I was wondering whether the SafeSky App has some kind of a “flightsim-mode” in which it receives its GPS data from the computer on which a flight simulator is running but doesn’t send out its position to the network, in order not to generate wrong data for “real” pilots in the air.
SkyDemon can be connected this way and I am using this mode in order to try settings/functuons out on the ground as “playing around” in the air is not convenient/safe.
Would be nice if I could feed the traffic information from SafeSky into SkyDemon at the same time, without generating chaos for others…
Anyone knows whether I can get that running somehow?
Well, Safesky is just push of a button (if you have configured it probably) and forget about it.
The surounding traffic will show up in Skydemon (if you have the premium subscribtion)
I have done a lot of Safesky testing while at home on the ground! That allows you to check out most Safesky functionality, including display of aircraft “in vicinity” with Skydemon. When you are ready then do some tests in the air…
I’m not a premium subscriber (yet), but when I feed the traffic information from SafeSky into SkyDemon my position will not automatically be shared through the SafeSky server? Because this would then show a “grounded plane” at the location of my desk at home, no? I want to avoid messing up the system while trying it out
Hoping a late participation is not a problem…
Just to be sure: will my location continue to be shown as static, on the ground, while receiving its GPS data from a computer on which a flight simulator is “flying”?
I really don’t want to interfere with real flights while I’m trying out the app!
Thanks in advance for your help!
Maybe I can try to explain the scenario that I had in mind when posting this question originally:
I am using foreflight and in order to prepare for a trip or to test settings (e.g. which types of warnings do I want to receive during a flight and which types of warnings are more annoying than helpful) I “virtually” fly the trip at home first using MSFS or XPlane. To do this realistically, Foreflight allows to receive its GPS data from the sim, such that I can try out my real life workflow using Foreflight on my iPad which “thinks” I’m in the actual flight.
To test the settings of SafeSky and fine tune the warnings I want to receive and get used to the general workflow I would like to do the same what I do with Foreflight also with SafeSky, i.e. feed the GPS data from the sim into the app.
I think this is not possible right now and even if I would manage to feed the sim GPS into the app then it would publish my position in the sim to the network as if I’d be flying in reality. This would disturb others and is not desirable at all.
Without having the sim GPS data fed into SafeSky, however, my position in the App would constantly be “at home on my desk, not moving”, which doesn’t disturb others but also doesn’t allow me to to “testdrive” the full SafeSky functionality in the sim, before taking it into the real plane.
That’s why a “sim mode” would be nice that allows me to feed the sim GPS into the App but does not report my position back into the network…
I would like to try out the Safesky app (on an Ipad and/or an Android smartphone), to decide if I will use it in flight.
As described by the first poster JensNL in the topic, I too, before using the app while actually flying,
would like to familiarize myself with it in a simulation environment (using X-Plane)
[ … a “flightsim-mode” in which it receives its GPS data from the computer on which a flight simulator is running … ]
In other words,
can I tell Safesky to take its GPS location from data sent by X-Plane?
can I tell Safesky to take its GPS location from data sent somehow
by EasyVfr (which in turn can be told to take its GPS location from data sent by X-Plane)?
And: I do not want to become a nuisance for people really flying in the area where the simulated flight is taking place.
[ … but doesn’t send out its position to the network, in order not to generate wrong data for “real” pilots in the air. ]
Note: I was posting these explanations when I saw your answer, JensNL, which pretty much sums it up (if you’re right about it ‘not being possible right now’…)
I do not think using “simulation” modes in the two navigation apps mentioned will actually modify the true GPS position as received by the device you are using. I think the apps modify the received GPS data only within the app itself (running in simulation mode).
My suggestion is to try your simulation for a short period of time at night and then check with this SafeSky website to see if your “Safesky aircraft” is moving or not:
“SafeSky Live” will show all aircraft detected by the Safesky infrastructure, so it will be easy to see if your simulation flight is detected or not.
When you run SafeSky at home, and click on “Take Off”, you should see your aircraft appear on the map, but not be moving..
The sim definitely does not overrule the GPS of the device so if you switch SafeSky on during a simulator flight it would show you grounded at your desk on the map, no matter what you do in the sim.
The “feature” which would be nice to have is SafeSky to be able to read the GPS data from the sim in the same way foreflight and SkyDemon do such that you can actually use SafeSky in a virtual flight. But for such a feature not to mess up the real world it would need to not publish this sim-GPS data to other SafeSky users…
Thank you for the suggestion!
You’re right, testing it briefly at night is an excellent way to lower the risks of bothering pilots. A bit ashamed I hadn’t found that one on my own
I’ll try, and report my findings.
On the other, just to make sure I really understand your first paragraph:
are you saying that although a flight simulator like X-Plane can make navigation software like EasyVfr “believe” it is flying, this can have no influence on Safesky which will continue listening to the online GPS receiver of the tablet/smartphone it is running on, and thus show my aircraft as actually flying?
I think you will have to test for yourself, but as JensNL commented, it is highly unlikely that a simulator will affect the real GPS data coming from your phone/tablet’s GPS receiver..
