Must haves for PPL VFR?

Jake Arey

Filing Flight Plan
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Aug 14, 2018
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22
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Arkansas
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Display name:
LenderBender501
Hey guys! First post here. I will be doing my checkride in a few weeks. Solo at 12 hours, I should take my checkride around 42 hours. Started in May of this year.

Anyways, I am a big fan of having the correct technology and equipment. Partly because I like gadgets and partly because I like to be well prepared. I have been entrigued by all of the applications for iPads, phones, receivers, etc.

I have been contemplating with getting an iPad and possibly a Strattus receiver soon. I wil obviously be VFR for now and will do the IFR very next but who knows how long that will take and how often I will truly need/use it.

Here is the question - I have an iPhone 8+. Do I need an iPad? And more importantly, do I WANT an iPad? 500-600 aside.. Also, do I need a receiver yet if I am only doing VFR stuff?

What would be a good simple setup to get that doesn’t absolutely break the bank? Funds aren’t a huge issue but I don’t want to get stupid with it, especially if I don’t need it or won’t get much bang for my buck.

Thoughts?

Jake (from State Farm)
 
iPad is really nice man. Stratus 2S was some of the best money I spent on “gadgets”. You can get other products like it for much cheaper (aka Stratux). I don’t regret it though. I’m probably in the minority’s - I’m sure everyone else will tell you something different :)
 
Specific tablet and software choice is a religious discussion. However, the advantage of a moving map in front of you as well as weather and traffic (ads-b) is invaluable even for VFR.

I use the tablet for things other than aviation, so it's an important device in my business.
 
i use both ipad and iPhone. you dont *need* both, but when it comes to gadgets.. more the merrier
 
Specific tablet and software choice is a religious discussion. However, the advantage of a moving map in front of you as well as weather and traffic (ads-b) is invaluable even for VFR.

I use the tablet for things other than aviation, so it's an important device in my business.

Thank you! So the receiver would be specifically for weather and traffic? Does ForeFlight show weather without the receiver? Sorry for the rookie questions
 
iPad is really nice man. Stratus 2S was some of the best money I spent on “gadgets”. You can get other products like it for much cheaper (aka Stratux). I don’t regret it though. I’m probably in the minority’s - I’m sure everyone else will tell you something different :)
I hope I didn’t open that can of worms too much. I tend to lean to the Apple side of things so I would lean towards iPad and ForeFlight I suppose. I’d rather buy the good one first than buy the cheap version and later have to replace it. I’ll look into the 2s. Thanks!
 
I hope I didn’t open that can of worms too much. I tend to lean to the Apple side of things so I would lean towards iPad and ForeFlight I suppose. I’d rather buy the good one first than buy the cheap version and later have to replace it. I’ll look into the 2s. Thanks!

negative. if you are buying a new one, look at 3S or whatever they are calling it now.

edit: https://www.appareo.com/stratus-adsb-in/

there are many other option, i use Garmin GDL 52 with Gamin Pilot, the Stratus mentioned above works with ForeFlight and FlyQ and another EFB i think, Garmin is tied to Pilot (some versions works with ForeFlight)
 
I hope I didn’t open that can of worms too much. I tend to lean to the Apple side of things so I would lean towards iPad and ForeFlight I suppose. I’d rather buy the good one first than buy the cheap version and later have to replace it. I’ll look into the 2s. Thanks!

They just came out with the Stratus 3 which is cheaper. They have the Scout and another model that just came out as well.
 
negative. if you are buying a new one, look at 3S or whatever they are calling it now.

edit: https://www.appareo.com/stratus-adsb-in/

there are many other option, i use Garmin GDL 52 with Gamin Pilot, the Stratus mentioned above works with ForeFlight and FlyQ and another EFB i think, Garmin is tied to Pilot (some versions works with ForeFlight)
What are some of the general pro’s and con’s of Garmin vs strattus/FF/FQ? Brand new to the space.
 
Hey guys! First post here. I will be doing my checkride in a few weeks. Solo at 12 hours, I should take my checkride around 42 hours. Started in May of this year.

