First Thoughts on PilotCalc Version Two

In a previous post I mentioned that I was planning a new version of PilotCalc but also indicated that this was still some distance in the future. The timescale still applies, but nonetheless I have, in odd spare moments, been toying with some ideas some of which are outlined in this post.

The Flights Tab

Consolidated Screens: I have concluded, that one major improvement would be to combine the Flight List and Flight Log into a single screen. Borrowing from the TimeTick design, this screen would display almost all of the data, currently available on the Flight Log, in a scrolling list of flights, with each list entry handling both entry and display of the data. The only information requiring a secondary display would be the notes field. This approach would have the benefit of providing more information at a glance, better scaling for different device sizes, and improving data entry, whilst also simplifying the code for ease of maintenance.

Countdown Alarms: Whilst PilotCalc offers a countdown to an entered scheduled departure time, it’s a purely visual element and it’s usefulness is therefore limited. It is proposed that PilotCalc version two will incorporate the option to add two to three audible alarms at set points in the countdown to aid monitoring of the departure schedule.

Stored Schedules: Flight number, sometimes combined with a departure airport, is usually sufficient to uniquely identify a regular flight. One possible enhancement that is being considered is adding the ability to save flight details as a form of template so that it is only necessary to enter a subset of the intended flight details to automatically retrieve the remaining information.

The Calculator Tab:

Keyboard Colours: The existing blue and orange calculator keyboard was chosen as it worked reasonably well in both light and dark environments but it is somewhat garish. The intention is to replace this colour scheme with a new, toned down blue and grey scheme, aligned with the Cold Arid Code brand colours. It is proposed, however, to keep the current keyboard as a user selectable option. In addition it is planned to make a number of other colour schemes available as an in app purchase.

Pricing

PilotCalc version two will feature some in-app purchases, but all of the functionality currently available in PilotCalc version one will be included for free (with no ads) in version two. Thus in-app purchases will be purely for adding new functionality or customising the appearance.