Any Problems with latest Skydemon Release for IPad?

[Mick Sturridge]

Monocock, it's affecting at least 27 million people as far as I can see. At least that's how many hits I got when I entered 'ipad crashes' into Google. There seems a growing body of evidence to suggest that the iPad's memory management is let's say, less than optimal. Safari, Skype, iBooks and many other apps come in for criticism as potential culprits. I think the only way forward is to do as Tim suggests and let him and his team know what is happening to you. If there is a pattern and if they can do anything about it then I'm sure they will, based on their track record.

I was surprised and disappointed to see that Montyyorks' iPad3 is crashing. The only significant thing about my iPad3 that may be different is that I have virtually no apps on it. I treat is as a flying iPad with Skydemon and Aeroweather as pretty much all that's on there. Three hundred quid or so seems pretty small potatoes compared to other avionics I've had to buy or am about to buy (the audio panel croaked last week).

[Gertie]

There seems a growing body of evidence to suggest that the iPad's memory management is let's say, less than optimal.

Is it the iPad's operating system that's crashing, or applications?

The conventional way to write an application is roughly along these lines:

- ask the operating system for some memory/resource/whatever
- see whether it said "yes" or "no"
- if it said "no" and you can't manage without, tell the user "sorry, can't do that"

Running out of memory should not cause anything to crash, unless you follow the alternative approach:

- ask the operating system for some memory/resource/whatever
- don't bother to check whether it worked or not
- just use the returned pointer/object/whatever, even if it's null/zero/whatever
- and just to be on the safe side, don't handle any exceptions

which one would rather hope didn't happen these days outside students' first exercises.

[Monocock]

I don't think you're "genuinely concerned" about this for one second.

Err, I am actually.

There have been many people openly admitting that they frequently head off across Europe with only SD as their GPS/flight planner simply because 'it does everything'. It does, certainly, while it's functioning correctly.

I know you think I'm anti your product. I'm not anti it, I just can't get on with it, but that's not my point here. What I'm anti is people relying solely on one single electronic device to fly a track, check weather, check NOTAM's and file flight plans. Only a couple of weeks ago I was at Popham and a gentleman in a CH601 was telling me how he now has a paperless cockpit because of his ipad and SD. He was very proud of his new ability to leave the house to go flying in the morning with nothing but his headset and his iPad, having no further need to spend 30 minutes online, and that 'everything could be done over breakfast and en route'.

Added to the increase in frequency of the 'Why is SD crashing after the update' threads, I'm just more convinced that a manual system of weather checking, NOTAM knowledge and flight planning might be safer for those who have the tendency to allow themselves to become rather over-reliant on one system, that clearly has reliability issues.

I will finish by saying that I do find it amazing how people don't seem to be allowed to say on this forum that SD isn't for them and that there are other very good, cheaper, and less 'eggs in one basket' products out there. If someone started a thread about a car manufacturer that was having technical issues with its product, is it not allowed for someone to recommend another reliable product as an alternative?

[Boswell]

MonoC, I'd be more convinced about your concern if you were using a more advanced system than ANP.

ANP is an incomprehensible, non-intuitive product which I struggle to see how it survives. Zero tech-support to boot.

[sky_high30]

I took my iPad 1 flying for the first time today (I ordered a cheapo Chinese sat nav online to run SD Mobile but it hasn't turned up yet). It did crash and i'd had the problem just playing with it at home - I put it down to be resource constrained but at least i'm not the only one. Still worked a treat, can't wait to give it a proper run (I did 4 short flights today).

[Monocock]

MonoC, I'd be more convinced about your concern if you were using a more advanced system than ANP.

ANP is an incomprehensible, non-intuitive product which I struggle to see how it survives. Zero tech-support to boot.

As I said, we should all be allowed to choose what's best for our needs. I've never had a problem with it and the I only time I've been unsure about something on a free update, I had an email response within 24 hours. Happy to post a copy to prove this if required.

My point wasn't a 'promote ANP' one. It was a 'with so many relying on so much from one device/software system, isn't it about time they got it right' one.

