James wrote: I've used the iFly 700 since Lowrance had problems with their updates. I love it and wouldn't consider any thing else.
KR-netters, Vertical Avionics got one of iFly's demo units to show my EAA chapter. As James wrote, they are excellent units, with touch screens. Very intuitive, very easy to use. They have Sectionals, low, and high charts, approach plates, airport diagrams, frequencies, and touch screen route planning and update using rubber band. All in all, this is the chart toy everyone has ever wanted. The chart subscription gets you all the charts for the states (sectional) or the IFR subscription gets you updates on everything. The subscription options alone make this a great deal for the guy who flies outside his local area or the occasional high IFR world. The only thing I have found not to like with the iFly is the approach plates. The plate scale is slightly bigger than the display, so the whole Jeppsen chart is not visible. This is only an issue if one is trying to fly a no-kidding IFR approach. Not recommended (personal input). The $499.00 price is temporary, and will be going up sometime early next year, TBD. The rep I worked with said the new price has not been set, but he inferred it would be in the $580 range. Still, not bad for what one gets. Updates they are planning/working on include tracking the plane against the approach plates, which would be so much like cheating the old-school navigator in me finds it repulsive. We worked out a deal to get a break for our local EAA chapters, about $30 each if people wanted send in a mass order through me. iFly does not have dealerships or distributorships, so I worked out the deal for my EAA chapter as a non-business one. Orders would be sent directly from the factory to you, wherever you are. If anyone in the KR world is interested in that, let me know offline. We can add your order to the one for our chapter and possibly save a few dollars. I have the demo unit and the deal up to about mid-January. Merry Christmas! IHS, Dave "Zipper" Goodman President, EAA-818
