ForeFlight's newest feature breaks down airspace along your route into an easily readable format. Here's how it works...

Airspace Is Complicated

It's no secret that deciphering airspace is tricky, even for experienced pilots. Warning areas, alert areas, restricted areas, prohibited areas, and military operations areas are NOT published with altitude limitations directly on sectional charts. Your only solution when planning a route is to either re-route around the area entirely, or turn to the chart legend and reference valid times and altitudes.

In busy airspace, it's often difficult to analyze where numerous airspace "shelves" for Class C, B, or D Airspace begin, intersect, or overlap.

ForeFlight's Solution? Airspace "Profile View"

ForeFlight just released its newest feature on its mobile app for pilots. A "profile view" for airspace along your route of flight is now available to Pro level subscribers (an upgraded version of the standard ForeFlight app).

The new feature is powerful; it combines terrain, obstacles, and airspace along your route into a single profile view. It enhances your situational awareness, giving you a quick way to double check that your altitude and route won't interfere with tower controlled or restricted airspace.

Airspace depicted is from the start to end of your route, left to right. And if you want to get a closer look at complicated airspace, you can zoom in within the profile view to see more detail.

When you tap on airspace segments in profile view, the following information appears in a dialogue box:

• Airspace Name
• Valid Altitudes
• Class of Airspace

When a TFR is highlighted, valid times will also appear. Class E and G Airspace is not depicted in the profile view.

If you want to see more terrain and obstacles along your flight path, you can adjust the selected corridor width by tapping the settings widget in the bottom corner of profile view. However, airspace in the profile view will remain at a fixed corridor width of 1/2 NM.

Need to fly higher to avoid airspace? Just drag your planned altitude bar higher within the profile view until you're clear of airspace below you.

Want more information? Here's ForeFlight's video breaking down the new feature:

The Perfect Tool For Students And Instructors

If you want a new way to teach students airspace along their route, profile view is a great option. And, it's a tool that pilots can use to help plan just about any local flight or cross country.

Better yet, use the feature to quickly verify that your student didn't plan a route that takes you through restricted or tower controlled airspace!

What do you think? What's the best use of ForeFlight's new feature? Tell us in the comments below.