Custom airport diagrams, departure procedures, and other plates not included in ForeFlight's default list can be imported into ForeFlight Mobile and associated with an airport using ForeFlight's Bring Your Own Plates (BYOP) feature. PDFs are the supported file types.
This article is divided into the following sections:
- Naming BYOP Files
- Preparing the BYOP File for Importation
- Importing the BYOP Zip File to ForeFlight Mobile
- Finding BYOP Plates in ForeFlight
NOTE: The steps in this article use Finder (Mac) or iTunes (PC). A Content Pack can also be used by creating a "byop" folder and placing the PDFs in that folder.
Naming BYOP Files
When using BYOP to import plates, the file names must use the following convention:
AirportCode_Category Name_Procedure Name.pdf.
IMPORTANT: Each file must have an underscore (_) separating the elements in the filename.
These elements of the file name are:
- AirportCode (Required): An airport ICAO code (e.g., KLAX).
-
CategoryName (Optional): A value defining where the PDF is displayed on the Airports view under Procedures or the Taxiways button. Supported values are:
- Airport
- Departure
- Arrival
- Taxi
- Other
- The name can be freeform to create a custom category.
If this value is omitted, the PDF will be sorted by default into the airport's "Other" category on the Procedure tab.
- ProcedureName (Required): This is a freeform field. Procedure names can be whatever is desired and can contain spaces and other special characters.
To help understand the naming convention, here are some examples of valid names:
- KDFW_Taxi_Three.pdf: The "Three" plate opens on the Airports view when displaying KDFW and tapping the Taxiways button or when tapping Procedure > Airport.
- KLAX_Arrival_ARR1.pdf: The "ARR1" plate opens on the Airports view when displaying KLAX and tapping Procedure > Arrival.
- KRMY_Airport_APT 1.pdf: The "APT 1" plate opens on the Airports view when displaying KRMY and tapping Procedure > Airport.
- KRDU_Airport: The "Airport" plate opens on the Airports view when displaying KRDU and tapping Procedure > Other. Unlike the above example, "Airport" is treated as the procedure's name, not its category.
Preparing the BYOP File for Importation
Once the naming convention has been applied to all the PDFs to be imported, compress them into a Procedures.zip file.
IMPORTANT: Do not place PDF files in a folder named "Procedures" before compressing them into a ZIP file.
Creating Procedures.zip on a Mac
To create a Procedures.zip file from a Mac:
STEP 1. Select all the files to be imported inside Finder or on the Desktop.
STEP 2. Right-click and select Compress from the pop-up menu. When multiple files are compressed, a file named Archive.zip will be created.
STEP 3. Rename the file to "Procedures.zip". Any other filename will cause an import error.
Creating Procedures.zip on a PC
To create a Procedures.zip file from a PC:
STEP 1. Use a program like WinZip to create a ZIP file of all the files to be imported.
STEP 2. Name the ZIP file "Procedures.zip". Any other filename will cause an import error.
Importing the BYOP Zip File to ForeFlight Mobile
BYOP zip files can be imported into ForeFlight using a Mac or a PC.
Importing with Finder on a Mac
To import the BYOP zip file into ForeFlight Mobile using a Mac, follow these steps:
STEP 1. Connect the Mac computer to the iPad with ForeFlight installed using a USB cable.
STEP 2. On the Mac computer, open the Finder app.
STEP 3. Click on the iPad in the Finder sidebar under "Locations."
NOTE: If the iPad or iPhone does not appear, with Finder open, select Finder > Settings and check the box "CDs, DVDs, and iOS Devices." Choose Trust this iPad on the Mac. Choose Trust this Computer on the iPad or iPhone.
STEP 4. In the new Finder window, click Files to see a list of file locations on the device. ForeFlight will be listed.
STEP 5. Drag and drop the Procedures.zip file from the Mac directory to the ForeFlight icon in the Finder window.
STEP 6. In the Finder window, click Sync.
STEP 7. When finished, disconnect the iPad from the Mac.
Importing with iTunes on a PC
To import the BYOP zip file into ForeFlight Mobile using a PC, follow these steps:
STEP 1: Plug the iPad or iPhone into the computer via the Apple USB cord.
STEP 2: Start iTunes on the computer or wait for it to start automatically.
STEP 3: Inside iTunes, click on the iPad icon. The connected device icon is near the top left of the iTunes screen.
STEP 4: Click on the File Sharing listing on the left of the device window. iTunes should then show all of the apps installed on the device.
STEP 5: Scroll through the apps and click on ForeFlight. A table called ForeFlight Documents will appear on the right.
STEP 6. Drag and drop the Procedures.zip file to the ForeFlight Documents list in the iTunes window.
STEP 7. When iTunes finishes syncing, click Done.
STEP 8. When finished, disconnect the iPad from the computer.
Finding BYOP Plates in ForeFlight
Once the Procedure.zip file has been successfully imported into ForeFlight Mobile, follow these steps to locate and open the files:
STEP 1. On the iPad, launch ForeFlight Mobile.
STEP 2. Tap More > Airports.
STEP 3. In the Airports view, bring up the airport associated with the plates.
STEP 4. Tap the Procedure tab.
STEP 5. Locate the plates in the appropriate procedure category.
BYOP Files in the Airports View
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