8Flight takes a clean sheet approach to what an EFB should be, while retaining many functions and flows you may be familiar with from other apps.
Getting Started
Once you've downloaded the app, created an account or signed into an existing one, and have an active subscription, charts and navigation data will begin downloading automatically. You'll see download progress bars on the Charts screen the first time or anytime data is expired or nearly expired. You can also view and manage downloads, including selecting which charts and regions to download in Profile -> Downloads / Manage Data.
Initial Setup
Initial Setup
Select "Allow While Using App" (and later "Always Allow") in order to allow 8Flight to access your location in order to display ownship and FMS data, nearest airports, and more. Location data never leaves your device unless you save a Track Log.
Allow notifications to be notified of expected IFR routes, weather alerts, and display other convenience features like quick access to the FBO you're currently at. Notifications are never used for marketing purposes.
Charts and navigation data will begin downloading automatically. You'll see download progress bars on the Charts screen, and you can also view and manage downloads, including pausing or selecting which charts and regions to download in Profile -> Downloads / Manage Data. Downloads will continue in the background, you don't have to keep the app in the foreground (but force quitting the app or restarting your device will stop the downloads until you launch the app again).
The "Charts" screen is the heart of the app. There you'll find enroute charts, weather, and all manner of airport destinations. And most importantly, a 7-day timeline to look at future weather and destinations at the time(s) you want to fly.
Once on the Charts screen, tap the "Charts" button anytime to center the globe on your current location and follow you until you move the map again. Tap the "Charts" button once more for Track-Up (to return to North-Up, tap the compass in the upper right corner or tap "Charts" again).
You can tap the screen anywhere outside of a map overlay to hide the map controls for a full-screen map experience. And you can tap anywhere on the map to display the controls again when they are hidden.
You can use the search box at the top of the screen to quickly find a particular airport, navaid, or fix; or input a full route.
The flight plan area at the top of the screen can be dragged to resize or hidden completely. Tapping its drag handle or anywhere on the bottom portion of it will quickly minimize that view to show only the Distance, ETE, ETA, Fuel, and Wind information, or again to quickly display the entire view.
The buttons on the left side of the screen provide fast access to frequently toggled information like weather observations (METARs/TAFs, Weather Cameras, & PIREPs), FBO fees for a given aircraft category, Fuel Prices (including Full-Service + Self-Serve for the absolute cheapest prices, or without Self-Serve to find the cheapest Full-Service prices), and Destinations (walkable restaurants, aviation museums, FBOs with free ice cream, fly-in events, and on-airport hotels). Selecting the bottom "Open Now" button filters any selected FBOs or destinations to only those open at the selected map time, and will change as the time slider is moved.
The layers button at the top left of the screen provides access to different aeronautical charts, weather overlays, and map overlays.
The timeline at the bottom allows you to select any hour in the next 7 days in order to view weather forecasts at that time, as well as destinations open at that time (with the "Open Now" button selected, which happens automatically when you first move the time slider too).
You can also tap and hold anywhere on the map to bring up waypoint information, access Skew-Ts and hourly weather, and more.
The "Airports" screen provides all sorts of airport details, from frequencies with a fast summary at the top (tap to scroll instantly to more frequency details); information such as remarks, runway details and winds, and airport / procedure charts; weather details; FBO information (tap to call or open in Google Maps); and NOTAMs (and a next-gen NOTAM system coming soon).
At the top you'll find the airport diagram (tap to open full screen), airport details, and sunrise/sunset and moonrise/moonset times (and phase) when the moon is at least 25% illuminated.
Tapping the nearest button on the left will bring up the nearest airport, tapping a second time will reveal a list of nearest airports to select from. The map button on the right will show the current airport on the chart.
The "Flights" screen lets you view and save Flights for final planning and filing and to access a navlog or standard weather briefing.
When viewing a particular Flight, you can tap the Map button on the top right to send that plan to the globe.
"ScratchPad" lets you quickly take down notes.
"Profile" provides access to contract Fuel Cards, management of data Downloads, support, and more.
Learn more with our video guides: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuCOJ7ZSU7YtBHvLmDXAH-IuMrgSINLrO