In the past month or so, some iPad users have reported deleted charts and apps when attempting to use aviation apps in flight as a result of Apple's iOS 5 update, which manages memory overages by deleting files and apps seemingly at random. Apple is known to be working on iOS release 5.0.1, which is expected to address the issues with the battery life and the clean up function associated with the latest update.
Brenda Garcia, who co-owns Flight Guide with her husband Larry, said "Most of the aviation industry has been up in arms because [the updated iOS version] removes charts." Garcia said many of Flight Guide's customers have reported problems with the software as a result of the update. Fortunately, there is a fix. Garcia said that her customers simply need to delete the app and reinstall it. The updated Flight Guide app prevents accidental deletions.
Hilton Goldstein, developer of WingX Pro software for pilots, said "[The 'clean-up' issue] will be resolved in the new 5.0.1 release, but app developers will need to specifically modify their code to mark files to not be deleted." Goldstein added that "We have already modified the code for the planned November release of WingX Pro7 so that our databases will not be deleted by iOS 5."
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