Amazon’s tablet with WingX is a great buy
Things have officially gone bonkers. The Apple iPad, a device that just a few years ago seemed like a gift from the frugal aviation gods, could now be considered the rich man’s tablet of choice. Amazon’s Fire is $50, and it runs WingX, a robust and capable electronic flight bag application. Do the math and that means you can have a country’s worth of charts, approach plates, and georeferenced navigation for around $200.
Let’s start with the tablet. The Fire comes in eight versions, from $50 to $230. The basic version has 8 GB of data storage, but that’s expandable up to 128 GB with MicroSD cards. The resolution is decent, the processor relatively fast, and the touch sensitivity just right. It also ships fast and you won’t be a slave to the Apple overlord.
Critically, the base Fire has Bluetooth capability, but no GPS. This means you’ll need to invest in a dedicated GPS and pair it via Bluetooth. These run around $100, and there are many choices on the market.
Without doing a little bit of unapproved scheming with the tablet you will be limited to Amazon’s proprietary app store, which is quite sparse in the aviation app department. WingX is the one big exception. Around since the beginning of the BlackBerry days, WingX provides a solid—if not flashy—user experience. Everything you could want is there, including georeferenced charts and approach plates, runway and airport information, and terrain and navigation data. Subscriptions are $74.95 a year, with an additional $74.99 for the ability to georeference an approach plate. Best of all, if you already have WingX for another device you can use the current subscription on the Fire.
We tested the setup with a Dual ADS-B receiver that includes GPS. That particular unit was overkill, because WingX for Fire doesn’t yet support ADS-B traffic and weather. But WingX’s Hilton Goldstein said that is coming soon, and he is known to send out new features very quickly. As part of a package that includes another navigator, the system is fantastic. It’s still too early to say if it reaches the functionality of the iPad, but the Fire with WingX is very promising. Paired with an iPad or with a dedicated navigator, it’s the best backup available today. For renters, newbies to the tablet world, and a nice toy for passengers to follow along, it’s a great buy.
Other EFB developers won’t be as quick to embrace the Fire as WingX has been, which means you will be limited to a sole platform for now. Considering you can use it to read books, watch movies, and surf the Web once you get on the ground, it’s a steal.
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