Free new Android VFR GPS app with Sectionals & AF/D

[JohnSBA]

A friend has just released a new free Android VFR moving map GPS app that includes all lower 48 Sectionals & AF/D info, full functionality in Airplane Mode (no data access required in use), and several other features. I've volunteered to help him with documentation and seeking aviators to check it out and give us feedback if so inclined.

This free app is named Avare, and it's open-source, ad-free, and requires only two Permissions: GPS of course for the moving map feature; and SD card access so it can store Sectionals for the contiguous U.S. states (lower 48). Avare is here on the gPlay store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ds.avare

I created this website for Avare and a smaller free app he'd already done: http://apps4av.com/

If you have an Android device and would like to help us test out Avare and decide what features to add next, you're invited. Just launch the Play app and install Avare.

Happy Flying!

[MickYoumans]

Thanks for the heads up. I use WingX on my iPad, but this will be neat to have on my Droid as a backup.

[rv8bldr]

I would love to try it but it says it is not available in my country (Canada). Kinda sucks as the US sectionals cover my area and would work great.

[JohnSBA]

I would love to try it but it says it is not available in my country (Canada).
Must be so disappointing for you! I checked on gPlay settings for Avare just now, and it was already marked as "free" in Canada, so I set it as "free" for the entire world. Changes on gPlay seem to take a couple of hours or more before they show up, and even then it's often first on browsers and another hour before the Play app on my Droid X has seen them. So if you try again three hours after the time on this reply, and again tomorrow if it still doesn't work, maybe gPlay will let you Install.

We've developed and released Avare as Open Source software, and I don't know of any restrictions from our end. So another thing you could try is searching with a browser to see if one of the other Android app stores has already picked up Avare, because they might not restrict your access. Of course, you'll want to be very careful about avoiding unscrupulous sites that might have inserted malware. I've only used gPlay to install apps for that reason, but you might request Avare from Amazon (I've checked and it's not there right now) because I've read that's considered a safe site and I think there are others. Anyplace you get Avare, remember that we don't require any Permissions other than GPS location (coarse & fine) and SD card access, so if others show up don't install from that source. Our current version is 2.1.1 and it's much better than any of the earlier versions. If you have the knowledge and ability to manually install apps, you could also use the link from our website to SourceForge and get the app there.

If you do find any way to install, please let us know because there are plenty of pilots who fly and/or live in Canada who could find Avare very helpful. Note that the current version crops the U.S. Sectionals at the border even though on the west coast for example, the Seattle Sectional extends clear to Nanaimo. Zubair did this in order to keep the app Install size down, and because he couldn't find any free source of Canadian charts. If a few people ask nicely, maybe we can talk him into releasing another version named Avare Global or some such, with uncropped Sectionals on both borders.

On a related note, I believe the app is written such that maps for the entire world could ultimately be included. With the addition of options for which aviation charts or other maps are installed and loaded, Canadian charts could probably be added quite easily. I've read that the Canadian government hasn't yet released digital charts but is planning to do so. My daughter lives in Edmonton and I've flown there three times, so as you can imagine I'll be lobbying Zubair to add Canada once it's possible! ;)

I'd also love to see some digital maps experts to join our team and volunteer to add other maps. If someone even found a free source of road maps for Canada and could convert them into the format Zubair developed for Avare, those could be added as an option when you fly beyond the areas already covered by northern U.S. Sectionals. I'm a "low & slow" VFR pilot and would love the ability to switch to road maps, topo charts, or marine charts when flying near something and wondering about it. I fly the LA area fairly often, and ATC there occasionally makes reference to freeway numbers that are seldom shown in Jeppesen on my gns430 or Lowrance 1000 or now Sectionals on Avare. Maybe someone in EAA would be willing to help Zubair add more charts & maps?

Again, thanks for your interest. Please let us know of any progress or further questions.

[JohnSBA]

US sectionals cover my area and would work great.
Looks like I was wrong about the charts being cropped at the border. Seattle Sectional is, and we're looking into what happened there. But I just now browsed the east coast, and it goes all the way up to Chéticamp, NS. Sure would've been nice to have Avare when we flew to Newfoundland! :)

[rv8bldr]

Hey John

Avare is downloading to my Galaxy S 3 as I type this. Thanks for the quick fix. I'm looking forward to using it in my RV-8 soon.

Cheers

[JohnSBA]

browsed the east coast, and it goes all the way up to Chéticamp, NS
Like the Sectionals, it also goes well into Mexico.

[wirejock]

Love the app. I've been hoping for an Android version. I'm sure it's me or my phone, but I can't seem to enter a destination. I tried all sorts of three character codes and always get the same result. "Destination not found".