Anyways, I am a big fan of having the correct technology and equipment. Partly because I like gadgets and partly because I like to be well prepared. I have been entrigued by all of the applications for iPads, phones, receivers, etc.

I have been contemplating with getting an iPad and possibly a Strattus receiver soon. I wil obviously be VFR for now and will do the IFR very next but who knows how long that will take and how often I will truly need/use it.

Here is the question - I have an iPhone 8+. Do I need an iPad? And more importantly, do I WANT an iPad? 500-600 aside.. Also, do I need a receiver yet if I am only doing VFR stuff?

What would be a good simple setup to get that doesn’t absolutely break the bank? Funds aren’t a huge issue but I don’t want to get stupid with it, especially if I don’t need it or won’t get much bang for my buck.

Thoughts?

Jake (from State Farm)
Welcome to POA! Where is home base for you?
In my opinion, in order of must have to would be nice to have, explanations below
1.) paper sectional
2.) paper AFD
3.) handheld radio
4.) headset
5.) iPad mini with Foreflight
6.) stratus
7.) spare batteries
8.) USB battery pack
9.) flashlight
10.) some kind of GPS locator

Explanations
1.) paper sectional
--I've had my iPad overheat or become unresponsive more times than I would think is appropriate for a several hundred dollar piece of tech I'm putting a ton of trust in to get me from A to B. So the paper sectional is huge piece of mind that if the iPad goes down for more than a minute or two I can use a good old chart (even in a plane with G1000 I carry a paper chart and AFD)

2.) paper AFD
--same reason as above. iPad died and you need to find that ATIS or TWR frequency? Love having my trusty AFD always in my bag

3.) handheld radio
--having had two alternator failures or issues in <300 hrs and knowing at least 3 people directly who have lost their radios, the handheld brings me great piece of mine when flying a 1970s relic. Yes, we can use cell phones in flight.. but at least around SoCal I don't get any cell service from about 4K up to about 15K.. even up high it is very spotty. At least with a VHF I can hope to at least get a local tower, even if I can't get a TRACON

4.) headset
--this is an investment.. honestly, those club headsets that squeeze your head and make yours ears sore that every other student's grease hair was sweating on is terrible. I splurged and got a Bose A20, and never looked back. I have now about 250 hrs on it and love it and it still feels brand new. Best part, I've worn it almost non step for 10 hr days with zero discomfort. I've heard awesome things about the Lightspeed headsets as well.. so would recommend either that or A20. I know, it's a lot of $$, but if you are serious about flying that will be with you for the next 10 years.. it is worth it

5.) iPad mini with Foreflight
a.) iPad is a must have. The flight planning, weather, filing, and the shear amount of tools available at your finger tips (fuel, WB, etc.) is amazing, regardless of which EFB you choose. I prefer the mini because even a "big" cabin plane like a 182, 210, Bonanza, Cirrus, etc., is still limited on cabin space.. the mini is the perfect size to mount on a yoke, or on your leg on a kneeboard

b.) I went with Foreflight and am happy. I know some people balk at the idea of paying for an app when there are free apps out there, and some of them really good.. but with Foreflight you have a solid support network, it is very easy to use, works with stratus etc., has a decent enough logbook (that you can export to spreadsheet, etc.).. you can also have your instructor sign your virtual logbook in Foreflight, which is pretty cool. I've been happy with it

6.) stratus
--depends really on where you live.. to be honest
pros: really cool to have traffic, a back up AHRS (if you get one with it), and the weather CAN be helpful.. reassuring looking at your Foreflight screen and seeing those green dots
cons: as a 12 hr student and VFR only you should be getting a solid weather briefing anyway and really if you are in a position where you need weather on your iPad in flight you may have gotten in deep and should be looking for a spot to land while you are still VFR.. so unless you have the money to burn I think you can skip this for a bit.. at least until you are further along and doing cross countries as a PPL

7.) spare batteries
--because always good to have for headset, flashlight, etc.

