Quick Start Guide

GPS Air Navigator

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.

Downloads


With the GPS Air Navigator, you can use the following types of charts:

3. Main objects over the main screen:

PlanePlane: 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: Compass around the plane. Compass can be enabled/disabled in the Settings.

Runway User Waypoint 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:
Route WPRoute Waypoint: waypoints used for the current route. All points defined for current route have this image.

wpselected
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.

workspace

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).

routewp

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:

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):

Buttons


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).

Manage Airspace

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".

User 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:

MAYDAY

The MAYDAY button should be used in a flight Emergency, performing two functions:


In the Application Settings (Preferences Mayday section) can be defined three parameters associated with this function:

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:

menu


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).

dmag

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.