Airventure APP

[gbrasch]

Hal, maybe I missed it, but will there be an app this year? Thanks in advance. Glenn

[Hal Bryan]

Yes, it's in the final stages of testing now. As soon as we get the last bugs knocked down, we'll hand the iOS version off to Apple. From there, it just depends on how long their approval process takes. The Android version is following close behind.

[Jeff Point]

If you need beta testers, there are a few of us here who would love to help.

[gbrasch]

If you need beta testers, there are a few of us here who would love to help.

Me too Hal, and good luck with Apple, been down that road with my app, but of course I don't have the pull EAA does ;)

[Pat1White]

Just downloaded the 2015 Airventure app to both my iPad and iPhone. Already adding forums to My Plan. I like the location map that appears when an item is selected. Don't like that you have to select the item and then > to find out what time it is scheduled. Items are listed chronologically, but must be selected to find out the specific time.

My schedule is already filling up! See you there! Pat

[dedgemon]

Just downloaded the 2015 Airventure app to both my iPad and iPhone. Already adding forums to My Plan. I like the location map that appears when an item is selected. Don't like that you have to select the item and then > to find out what time it is scheduled. Items are listed chronologically, but must be selected to find out the specific time.

My schedule is already filling up! See you there! Pat


So does the App have the data for the schedule items such as the author and presentation description. Both items are helpful in figuring out what the real audience and interest is in a specific presentation. Wish that data was on the schedule section of the website!

[Mayhemxpc]

Downloaded the app. Looks good, BUT… is it possible that there is s host video or something somewhere that explains how to use it. Others here seem to have grasped it intuitively. I can probably figure most of it out, but I think I might miss out on a lot of what it can do without a bit of instruction.

[Marty Santic]

Suggestion for the next revision. When looking at the Forums page for a particular day, sure would be nice to see the start time (without having to drill down for more info). Maybe at the start of the two line extended description. The same applies to the other "Attraction" sections.

[Mayhemxpc]

I don't see the Warbirds Forums. Is there a reason for this -- or is the reason my inability to figure it out.

[spongebobiwan]

Chris,

Using a finger, drag down on the main screen to expose the search field. Then simply type "warbirds in review" into the search field and then tap "search". It will take you to all the warbird in review sessions.

[Mayhemxpc]

I got that. I was looking for the safety forums, briefings, etc. I should have been more specific.

[Jeff Point]

When looking at the Forums page for a particular day, sure would be nice to see the start time (without having to drill down for more info)

Marty is right but he's too nice about it. This functionality is critical for a scheduling app, not just nice to have.

Integration with the website would be nice to have. Many of us have been using the website for weeks to plan our convention week and it would be most useful not to have to start over with the app. This too is basic stuff.

I don't want to come across as too harsh, but I do want to see this improve. The app has not been up to EAA standards of quality for many years now.

[Marty Santic]

Marty is right but he's too nice about it. This functionality is critical for a scheduling app, not just nice to have.


Adding the start time to the description would be SO SIMPLE to implement. Would make the app MUCH more usable!! Is awkward and not usable the way it stands.

[Cattflight]

Adding the start time to the description would be SO SIMPLE to implement. Would make the app MUCH more usable!! Is awkward and not usable the way it stands.

It would be nice to see the list of forums and workshops posted with ALL their scheduled times listed, as opposed to having to look at each days' activities as it is currently. As it is now, one needs to bounce all over the week to find the event they want and the alternate time slots available. Time consuming and frustrating.

Granted, I know this is a "free" app, but it doesn't seem they had scheduling in mind when working on this section.

[keen9]

It's also really annoying that in the schedule, I select the sort by date, but after selecting an item, the back button takes me back to a list sorted A-Z. It would really be nice if this potentially most useful part of the app became useful! As it is, like last year I'll be using the website scheduling as this is just too painful to use. Ben

[LooneyBird]

I volunteer to help write the spec on the App for next year. I would love to make this better. It is better than last year, but I am sure with some of the changes mentioned above we can make it better. I would like to add the ability to select the workshops and forums, and then see if the app can create an "ideal" itinerary. Also, does EAA keep track of who is wanting to book into those forums or workshops? If one get's full can we find a good alternative quickly.

