opti*Map is a cost-effective alternative to the printed ICAO maps from German Air Traffic Control (DFS), which are usually used as a backup when flying under visual flight rules. The digital map material is significantly clearer and more user-friendly than the large printed maps. Who hasn't experienced that a lot of attention is lost when folding and in the end the unwieldy ball of paper no longer fits in the side pocket? Not to mention “flying over the edge of the map”.
With opti*Map you can zoom, move and rotate the map continuously. The clarity is always maintained because when zooming, you automatically switch between a total of five different levels of detail. When displaying the complete map sheet, only the most important airspaces, country borders and FIR areas are displayed. If you zoom further into the map, more airspace and airports are displayed. In the next level of detail, VORs, forest areas and roads also appear. Finally, mandatory reporting points, the frequencies of the airports and the altitude of the airspace appear.
However, opti*Map is much more than a digital ICAO map on a smartphone or tablet. It also shows the current position and can be navigated to target points. The map can be displayed "North-up", "Track-up" or "Goal-up". If the map is moved very far so that the airplane symbol is no longer visible, all you need to do is press the center button to display the current position again.
In addition to the digital ICAO map, the DAeC airspace data is also displayed in Germany. The start and end of the gliding flight can be set in the altitude display.
All flights are saved and can be accessed again. This even works during the flight!
Data tiles, which can be shown or hidden as desired, display important data. For example, the speed over the ground and the distance and position to the target. opti*Map optimizes the flights according to the WeGlide rules and calculates the wind very quickly.
opti*Map is updated significantly more often than a printed ICAO map. All updates and feature enhancements are free during the calendar year.
Further information can be found here: https://opti-map.de