features help to keep pilots informed, including on-screen minimum sector altitude rings and safe circling areas for a growing list of airports depicted on the map. As is typical, the app remains a work in progress.

“We’re just getting started,” Root said. “Expect expanded coverage, new procedure types, and continuous improvements.”

ForeFlight said it will demonstrate Dynamic Procedures and other new and coming features during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in Wisconsin and will release the product after the show. The new feature will launch with a three-month preview for all customers in supported regions. After the preview period, Dynamic Procedures will require an Essential or higher subscription level.