MY OPINION

ARTHUR ROSEN

LAWSUIT?

I have said that besides GPS I believe that the IPad is the second greatest invention for the cockpit. For approximately $1550 one can have an IPad, app with moving map and ADS-B In which helps display weather and traffic. Not bad considering built in glass costs around $15,000 or more.

When everything works all is well, when it doesn’t all hell can break loose. I have flown with Foreflight and WingXPro7 for a year each. Foreflight was always reliable and WingX unreliable. Thats why I still use my Garmin 396 in the cockpit.

That brings us to the premise of this month’s column. I had an update for WingX a couple of days ago. After completing the update I was asked to accept a disclaimer. You cannot operate WingX without agreeing to the disclaimer. In my opinion if someone took WingX to court they would win as you have already paid WingX for the use of the program, therefore the disclaimer is not worth the paper it’s written on.

The question is why did WingX add a disclaimer to it’s program. The disclaimer says WingX might work and it might not, but WingX is not responsible for something they produce and sell for the purpose of aviation navigation. No pun intended but this will not fly in court. If WingX is selling a product for a purpose and it does not work, WingX is responsible.

I do not have any information, but I believe that someone or some group have brought suit against WingX. If they have not then they should. I have always believed that WingX has the best features of any aviation app, but WingX has the worst reliability. I am stuck with WingX as I purchased a Sky Radar ADSB-In unit that only works with WingX. Therefore I carry paper approach plates, old paper charts and my Garmin 396 with me. I have been in important situations where WingX did not work.

If a lawsuit has been filed, it will be common knowledge soon. It is too bad that a leading company in aviation apps has very little quality control.