Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 150; Flight Crew Total 1450; Flight Crew Type 400
Other / Unknown
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Other / Unknown
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert
Aircraft; Procedure; Human Factors
During my pre-flight for my survey mission I checked TFR's that may be a factor via my iPad and the ForeFlight App.  Nothing was found.  Foreflight says they update TFR information direct from the FAA every 15 minutes.  I then flew from the PVU airport towards my photo site.  During the climb I saw nothing that resembled a fire in the area.  As it turns out there was a firefighting TFR right off my left side surface to 12;000 MSL.  I missed it by about 3 miles; maybe a little less.  I only missed this TFR by luck; since I had not yet reached an altitude where I felt I could reach Salt Lake Center I did not have a flight following.  I worked my photo mission and on my way back to PVU ATC asked me if I was aware of the TFR ahead of me.  He helped me avoid it on the way in.  I feel a lesson can be learned from this.  TFR's appear out of nowhere without much warning. Foreflight is a great tool however from now on I will take the extra few minutes to call a briefer and make sure the areas I am working in contain no sudden TFR's.  The TFR finally appeared on Foreflight nearly 45 minutes after I landed; it had been in effect for nearly 7 hours at that point.
Aerial Survey pilot reports discovering airborne that a firefighting TFR exists in his area that is not displayed on his iPad with a Foreflight application.  Notam's were not checked prior to flight and the TFR did not appear on the iPad until seven hours after it had been activated.