[JohnSBA]

can't seem to enter a destination.
So odd how different devices act differently, even though he's been so careful to use only the published Android coding guidelines. Some of the relatively few issues reported have probably been hardware issues, but a few seem to be variations in how manufacturers and telcos have implemented Android. I think Zubair found out about an issue on some devices related to MiXeD or lower case letters that prevented Destination working but Base still worked, and he's fixed that in the next release.


always get the same result. "Destination not found".
That seems more likely a missing or corrupted "database" file. The next release (2.3) has an entirely new database structure, so your current one will be deleted and re-downloaded once you update. Let us know if that doesn't fix your Destination input.

[JohnSBA]

Version 2.5 of Avare is on the gPlay store now. Lots of improvements in recent versions, most notably options for Portrait (vertical) display orientation and AK/HI Sectionals.

The new database structure lets you download just the Sectionals you want or "Everything" including AK/HI. When chart updates start rolling out, this will be a great way to update just the charts you want/need.

If you check it out, we welcome your feedback via our website (see 1st post in this thread). If you add a positive review on gPlay it will encourage more pilots to try out this free app to see if it meets their needs. It would also be a nice "thank you" to the developer for all his volunteer effort. :)

[Eric Witherspoon]

Loaded this a couple days ago and am testing it out on a road trip. I like that I only had to load the 2 sectionals where I will be, and not load the phone up with bunches of charts I will never use. Question - the phone does its usual "go dim" after some number of seconds of no user activity, then screen goes dark (also per usual for most other apps). With the Navigation (driving) app, the screen stays lit until the user turns it off. Of course constant screen on draws the battery down pretty quick, but I think most people would run navigation with external power. Is there a way to keep Avare on the screen until the user turns the screen off?

[JohnSBA]

Is there a way to keep Avare on the screen until the user turns the screen off?
Yes there are currently two methods: 1. While using Avare, temporarily use Settings/Display/Screen timeout/Never timeout. 2. Permanently use Settings/Applications/Development/Stay awake (while plugged in), and plug in external power while using Avare. I use the second method, because I keep my device plugged into aircraft accessory power.

There is not yet an option in Avare itself to keep the device awake, which would add to the two methods the ability for the device to never sleep only while running Avare. Of course, if such an option were added it would require another Permission during the install. Often the more Permissions an app requires, the more people will hesitate to install it. I wish Android had more "granularity" in Permissions, so that a developer could choose only the specific access required. Also nice would be an option to install an app and still refuse selected Permissions. But I'm glad Android users at least have some ability to find out what apps will have access to when choosing whether to install (unlike another mobile OS).

[JohnSBA]

Avare is improving so fast! We're at version 2.6, and another Update will probably happen soon. It now lists the 50 Nearest airports, and several other new features have been added since v2.5 plus some refinements and minor fixes. Be sure to check often for new versions, because some really remarkable features are in the works. It's also now available on the Amazon Android store, which might help with any devices that gPlay hasn't allowed installation on because Avare runs fine on those for people using the new Manual Installation instructions on our website. As always, we welcome feedback, feature requests, and of course any reports of problems.

[Dan]

Avare is improving so fast! We're at version 2.6, and another Update will probably happen soon. It now lists the 50 Nearest airports, and several other new features have been added since v2.5 plus some refinements and minor fixes. Be sure to check often for new versions, because some really remarkable features are in the works. It's also now available on the Amazon Android store, which might help with any devices that gPlay hasn't allowed installation on because Avare runs fine on those for people using the new Manual Installation instructions on our website. As always, we welcome feedback, feature requests, and of course any reports of problems.

Nice! Just loaded it into my 'new' Galaxy Tab 2 7.0. Just the right size for the 172.

[Mike M]

I loaded the avare app on my samsung galaxy tab 2 10.1. downloaded appropriate charts and checked it out on a road trip from ohio to florida last week. works fine in a uhaul truck cab, does just what they said it would do at speeds up to sixty knots and the screen is readable. i haven't found a download of the airport facility directory on the "download charts" page so i haven't figured out yet how to get AFD info "in flight". thank you, JohnSBA, for directing me to this app.

[JohnSBA]

works fine
Thanks for the report. It's helpful getting reports from lots of different pilots using different Androids.


haven't found a download of the airport facility directory

Because most pilots will use it, the AFD database is built into the app so you don't have to download it. We made the Airport Diagrams an item on the Downloads menu because it's a big file and some pilots don't use it. All you need do for AFD is input an airport code in the Destination, and all available AFD info for that airport is displayed in a scrollable list with a touch of the AFD button. For looking up multiple airports, I've found it convenient to use the Nearest button if the airport you're looking for is one of the 50 nearest airports. If there's a distant airport I'll be looking at more than once I also change my Base airport in Preferences sometimes, and to activate it I just hit Destination and OK to accept the Base code always shown as the default input for Destination.

We're looking at different ways of displaying all the info packed in this cool little app, so watch for some interface changes in coming releases. We're also looking into ways of adding weather.

Happy Flying -j

[Mike M]

All you need do for AFD is input an airport code in the Destination, and all available AFD info for that airport is displayed in a scrollable list with a touch of the AFD button.


well, DUH! works great, thank you!