[johnm]

I've had no troubles but I don't use it in flight and only occasionally use it for planning along with lots of other tools. It's fiddly for IFR though the content is there I prefer Navbox for that as it shows airways better.

I also prefer to use Orbifly for weather along side the Metoffice and the AIS Site for Notam

Like Mono I don't go for all eggs one basket, though I've stopped carrying paper plates now as I have the plates in the iPad and the GPS.

[Dave Phillips]

I'm a bluff old traditionalist. As one who currently has a "SD crash on iPad" issue I'm not going to get overly animated about the affair. I often fly with SD and a fancy G1000 but I alway carry a paper chart and guess what? Sometimes the easiest thing to do is consult the chart. Anyone who thinks that a SD crash is a safety issue needs to look at their safety management technique.

[PaulB]

Monocock, it's affecting at least 27 million people as far as I can see. At least that's how many hits I got when I entered 'ipad crashes' into Google.

That assumes that 1 google hit represents 1 crashing iPad. That's a totally false assumption.

[anglianav8r]

I fly on a tight budget and thought long & hard before acquiring SD. I took the budget option and use a cheap Chinese satnav unit which I purchased on ebay. With the kind help of stevelup, I got it to work in concert with a netbook used for planning. Almost a year since I bought the system and I've found it to be faultless.
Have had a couple of helpful phone conversations with SD folks too. I'm a computer technology luddite and work on the basis that the grey box is rather dim. So, I don't have high expectations of the kit and choose to keep my netbook and satnavs pretty much exclusive to SD only. Perhaps that's why I can report so positively.
I will confess to having a nagging doubt each time I'm presented with the option of downloading the latest version.. Being the pilot of a simple little aeroplane that plods along at circa 60 knots, I do wonder if the time is approaching for the creation of a two tier SD product ? 'SD basic' will do for me

[pb6797]

Flying at 60 knots I think "SD basic" could be the apocryphal Little Chef Road Atlas

[Shoestring Flyer]

I agree with Mono...

Anyone who flies with sole reference to any one system is either mad or just plain stupid IMHO.
My personal first reference and personal GPS preference is to a totally reliable Garmin 496, backed up just for situational reference with SD on a chinese satnav. As emergency backup I have an old Garmin Pilot 3 in my flightbag.
In addition I have a backup plog and stopwatch and paper chart! I could also navigate by those old fashioned things called VOR's if push came to shove!

Skydemon is impressive I admit ( expensive!)but to me it should never ever be used to the exclusion of a backup system.

[Paul_Sengupta]

I don't think you're "genuinely concerned" about this for one second.

I think he is genuinely concerned, but not specifically about the quality of the software...it's about people abandoning aviation specific GPSs and the like, and even their paper charts, and relying on something which is incredibly useful, but is in a continuous state of development. It's more about pilots leaving their skills behind and relying on this. Personally my ideal solutions would be two GPSs, one stead, solid, unchanging, bug free GPS which may perhaps have minimal features, plus then something like Sky Demon which has all the bells and whistles and is continually updated and runs on consumer hardware, with all the inherent risks those entail.

It isn't about getting animated about SD crashes, it's about getting animated about pilots putting all their eggs in a slight fragile basket.

[anglianav8r]

Flying at 60 knots I think "SD basic" could be the apocryphal Little Chef Road Atlas

But of course, I have the very same chart in my cockpit. I really must get around to updating it as I understand several branches have closed.

[Monocock]

I think he is genuinely concerned, but not specifically about the quality of the software...it's about people abandoning aviation specific GPSs and the like, and even their paper charts, and relying on something which is incredibly useful, but is in a continuous state of development. It's more about pilots leaving their skills behind and relying on this. Personally my ideal solutions would be two GPSs, one stead, solid, unchanging, bug free GPS which may perhaps have minimal features, plus then something like Sky Demon which has all the bells and whistles and is continually updated and runs on consumer hardware, with all the inherent risks those entail.

It isn't about getting animated about SD crashes, it's about getting animated about pilots putting all their eggs in a slight fragile basket.

Thank you Paul - exactly my point.