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Tim Dawson
Tim Dawson
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We don't integrate features just because other software does, we integrate them because lots of our users will find them valuable. I recognise the value of a block-time feature but I also know that doing it automatically will not work in a foolproof way. Just because other apps are showing you something doesn't mean it's right.

SkyDemon can log block time if you start logging when you start moving and stop logging when you stop moving. The flight time will be logged automatically as a subset of that.

I can't see us complicating the product by adding a flawed block time logging function unless a large number of people wanted it and a much better algorithm than "am I moving" was decided upon. ‌‌ ‌‌
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ckurz7000 - 9/5/2017 7:41:08 AM
I understand where you are coming from, Chris.But isn't it possible to start logging by simply pressing the "Go Flying" button? That would correspond to Off Block. Tapping "Stop Flying" would be On Block again. And the take-off and landing events are detected autmatically by SD anyway.

Det‌ecting Off- and ON-Block automatically can lead to problems win some situation such as when one taxis to the fuel station.

Greetings, -- Chris.‌‌

I'm ‌stubborn, I know :-)
For the short taxi to the fuel station I don't have my iPad on... So that short phase would nod be mixed up with blocktime.

Do you press the go flying button the moment you start taxiing? I press that button when I'm preparing for the actual flight in the cockpit well before taxi. This would result in a blocktime which is too long... And my goal would be an automatic detection without any buttons to press. Because if I need to press a button i could have a quick look on my watch as well and write that time on my kneeboard...

I'm repeating myself: It is actually possible to integrate such a feature. Other apps (Jeppesen Flight Deck VFR and others) did that. But I don't want these apps anymore for several reasons and I would love to see SD getting more and more a complete solution for a VFR pilot.
Best regards
Chris

ckurz7000
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I understand where you are coming from, Chris.But isn't it possible to start logging by simply pressing the "Go Flying" button? That would correspond to Off Block. Tapping "Stop Flying" would be On Block again. And the take-off and landing events are detected autmatically by SD anyway.

Det‌ecting Off- and ON-Block automatically can lead to problems win some situation such as when one taxis to the fuel station.

Greetings, -- Chris.‌‌

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jfw - 9/5/2017 6:28:53 AM
Hello,

Regarding the logging of the blocktime, I just manually start the logging of SD when starting the motor and stop it manually when stopping the motor.
SD has thus all the info as it detects the take-off and landing and records it separately....
Not sure how you want to detect the blocktime either.

Hope this helps.

Br,
J‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌

Blocktime is not equal to engine-time. It is the time from your first movement with own power to the last own powered stop. That is easily trackable by movement on the GPS-Sensor and exactly what SD does already. They only do that for the time being to track flighttime, where they most probably use a specified groundspeed as tracking-trigger.
I know my wish resembles a luxury-problem. I wear a watch, i have two clocks in my cockpit and so on... But it is a really handy feature to have everyting together without having to think about that when starting to taxi...
Best regards
Chris

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Hello,

Regarding the logging of the blocktime, I just manually start the logging of SD when starting the motor and stop it manually when stopping the motor.
SD has thus all the info as it detects the take-off and landing and records it separately....
Not sure how you want to detect the blocktime either.

Hope this helps.

Br,
J‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌
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Tim Dawson - 9/4/2017 12:28:41 PM
It isn't possible to automatically log the on and off block times. You cannot simply detect movement because people frequently move around (walking out to their aircraft etc) in flying mode.

I'm afraid I have no idea what you're referring to in your second paragraph; if you have a suggestion for a new feature the Suggestions forum is a good place to try it.

Hmm ok... It's a pity because others realised that function:
Me personally never had the problem of walking around in flight mode. And i really don't want to go back to that other solution. SD is so much more innovative, user friendly, much richer in functions and listens to the community! Would you consider to ask other users about that or are you just saying "no"? Maybe a poll: "What time do you need to be logged for your Logbook: 1. Flighttime 2. Blocktime?" could be something, isn't it?

My second paragraph should have been a compliment first of all for the feature "Pilot log". And then my suggestion was to rearrange to information on top of the Debriefing pack in a similar way to make the time-related informations easier to read:

‌‌


I brought that here, because it is related to my first point. It only makes sense when realising an automatic block-time-feature, maybe even accessible already when in flight mode...
Best regards
Chris

Tim Dawson
Tim Dawson
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It isn't possible to automatically log the on and off block times. You cannot simply detect movement because people frequently move around (walking out to their aircraft etc) in flying mode.

I'm afraid I have no idea what you're referring to in your second paragraph; if you have a suggestion for a new feature the Suggestions forum is a good place to try it.
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dear tim

as i mentioned many of us need the off- and on-block times. so why don't log that time automatically, too? technically it is possible. i would really appreciate that and i'm sure there will be lots of others, too.

you have such a cool layout for the pilot log witch all those fields to fill in on top. wouldn't it be great to have like a red line through those logs, maybe fill in those fields automatically during the process of the flight and get the same handy layout for the log and debriefing pack?

best regards
chris
Tim Dawson
Tim Dawson
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SkyDemon will already do that. It automatically starts logging when you take off but you can start logging earlier, if you like, at a moment of your choice. Just use the option from the in-flight menu.
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it would be really great if the output would be more than just flight time. i guess many of us if not even a majority logs block time. so getting the times as follows would be really helpful:

off block
takeoff
landing
on block

flighttime
total time

what do you think about that? an integration on top of the flightlog would be great.
GO

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