Story ID: 090
Ergo 360 App Adds Flight Plan Integration
By: Matt Thurber
Caption: Knowing the location of shipping traffic when flying over the ocean could greatly increase the odds of survival in an emergency situation.
Word Count: 388
The Ergo 360 iOS app developed by Aeronautical Data Systems (ADS) is now available in Version 6.2 and one of its key changes is populating flight plan data automatically to make it easier to incorporate equal time point (ETP) information.

“The flight planning features were developed in direct response to customer feedback,” said ADS CEO Jim Stabile. “These updates…decrease the likelihood of user entry errors while providing an even more comprehensive and timely display of emergency landing options for quickest possible rescue.”

Ergo 360 is designed to help pilots deal with emergency situations in remote areas, especially on long overwater flights, with oxygen contingencies an area of primary focus, according to the company. Ergo 360 displays the aircraft’s own-ship position on a map showing range circles that illustrate the distance that can be flown before running out of oxygen or fuel after emergencies such as smoke/fire, decompression, urgent medical events, and engine failure. 

What makes Ergo 360 unique is that it displays positions of shipping traffic—including speed, direction, and type information about each ship—to aid flight crew and passengers in case it becomes necessary to ditch the aircraft in the ocean. Ship positions are continually updated when airborne internet connectivity is available or, if the aircraft has no internet service, the latest positions and projected tracks can be downloaded just before takeoff. Knowing the ships’ positions could allow pilots to facilitate ditching near a ship to maximize survivability. Ship information comes from automatic identification system (AIS) data.

When connected to a portable VHF marine radio, Ergo 360 can broadcast a distress message generated by the iPad on Channel 16, the maritime emergency frequency, to notify ships of the aircraft’s position, altitude, airspeed, and time to ditching. 

The app’s flight plan data population feature is available for most flight plans that include ETP information. Some flight plans that work with the Ergo 360 feature include ArincDirect, International Trip Planning Services, Jeppesen, Universal Aviation, and World Fuel Services.

Other new features in Version 6.2 include standardized ETP analysis from the ETP to the diversion airport with fuel/oxygen reserves calculations every 15 minutes; flight route waypoint overlay display for improved situational awareness; split-screen capability to permit operation and viewing of multiple apps; and time of latest vessel position update.