Flyover Country

I’ve been using this app for years. It’s great in a a plane when GPS works, which is not always. I’m an inveterate window watcher, and hydrologist, and love to follow my way across the country. I also think it’s great that this is science based, through U of Minn, and partially funded by NSF. Sometimes planes are apparently too high for the GPS signal, but often the signal does come in and shows you right where you are. It’s great having Wikipedia entries available for the landscape you see, and Field Guides. Room for improvement? 1) Go back to better terrain maps. The current version’s terrain maps have no labels on hydrologic features and are almost useless. 2) Bring back ability for users to set their own Points Of Interest (POIs). I used to see something from the sky that was unlabeled, mark it as a POI, and then look it up later. Also allow POIs to be exported with gps coordinates. 3) Allow geologic maps to be updated by users with more detailed local versions. 4) Solve the problem of no GPS reception on high flights. Not holding this against the developers though. When we can legally take phones off airplane-mode while airborne, that will help find a signal [I’ve tested it :) ].

This free app is a fabulous resource for those hitting the road, but feeling a bit like they might be missing gems along the way. The local guides and references provided at the end of the narratives are a great way to dig deeper, too. Also a useful resource for parents and teachers who want to instill in their kids curiosity and an interest in science and history by starting with interesting info about their own city and neighborhood. Thank you Science Foundation!

Update 2019jan: works on iPad Pro now, but doesn’t on iPhone XS, in fact doesn’t even save new paths on the latter. Old review, from back when GPS was working perfectly (it doesn’t get picked up anymore, which kind of defeats the purpose of the app): Works superbly. I had no idea that GPS continued to work even in airplane mode. Highlight of a recent flight was being able to tell we were passing by Hamburg before the pilot announced it.