[Fastcapy]

Ugggh. Really think this app is garbage. Not that it matters because I can't get a WiFi connection anywhere on the grounds anyway...

[Hal Bryan]

Ugggh. Really think this app is garbage. Not that it matters because I can't get a WiFi connection anywhere on the grounds anyway...

Can you be a little more specific in your feedback? The app doesn't require any kind of data connection once it's installed and, ideally, when you've downloaded the latest content update for current schedule info, etc., a process that requires about 30 seconds of connectivity. Also, please let us know what hot spots on the grounds you've tried to connect to - as you may not know, there isn't blanket wi-fi coverage of the grounds.

Thank you -

Hal

[MEdwards]

Also, please let us know what hot spots on the grounds you've tried to connect to - as you may not know, there isn't blanket wi-fi coverage of the grounds.Have had absolutely zero wifi signal south of the Vintage red barn since Friday night. Have walked to spots shown on the map, nothing.
Mike E

[miemsed]

App worked great using my ATT LTE connection. No need to try and connect to Wifi.

[PaulDow]

I've got a few suggestions on the application functions.

I noticed that if an event is happening at the noon hour, the schedule says 0:00 PM, not 12:00 PM

From the happening "Now" page; that should probably say Starting Soon too. If I look at the events for items happening Now, that means I'll probably miss most of the event.

It would be nice to be able to sort the event items by time.

Can the items in the Featured section be dropped off the list when they've gone past?

[Fastcapy]

Sorry for the long delay Hal. I really found that the app just was not very user friendly. On Wed for example my brother and I both did the update from within the app. Both showed a successful update. Yet when we clicked on the airshow lineup his showed completely different acts than mine. We tried this a couple of times during the week with similar results.

Also, there were a couple of vendors out there that I knew were out there but yet they didn't show up on the app. I found them walking through the buildings so I knew for sure they were out there but not listed.

Multiple times I clicked the happening now and nothing would show up. Or it would show stuff that was over already.

I updated it daily.

Every time I would click to view something and click back, either with the app back button or my phone back button, it would reset my sort order and take me back to the beginning of the list. Also, maybe I was doing something wrong but I couldn't see what time something was at unless I clicked it.

It was very frustrating and I found myself just using the website or guide that came with the program the vast majority of the time.

Like I said before I really found it to be not user friendly.

As for the WiFi, I tried everywhere. North 40, show center, by IAC, vintage, vendor hangars, membership services tent, main gate, flymart, warbirds, ultralight area. Just about everywhere. I always showed the EAAWIFI and EAAWIFI2 showed good signal strength but could never get it to connect. This was the same for my brother, cousin, son and wife.

I don't want to whine because I had an awesome time out there again this year and it was one of the better years in recent history in my opinion. But when EAA is pushing the app and talking up the WiFi coverage I expected better.

[FlyingRon]

The app was really minimal. The search on it was somewhat loopy and it would be nice to find what building an exhibitor was in without having to zoom up the tiny little map so you could see which building the pin was placed on. Also on my buddy's android, the maps didn't appear at all for some reason. Did this get tested on a regular phone or was everybody using a iPhone 6+ or something?

[Jdw2717]

The app worked great on my Samsung s4. I liked that I could put forums into my plan and use the map and gps to locate the forum location and then compare where I was and where I needed to go. I will say it was easier for me to look at the Airventure today paper and see what was listed for the day and then add it to my plan on my phone. The search function could use a little tweaking but all in all I liked it.

[FlyingRon]

The S4 is HUGE compared with most people's smart phones, hell it's bigger even than an iphone6.

The app was borderline unusable on my 4S.

[Bob Meder]

Suggestion for next year, Hal: Search/sort by presenters' names. There are lot of folks that I'd like to see, but have no idea what the title of their forums might be.

Besides, it might save you an email from the panicked chairman of another aviation organization. ;):thumbsup: