Xavion - 3D hoop feature added for instrument approaches

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TwinStarScott
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Xavion - 3D hoop feature added for instrument approaches

Post by TwinStarScott »

Received this mass email today from Austin Meyer at Xavion:

"Xavion 2.17 is here now, and I am really dialing in a pretty fascinating feature, and here it is:

Now, in Xavion, with the data subscription, you can see INSTRUMENT APPROACHES as 3-D hoops!

Flying instrument approaches is well known to be one of the harder things to do in civil aviation, and now with Xavion you can simply go to the NAV screen and enter your destination airport and altitude to approach it. The moment you do, every instrument approach for that airport will be listed below the airport, complete with every initial approach fix for each approach! With a SINGLE TOUCH, your instrument approach is selected and activated! For me, this is much, much simpler and faster than any approach setup I have ever seen on any other avionics display by any other manufacturer.

Once you have selected the approach, simply fly the 3-D hoops in Xavion to go from where you are to the IAF, through every fix on the approach right down to the FAF and even the runway, and simply hit the little MISS button on the lower-right when you are ready to fly the missed approach procedure, all as 3-D hoops!

I have been flying this system almost daily in my Evolution, and I find it much, much faster and easier to use than my built-in avionics, which cost, um, more.

So now, Xavion gives both instrument approaches and power-off approaches as 3-D hoops: The two hardest things to fly in civil aviation are now presented as hoops on an iPad! Fly them if you like, or use them for a second-opinion if you want to manage your instrument approaches and emergencies on your own!

My next instrument proficiency check is due now, and I look forwards to being able to pass it by... flying through hoops on an iPad!

Get it on the App Store now!

austin"

http://xavion.com/app/full-description/
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Rich
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Re: Xavion - 3D hoop feature added for instrument approaches

Post by Rich »

Interesting feature set, but a few shortcomings in some areas. A couple jumped out at me:

- Attitude display based on the orientation of the tablet rather than the airplane. Lots of folks mount their tablet on the yoke. Even worse, I mount mine on the stick.
- No ADS-B traffic.

Scarier, they seem to be promoting flying instrument approaches using this device rather than the TSO'd stuff on your panel, without getting into the not-so-minor detail of using a specific qualifying GPS, with fault detection and exclusion.

I'd limit it to VFR-only.
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CFIDave
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Re: Xavion - 3D hoop feature added for instrument approaches

Post by CFIDave »

Also it's rare that I get an instrument approach here on the busy US east coast where I start approaches at an IAF. Instead, I'm usually being radar vectored by ATC on a heading to intercept the inbound course -- regardless of whether I'm assigned a GPS or ILS/Localizer approach. And often I'm given altitudes to fly that are Minimum Vectoring Altitudes rather than the altitudes specified in an approach procedure.

So I'm not sure how useful the Xavion would be in the real world for flying instrument approaches.
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TwinStarScott
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Re: Xavion - 3D hoop feature added for instrument approaches

Post by TwinStarScott »

Since I bought this app a long time ago when flying a Grumman Tiger, I haven't used it in over four years. Though for $10, I've just recently loaded the current data (valid for one month*) and will go out an experiment with it soon in the DA42 and shoot some approaches - on a nice VFR day with a safety pilot. At least at first anyway, depending upon the results.

However, I believe the most compelling reason to use this app is in single engine aircraft - in the event of a complete or even partial engine failure. The main drawback is that it requires a dedicated device (ipad or even an iphone) running Xavion in the foreground at all times when airborne. In my experience and from memory - this app provides much more of a safety net than a gliding range ring - when connected to an ADS-B receiver. Which should provide traffic data and the device would therefore be independent of its orientation (if mounted on a yoke and using the ipad's internal GPS).

For those who wish to investigate Xavion a little further, here's a video published back in 2015:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeOMbIpk0xA

Finally, if there happens to be any other DA42 owners currently using this app, please send me a PM. Thanks!

* $99 annually and I believe at that time the app itself ran another ninety-nine dollars. Also, Xavion supports a host of ADS-B receivers and I recently learned the Stratus 3 now works with this app.
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