4.6 Aircraft position and instruments
Interpret the own-aircraft symbol
The aircraft position is overlaid on all map types.
The aircraft is colour-coded depending on the accuracy of the GPS fix:
Android and Apple | Black when GPS accuracy is greater than 100 m. |
Android and Apple | Red when GPS accuracy is within 100 m but no valid heading is available. |
Android and Apple | Blue when GPS accuracy is within 100 m and a valid heading is available. |
Change the default symbol under Settings > User Settings > Default Aircraft Icon.
Choose the flight-plan aircraft icon
The default icon is used when no flight plan is selected. To choose the icon used with a flight plan, select Settings > Aircraft Type Database > the aircraft type > Basic Performance > Aircraft Icon.
HUD
Use the HUD
A set of live data can be overlaid on top of all maps (The HUD). This data can be individualised to show what you’d like to see while in flight. The HUD is able to show the following details:
| HUD Item | Details |
| TO | Waypoint at the end of the Currently selected leg of the flight plan. If the Waypoint is an Aid, then the type and frequency of the Aid are displayed. When the HUD is active this item is always present and cannot be changed |
| AGL | Current GPS Altitude Above Ground Level, ft |
| AIRSPACE | Current Airspace (CTR, CTA or SUA) |
| NEXT AIRSPACE | Next Airspace (CTR, CTA or SUA). See note below re track projection |
| ALT | Current GPS Altitude above Ground Level, ft |
| BARO ALT | Barometric Altitude, ft. (Taken from the device) |
| BRG | Bearing to the next waypoint from the current location, °M |
| DIST (DEST) | Distance remaining from the current position to destination, nm |
| DIST (NEXT) | Distance remaining from the current position to next waypoint, nm |
| DTK | Desired Track – The Planned track from last waypoint to the next waypoint of the current leg, °M |
| ETA (NEXT) | ETA at the next waypoint (UTC ) |
| ETA (DEST) | ETA at the Destination (UTC ) |
| FIA | Current area frequency |
| FIA NEXT | Next area frequency. See note below re track projection |
| GPS HORIZ ERR | Estimated horizontal error calculated by the GPS (including external GPS devices) |
| GS | Ground speed, Kt |
| LATITUDE | Latitude |
| LONGITUDE | Longitude |
| LSALT | Lowest Safe Altitude for current leg, or Grid LSALT if outside envelope used for route LSALT calculation, ft [If on a direct-To leg that is not in the plan and you calculate an LSALT, it will appear here] |
| QNH | QNH based on nearest available METAR at the current location, with METAR Location shown, hPa |
| QNH DEST | QNH based on the nearest available METAR at the the destination Location, hPa |
| ROD (DEST) | Rate of Descent required from the current position to arrive at ground level at the Destination |
| SFC WIND | Surface wind at the current position based on the the nearest available METAR, with METAR Location shown |
| SFC WIND DEST | Surface wind at the Destination location based on nearest available METAR |
| TAS | Planned True Airspeed for the current leg, Kts |
| TIME (NEXT) | Minutes to next waypoint. Counts down in minutes and seconds when less than 10 minutes remain |
| TIMER | Stopwatch (tap to start/stop/reset) |
| TRK | Current track over the ground (aka Track Made Good), °M |
| XTE | Cross Track Error, nm |
INFO
NOTE: AIRSPACE NEXT and the FIA NEXT are the Airspace and FIA frequency that will be reached when heading in the current direction, not in reference to your flight plan. The FIA field flashes several times after it has changed.
When flying an active flight plan and the TO field is displaying the next waypoint, tapping within that field is a handy shortcut to the Terminal page for that place.
Personalising the HUD
HUD Style
There are two options for controlling the font size of the items displayed in the HUD, and one specialist option used for precision track keeping when e.g. flying a survey. The preferred style can be set in Settings > User Settings > HUD Style:
The Default HUD style is as shown at the beginning of this section, with a double row of information boxes spanning the available screen space and in as large a font as can be accommodated.
The Big HUD style shows a single row of HUD information boxes in the largest font that fits the space; on iPads with large screens this may not be any larger than in the standard HUD on the same device.
- The Light Bar style HUD shows a precision Cross Track Error display below the normal HUD. The Light Bar shows displacement Left or Right from the desired track with lights indicating that the aircraft is within 20, 10, 5 or 1 metre Left or Right of the desired track. Note that the Light Bar is not a “command” instrument. The Light Bar shows the XTE, not the direction to turn. If the centre light is green then the aircraft (actually device running AvPlan) is within one metre of the desired track line.
HUD Content
To change a field, tap and hold until the cell border highlights, then release. A list of available options appears below. Tap the one you want to save it in that location in the HUD. Note: Cells cannot be duplicated; only currently available options will be shown. To move cells that are already present to another position, tap and hold both until they highlight. When you then release your fingers, they will swap positions.
HUD Text colour
HUD text colour can be changed in Settings > User Settings > Application Colours.
Horizontal situation indicator
The HSI shows the current track offset of the current flight plan leg. The scale is +- 5 NM.
Tap the show/hide HSI button to show or hide it: Screenshot for 7.12. Horizontal situation indicator
Apple
Apple
- Turn the HSI with one finger to select a different inbound course.
- Tap the magenta field in the top-left corner to synchronise the HSI with the current track.
- Touch and hold the HSI until it enlarges, then drag it to a new position.
- Pinch the HSI to change its size.
Synthetic vision
Apple 10.x
WARNING
Synthetic Vision is a situational-awareness aid. It is not a certified flight instrument and must not be used as the primary reference for instrument flight.
Synthetic Vision presents terrain, obstacles and runways ahead of the aircraft in a three-dimensional view. Apple 10.x can also show airport locations, ADS-B traffic and active airspace when the required data is available.
- Open En Route.
- Select the Synthetic Vision control to show the view beside the map.
- Swipe the Synthetic Vision display to adjust the viewport when required.
- Open its settings to zero the available axes or download required terrain data.
- Select the Synthetic Vision control again to close the view.
An external attitude and heading reference system provides pitch and roll. Without attitude input, the view remains straight and level using the available GPS position and displays No attitude input.
Terrain is coloured by its height relative to the aircraft:
| Red | At the current aircraft height or above. |
| Yellow | From 500 feet below the aircraft to the current aircraft height. |
| Green | More than 500 feet below the aircraft. |
Charted obstacles and supported runways are drawn in the three-dimensional landscape when their data is installed.
Profile view
Apple
Tap the Profile View button to display a horizontal representation of terrain, obstacle and airspace. This view is an excellent tool to assist with planning vertical navigation and enhancing terrain or obstacle awareness during flight.
- Terrain less than 500 feet below planned altitude is displayed in red
- Terrain between 500 and 1500 feet below planned altitude is displayed in yellow Obstacles are also shown as red vertical lines (If Terrain Warnings is set to on – see Settings)
Airspace along your route is also depicted in the Flight Profile view. Controlled airspace appears as blue boxes, whereas SUA areas are depicted in red.
As with the Terrain overlay, the Flight Profile view operates in two distinct modes:
| Plan Mode | Shows your entire flight. If it is a long flight that doesn’t fit in one window, the rest of the flight can be viewed by scrolling from right-to-left. |
| Fly Mode | Shows a live representation of the terrain in front of the aircraft, based on your current altitude and track, looking 30 NM ahead. |
WARNING
The Profile view of the terrain is extracted from an ~800 meter wide swath of the Digital Elevation Model; i.e. ±400m each side of the planned track. It should not be relied on for Lowest Safe data for IFR flight planning,. It is a visual guide only. For accurate LSALT determination, please use the LSALT tools.