Quick
Start Guide
1.
GPS Air Navigator is an application for VFR Air Navigation.
Please consider carefully all statements of Disclaimer before using
this app.
This short guide shows you how to use GPS Air Navigator.
2.
Download of Maps and Airspace information
Maps and Airspace
files can be downloaded pressing the "Downloads" button
in the initial app screen.

With the GPS Air
Navigator, you can use the following types of charts:
- OSM
Chart: Free-use maps available through the @OpenStreetMap service
(www.openstreetmap.org). Zoom levels between 5 and 12;
- Mapsforge
Vector Chart: Free vector maps based on the Mapsforge service
(www.mapsforge.org). Zoom levels between 5 and 18;
- WAC
Chart: WAC (World Aeronautical Chart) Aeronautical Charts, made
available by the aeronautical authorities of the countries;
- OFM
Chart: High-quality Aeronautical Charts, created by the
OpenFlightMaps Association (www.openflightmaps.org);
- FLYERMaps
Chart: High Quality (paid) VFR Aeronautical Charts, created by
FLYERMaps (www.flyermaps.com).
3. Main objects over the main screen:
Plane: you
can choose the airplane color and format on Settings. The airplane moves
over the map when GPS signal is available, updating its position in real
time.
Compass:
Compass around the plane. Compass can be enabled/disabled in the Settings.
Waypoint saved in System or User
Database. The System Waypoints have white background while User
Waypoints have yellow background. When pressed, you can see
detailed information about the waypoint and use the following options:
- Direct To:
Proceed direct from current location to this waypoint
- + Route: Add
this waypoint to the current route
- Edit/Suggest:
To edit the waypoint data or to suggest corrections of the information
to the developer. If you edit a System Waypoint and saves the changes,
this waypoint becomes a User Waypoint and the corresponding System
Waypoint is disabled.
- Delete (only available for User Waypoints):
To delete this waypoint.
Route
Waypoint: waypoints used for the current route. All points
defined for current route have this image.
Selected
Route Waypoint: Pressing a route waypoint,
we have a menu with several options (see below).
4. Main Workspace:
The following image shows the main app workspace with the most important
objects and information described below.

1. Map Scale
2. Current Ground Speed
3. Distance to next WP and
Distance to destination WP
4. ETE to next WP and ETE to
destination WP
5. Current Altitude
6. Current Course
7. Bearing to Next WP
8. Plane/Current position
9. Destination WP
10. Current Route (set of light
blue lines)
11. Realtime track (purple line)
12. Path from current position to
next Route WP (pink line)
13. Next WP (example of a System
Waypoint)
14. Fly To Button
15. Map Orient (North UP or Plane
UP)
16. Position Report information
17. Next WP (press the button to
jump to next WP)
18. Show/Hide AirSpace information
19. Center plane on Map (On/Off)
20. Choose Map
21. Compass
22. MAYDAY Button
23. Black line that always
points to the horizon in
front of the airplane
24. Zoom buttons (you can hide/show these buttons in the settings)
25. Battery
26. Screen to save Notes
27. Menu Button
28. Airspace information
29. Letter that indicates the navigation with True (T)
or Magnetic (M) North
30. Current Time
31. Information about the current
route
32. Information about the current
position relative to the next WP
33. Example of an User WP
4.1. Brief Description
When a route is active and the device has GPS signal, the current track of
the airplane is presented in the indicated box, on top of the device
screen.
The Bearing to next waypoint of current route is presented in a floating
box and with different background colors. If next WP is to the right of
your actual track, then the Bearing is shown at center right of the
screen, with an yellow background. This means that you need to turn right
to go in the right direction. If the next WP is behind the plane, then the
Bearing is shown below the screen with a red background. The same
principle is applied if next WP is to the left (background yellow) or in
front of the plane (background green).
The active route is indicated over the map by a light blue line between
the waypoints. Each route can include several legs between the route
waypoints. A magenta line is used to indicate the path from current
location of the plane until the next waypoint.
Pressing over a route waypoint, we have a menu with several options (next
image).

