Glide Ratio App Android
Hello all, This is my first post in the forum.
First of all this place is an awesome resource for information on rigging,packing,jumping, techniques, accident analysis and everything about BASE.
I have been enjoying learning from the forum for about a year now.
I am not a base jumper, but i am doing speedflying every free day I get in the last few years.
I recently wrote an app to help me with scouting new lines as mountains here in Bulgaria often offer fairly flat lines.
When scouting a new takeoff and knowing that my wing's glide ratio is for example 4 in still air I used to measure the angle and then calculate cotangent of the angle to get the required glide ratio to the landing ( if directly visible from takeoff ). This is by no means the only factor to rely on, but it helps to have some numbers to combine with your eyes, feel, experience and weather conditions.
I am posting this here, because it may possibly be helpful to take quick measurements at new exit points.
The GlideScope app uses your android phone's accelerometer sensor to measure the angle and calculate glide ratio.
How to use:
1. Start the app and give it permissions to location and camera.
2. Point the crosshair to the landing or to the highest object in your glide path.
3. Stay still to minimize sensor error.
Note: Glide ratio is an ever changing variable in real world conditions.
Wind, air temperature/density, thermals, altitude, AoA ( using brakes on speedgliders ) all affect the Glide Ratio during flight.
I am posting this in case wingsuit/tracking pilots find this useful.
Maybe it's not ( no idea as I have 0 experience in base/ws/tracking ), but better share.
You can download and install it for Android from:
http://www.volantes.net/f/GlideScope.apk
Source is available at:
https://github.com/f0xdude/GlideScope
Hope someone finds it useful.
Happy landings!
Andrew