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It seems like iPhone X-Plane updates are coming out even quicker than the desktop version!
Version 9.03 was released today. This latest update has added some great features, transforming the sim from a fun example of what the iPhone can do into a “proper” simulator.
Here’s a taste of what’s included (source: iTunes):
Go to the map in the settings screens to see the airports and NAVAIDS, including NAVAID frequencies.
Close that window and hit the Instrument Panel button to see the full-screen instrument panel, good enough for flight-training. This is a first for the iPhone.
Drag the panel up or down to see the NAV radios, and tune the NAV radio to the desired VOR and ILS frequencies. You can now shoot a full ILS approach, complete with intercept from the VOR! Set the HSI to NAV-1 or NAV-2 with the little button right under the HSI to display the NAV radio desired.
That’s pretty impressive stuff for an application running on a phone!
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I was thinking about this exact possibility yesterday as I took off and climbed out off runway 06 on version 9.02, and after a few minutes on runway heading did a “teardrop” procedure turn (45 degrees to the right for a minute or so, then left turn at rate 1 all the way round to heading 240) – I thought I needed more accuracy on intercepting the correct runway radial, because when I broke cloud on descent, I was off the runway heading in spite of my best efforts to stay on the right “radial” and had to “jink” around to get the landing right (I didn’t).
Halfway through my grocery shopping, I noticed an application update “pushed” to my iPhone and lo and behold, it was version 9.03!! Yay, localiser and glide slope thrown in!! Haven’t tried it yet, but this is turning into an amazing phenomenon I would never have dreamed would arrive this early given the available technology.
Hook this up to a Cinema display, add a few Approach Charts and Standard Instrument Departures and who knows, we may be talking an FAA/CAA certified learning tool here…
It’s hugely impressive, isn’t it? Especially on such a platform.
Some blogger made a great suggestion earlier for an autopilot to be included – that may be a tall order, but if not feasible, how about ELEVATOR and AILERON TRIM CONTROLS to lock the aircraft attitude once our desired altitude or rate of climb/descent have been attained? That way we can focus on tweaking other controls to fine-tune the experience.
Also, I don’t recall (in my excitement) if there’s a rate of climb / descent indicator dial – that would be very useful for those of us that have one eye in the cockpit while flaring out for landing (I got that from an FAA video of the first Auto-land device on a Lockheed Tri-Star, which flares by carrying out a descending stall at 300ft/minute).
Oh, Mr. Meyer you’ve started quite a monster here, don’t you ever stop!!