Landing confirmation

Let’s talk about a small feature today. The landing confirmation panel appears when Navigator detects landing. Why is that?

SeeYou Navigator users are very different. Some fly with an iPhone, some use their Android smartphone connected to a Bluetooth source while others use the dedicated Oudie N device to record their flights. Some fly only on weekends, others are chasing records and flying competitions, some are into panoramic flights, while others like to add some acro interludes to their adventures. And what makes them the most different is that some fly gliders, some hang-gliders while others are flying paragliders.

We like to think the latter does not set us apart, quite the contrary. But in terms of numerical flight parameters and how they are used to calculate the values in your navboxes, it does. Let’s look at some examples.

Takeoff detection

It’s fairly easy to distinguish whether a sailplane is flying or not. When the ground speed exceeds 50 km/h for more than 10 seconds, a glider is probably flying. Navigator will do a few more checks, then it will detect takeoff.

Not so easy on a paraglider and a hang-glider! Imagine a free flight pilot taking off from the dunes next to the sea. The wind is perfectly perpendicular and its speed is comparable to the airspeed needed for a paraglider to fly. The ground speed can easily remain below 10 km/h while the pilot is having a lot of fun – flying.

Navigator will therefore make many more checks to determine “flying mode” when a paraglider is selected as the type of wing you are flying today.

Phase detection

Much the same thing happens in flight, too. A paraglider is very susceptible to air currents. The pilot needs to react quickly during a sudden atmosphere change. In a sailplane, the pilots like to ignore quick changes in air currents. They fly through them as if nothing had happened.

For this reason, the averaging parameters for current L/D and average vario are shorter when you select a paraglider wing compared to a sailplane. Navigator will adapt to the glider you selected.

Landing detection

The landing detection is no different. Sometimes it’s difficult to guarantee that a landing has occurred with 100 percent reliability for every type of flight. The landing confirmation panel enables all of us flying enthusiasts to make sure that our flight was recorded properly, has a valid G record, and will be uploaded to the SeeYou Cloud automatically.