To move the location of the route waypoint, first chose the option "Move
Route Waypoint" and next long press over the new desired location. The
other options are self explanatory.
At the bottom of the screen (or at the left side when Landscape mode is
used), we can see the panel with the current:
- Ground
Speed (GS).
- Distance
to next WP and to destination (DST). When next WP is also the
final destination, only one line is displayed.
- Estimated
Time Enroute (ETE) for each next WP and final destination
(only one line if the
next WP is also the final destination). Pressing over this item change
data between ETE and ETA (Estimated Time Arrival). All times are UTC.
- Altitude
(ALT), reported by the GPS device according to the
WGS-84 Reference Ellipsoid. Please see the Disclaimer
page for more information about this item. Pressing over the current
altitude, you can choose the usage of MSL (mean sea level) or QFE
altitude.
- Current Time.
All
Units can be chosen in the Settings.
Above the panel (if in portrait
mode) or at the bottom of the screen (if in landscape mode) we can
access to eight buttons with the following features (see image below):
- Menu: Open the
app menu. This action can also be made via the
(hard of soft) Menu Button of the device. This button inside the main
screen can be hidden in the settings.
- Notes: Open a
black window to write some notes, like the QNH, wind information,
frequencies and so on.
- North UP/Track UP:
If North UP is selected, then the map is always North oriented and the
airplane automatically rotates according to its track. If Track UP is
selected, then the airplane is always oriented to Up and the map
rotates automatically according to the current track.
- Report: Open a
new window with the most important information about the current
position and the distance and time to the next and destination
waypoint. This window can be very useful when reporting to ATC
services.
- Next WP:
Pressing this button moves forward to the Next WP of the route.
- Center On/Center Off:
if On, the plane is always on the center of the map. In
this situation, when position changes, is the map that moves. If this
option is switched to Off, the map remains fixed and is the plane that
changes its position over the screen.
- AirSpace/Close:
Open/Close a panel to show/hide airspace graphical information over
the map. You need to previously download the files (on the initial
screen) for the country(s) of your preference.
- Map:
Beginning in the version 2.0, a new map format (mapsforge osm) has
introduced. These new maps have higher resolution, with better terrain
details (name of the cities and roads more readable; main airfields
with higher details and so on). The main drawback is that it is
necessary to choose what map is shown at the moment. This is done in
this button.
- Fly To:
shortcut to choose your next destination, with the following options:
- ...Waypoint:
opens the Waypoints window, to choose a system or user waypoint as
your destination;
- ...Lat/Long:
fly to a specific latitude and longitude point;
- ...Bearing and
Distance: define a destination route point giving: a) an
initial point (current position or an existent waypoint); b) the
bearing; c) the distance from the initial point;
- Manage Routes:
opens the Routes window, where you can create, delete and manage the
saved routes;
- Reverse
current Route: reverses the current route.
5. Manage Airspace
information
The airspace information can be
seen over the map, if you choose this option. To see airspace
information is necessary to download the desired country airspace files,
in the Downloads option of the initial screen. Next, in the main screen,
you can press "AirSpace" button to choose the airspace country
information that will be placed over the map (see next image).

With Airspace tab opened, first you
need to choose the desired country in the corresponding combo box. The
available countries here are those you downloaded the Airspace files on
the initial screen. Next, press the button "Show AirSpace" to see the
airspace information over the map.
To hide airspace information over the map, press again the same button,
that now shows the text "Hide AirSpace". After choosing the airspace to be
viewed over the map, you can press the button "Close", to minimize the
Airspace tab.
If you closes the app with the airspace visible over the map, next time
you re-open the app, the same airspace file is automatically opened and
you don't need to repeat the previous steps.
The airspace information is stored in KML files used by Google Earth. So,
if you want to use your own KML files with airspace information, you can
put these files in the folder "/sdcard/GPSAirNavigator/AirSpaces/Custom".
Next, inside the app, open the airspace combo box and select Custom.
Please avoid the use of KML files with size greather than 1 MB, because
big files take significant time to process and this slows down the app.
6. Creating user waypoints
You can create User
Waypoints long pressing on the desired place over the Map. Next,
fill the fields that you want (see next image) and press the button
"Save WP".

If you only want to create a route
waypoint (without store permanent information about this point in the
database), you can press the button "Direct To" to start a route to this
point or the button "+Route", to add a leg to this point to the current
route.
If you think that this waypoint can
be useful for all the community, you can press the "Suggest" button.
With this option, you can send the information of this waypoint to the
developer, helping him to update future releases of the database
of system waypoints.
7. MAYDAY Button:

The MAYDAY button should be used in a
flight Emergency, performing two functions:
- Automatic delivery of an
SMS
(only works on
devices that are prepared to send and receive SMS
messages). The SMS is
sent (if the device has mobile network) to the mobile numbers defined
in Settings (can be defined up to 2 mobile numbers), with a message
warning of an emergency in flight and indicating the current position
of the aircraft.
- Activation of a direct
route to the nearest waypoint, considering the current
position of the aircraft.
In the Application Settings (Preferences
Mayday section) can be defined three parameters associated with
this function:
- Show/Hide Mayday button on the
main screen of the application
- The mobile numbers (can be set
one or two numbers) where the emergency SMS should be sent. If no
numbers defined here, no SMS is sent and, pressing the MAYDAY button,
only activates the direct route to the nearest waypoint.
When pressing the MAYDAY button on the
main screen a new large window with two buttons is shown. Here is possible
to confirm the activation of the Emergency mode or Cancel the MAYDAY
action.
8. Menu:
The app's menu is available via the
(hard or soft) Menu Button of the device. You can also activate (in
Settings) an internal menu button. The Menu includes the following
options:

- Navigate:
screen to manage routes (create, delete, change...).
- Flights:
screen to manage the recorded flights (flight tracking). Here you can
load recorded flight tracks to map, delete flight tracks and share
flight stats on Facebook or by email...
- Waypoints:
screen to search and manage System and User Waypoints. By default, the
list shows the nearest waypoints, sorted by distance. Pressing the
"Sort" buttons, you can sort the waypoint be ascending or descending
order. You can also search for waypoints by a word (the search is made over the name,
ICAO code or description of the waypoint). On the left of the
screen you can choose what types of waypoints are displayed (in the
list and over the Map): System and/or User Waypoints. System Waypoints
are part of the app and cannot be changed or deleted. User Waypoints
can be deleted or the correspondent data updated.
- Settings:
access to the settings page.
- Info:
access to information about the app (this Quick Start Guide,
Disclaimer and About pages).
9. Navigation with True or
Magnetic North
You can choose the True or Magnetic
North for navigation. This option is available pressing over the current
Track (see the next image).

It is also possible to define the
usage of True or Magnetic North in the Settings.
The magnetic declination is
automatically calculated, based on the current location. The current
option can be shown in the top right corner of the current Track
rectangle: a T for True North or an M
for Magnetic North.
We hope you enjoy GPS Air
Navigator! If you need any additional information please feel free to
contact us: support@nksoft.eu.