I used SkyDemon on a 30-day trial at the beginning of the year and never got around to posting my comments. Hopefully my memory is reasonably accurate.

To begin, I am located in the USA. I understand that SkyDemon is a more Europe-centric product, and that may limit the ability or willingness to make changes that are more appropriate for USA operations. However, since the USA charts are available -- and undoubtedly that took some effort to implement -- then perhaps my ideas won't be entirely dismissed.

I currently use a Mercury Systems VistaNav (now owned by but nearly abandoned by Bendix King) moving map. It runs on a Windows XP platform with custom hardware. Personally I find the VistaNav to be quite capable, and I've yet to find another product which provides the same features. My opinions about SkyDemon are tainted by my experience with the VistaNav, and the usual resistance to step away from the software with which I've already become quite familiar.

a) No in-flight weather

This is the biggest single issue that I have with SkyDemon. If not for this item then I might have already made the switch. For the USA market, whether IFR or VFR, in-flight weather through either an XM or ADS-B solution is nearly mandatory.

I was happy to see ADS-B features added to SkyDemon, but it doesn't appear that weather will be supported. In the USA, it's perfectly legal and commonplace for a VFR pilot to launch in clear weather and circumnavigate weather enroute. However, for that to happen one must see the weather ahead, and the moving map display of NEXRAD radar is critical. The ability to see visibility and other weather conditions at surrounding airports, as well as forecast winds aloft, are also tremendously helpful.

b) Traffic

Again, I was happy to see ADS-B traffic added to SkyDemon. However, I'm confused by the support for PowerFlarm, which bills itself as a system for glider pilots. I have to wonder how many glider pilots use SkyDemon, given their different navigational requirements. I can only hope that future support for other ADS-B receivers (or transceivers) is being planned.

c) Virtual radar clutter

There are a number of options in SkyDemon to reduce the amount of clutter on the moving map. However, those options do not extend to the virtual radar display. For example, on the moving map I could remove the display of city names, VFR reporting points, and other items, yet they all remained on the virtual radar display. I would like to see the virtual radar adopt the clutter settings from the moving map, or a different set of check boxes to control which items are displayed on the virtual radar display separately from the moving map.

d) Terminology

There are a number of options to change the units of measure to accommodate personal preferences and the geographic area in which SkyDemon is being used. However, the airspace terminology appeared to be strictly Europe-centric. I would like to see an internationalization setting of some sort which could change the terminology to match that used in other markets (specifically, the USA). For example, I still am not quite certain what is referred to by a GAR or FIR, nor how that relates to USA airspace.

As far as the units of measure, if I recall correctly the runway lengths were always displayed in meters with no option to display them in feet.

e) Sporting areas

In the USA, AOPA publishes a free listing of Latitude/Longitude for all sports arenas which should be avoided based on a standing TFR (temporary flight restriction) issued by the FAA. I would like to see that list incorporated into SkyDemon so those areas can be highlighted.

f) Compass rose

On the VistaNav, the compass rose is locked across the top of the moving map, rather than at the bottom. It also shows the same heading bug as does SkyDemon. I know in SkyDemon the compass rose can be moved to any position on screen, but -- just as a comfort zone item -- I would like an option to lock it across the top of the moving map. In that position, it's easier (my opinion) to see the required heading needed to get back on course. One can see how the projected course line from the airplane icon can align with the heading bug. It also is easier to read because it is spread over a larger arc.

g) Pricing

I don't understand why the initial subscription price is more than double the annual renewal. That seems to be an outdated subscription model, harking back to software selling methods of the '70s and '80s. None of the other moving map products (Garmin Pilot, Foreflight, Bendix MyWingMan, AOPA FlightQ, WingX, and others) use this pricing model. They all use a single price for the initial and renewal purchases, differentiating only on the feature set in the same way that SkyDemon offers flight planning and navigation pricing options.

My apologies for the lengthy post. I've been meaning to submit my thoughts for some time now. I haven't looked at the product in a while, and hopefully I haven't forgotten anything that others would also find helpful.

Thank you very much for your feedback. Many or most of your points do hark back to the fact that SkyDemon is targeted at the European market, as you recognised yourself. At present, we do not intend to market SkyDemon in the USA. Over time, many things in SkyDemon that would have alienated the USA market have been corrected, but some of the points you raise (such as ADS-B weather) will probably not be dealt with until such time as that becomes available in Europe.

Your point about virtual radar clutter is well taken, and we have made that instrument take more notice of the other map decluttering settings going forward.

FIR means Flight Information Region. I gather that in the USA these are called ARTCC but everywhere else they are called FIR, and I cannot see us going through SkyDemon making USA-specific changes such as that.

You will not see a reference to a GAR unless your flight deals with UK airspace.

Thanks again; we will of course bear all your points in mind as we continue the development of SkyDemon.

Virtually nowhere in the world is flying made as easy as in the US. Availability of maps, approach plates, airport information, live weather, real time traffic, etc. is a pilot's heaven. As the US also constitutes a big and relatively homogenious market there are quite a lot of aviation software and hardware solutions available for that market.

For us Europeans and most of the rest of the world this has, until very recently, meant to make do with a lot less and keep an envious eye on the US market. From time to time one software company or the other would toss us a morsel, something that kind of works over here but didn't have this feature or that or didn't offer meaningful maps, etc.

With SkyDemon we finally have a top-notch VFR flight planning and navigation solution which compares with the top products available for the US market. I am happy that SD recognizes its heritage and strives hard to make us non-US pilots happy. Thanks to SD, and please keep it up! You make me proud

-- Chris.

I would like to re-highlight a very valid suggestion made by our flying colleague fs from the US regarding the compass rose location.