So I was reading the AOPA magazine’s October issue and saw the article called 'It's free…..really!'. The theme of the article was getting electronic approach plates on an Amazon Kindle…….the Kindle is an e-book reader that Amazon has had out for a few years ... So I bought one of these ... the DX version because it can display a full size approach plate ... and downloaded the plates from some web sites that deliver them:

Picture of Kindle Reader

www.pdfplates.com
www.readerplates.com

These web sites were OK, but I had to download all the plates on large files. So I took it upon myself to make a website that would allow me to enter in only the airports I wanted and then generate the approach plates I wanted on my Kindle. I took it one step further and put the checklists for a few of the planes I fly as an option as well as the ability to get the current weather.

I created a website called : readeronthefly.com Works pretty simple.

  1. Type in your flight – Syracuse to Buffalo for example would be SYR-BUF
  2. Select your airplane checklist – optional
  3. Select if you want the METARS and Takeoff minimums
  4. Now hit the 'Gather Plates' button. You’ll now see the approach plates for the airports you entered in step 1
  5. Select (highlight) the plates your want and hit the 'Generate Document' button.
  6. Give it a few seconds and your PDF document containing your information will come down to your browser in a PDF!

You now can take that file and download it to your Kindle or Sony reader and have 'electronic' documentation of what you need in the cockpit. This works OK, but I wanted something even easier.

Turns out the Kindle has a Web Browser and email built in that is 'always' online ... it is on the Sprint 3G network (Paid for once you buy your Kindle DX - no Monthly fees) ... so I took it even further and made a web page that can be accessed from the Kindle. I enter in the same information that the regular site has and then the web page 'emails' the approach plate information directly to my Kindle! If you get a kindle dx and want to access plates from the kindle browser just go to readeronthefly.com/simple

So imagine being on the ramp with your flight instructor ... you decide to go from SYR to Albany(ALB). You simply open up your Kindle, enter in the two airports, select your approach plates, and then within a minute or so, a PDF is delivered to the kindle for your flight! No more carrying all the paper documentation! ReaderOntheFly always grabs the most current NACO plates ...

Feel free to use the site and send me feedback. If you do have a kindle and want to use the functionality from the kindle only, you do need to register on the site. That will allow the web site to send you emails at your Kindle email account.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me contact me:

Regards,

Jeffrey Steele
Founder, ReaderOnTheFly!!