8.) USB battery pack
--because always good to be able to charge a low iPad or dead phone

9.) flashlight
--I mean, if you don't already have this.. get one. Again, you are VFR student, so you probably don't need this as much as the other stuff, but get one eventually!

10.) some kind of GPS locator
--many will think this is overkill. But honestly, I don't trust the ELT. And for a couple hundred dollars you can have a guaranteed lifeline with you. Imagine you are on your long cross country and put it down somewhere in the New Hampshire woods, Nevada or CA desert, Florida swamp land, or wherever.. and now you survived a crash landing but are sitting there alone with no service on your phone. iPad says you are 9 miles from a road, and 12 from a town.. that can be a long distance to hike, especially if terrain is not hospitable. Why not just flick on the EPIRB and make shelter for a few hours until help arrives



Anyway, that's my list. Cheers and happy flying!
 
Something to consider... as of now Synthetic Vision is not available on the Iphone via Foreflight/Stratus. I use a iPad mini 4 and love the combination with the Stratus and foreflight. I have Garmin pilot too, but prefer Foreflight. Now that they added traffic to the synthetic vision page I think it is a more useful reference. I run the combination in my G500 equipped 210 and its a major tool in my Champ 7AC. I’m am a bit of a tech geek too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
What are some of the general pro’s and con’s of Garmin vs strattus/FF/FQ? Brand new to the space.

o man!! that will start a war. generally ForeFlight is mostly used, i had tried it for a month, didnt like the fact that they dont have synthetic vision on iPhone, Pilot had it and i went with it. apart from that i am sure there is a long list, but i have garmin GPS in my plane and down the road will someday have a 650, Pilot interface is very similar to that, so i wanted to stay in Garmin family.
 
The buyer of my old 172 had an iPad running ForeFlight and a new ForeFlight Sentry ADS-B receiver he brought along on our flight from Oakland to Albuquerque late last month, and it was really slick. The iPad screen was large enough to split the screen with both moving map and synthetic vision; IMHO the display would have been too small even with a large iPhone.

n2686u%20enroute%20oak%20to%20abq%2023jul18%20med_zpssxqh0eql.jpg
 
Welcome to POA! Where is home base for you?
In my opinion, in order of must have to would be nice to have, explanations below
1.) paper sectional
2.) paper AFD
3.) handheld radio
4.) headset
5.) iPad mini with Foreflight
6.) stratus
7.) spare batteries
8.) USB battery pack
9.) flashlight
10.) some kind of GPS locator

Explanations
1.) paper sectional
--I've had my iPad overheat or become unresponsive more times than I would think is appropriate for a several hundred dollar piece of tech I'm putting a ton of trust in to get me from A to B. So the paper sectional is huge piece of mind that if the iPad goes down for more than a minute or two I can use a good old chart (even in a plane with G1000 I carry a paper chart and AFD)

2.) paper AFD
--same reason as above. iPad died and you need to find that ATIS or TWR frequency? Love having my trusty AFD always in my bag

3.) handheld radio
--having had two alternator failures or issues in <300 hrs and knowing at least 3 people directly who have lost their radios, the handheld brings me great piece of mine when flying a 1970s relic. Yes, we can use cell phones in flight.. but at least around SoCal I don't get any cell service from about 4K up to about 15K.. even up high it is very spotty. At least with a VHF I can hope to at least get a local tower, even if I can't get a TRACON

4.) headset
--this is an investment.. honestly, those club headsets that squeeze your head and make yours ears sore that every other student's grease hair was sweating on is terrible. I splurged and got a Bose A20, and never looked back. I have now about 250 hrs on it and love it and it still feels brand new. Best part, I've worn it almost non step for 10 hr days with zero discomfort. I've heard awesome things about the Lightspeed headsets as well.. so would recommend either that or A20. I know, it's a lot of $$, but if you are serious about flying that will be with you for the next 10 years.. it is worth it

5.) iPad mini with Foreflight
a.) iPad is a must have. The flight planning, weather, filing, and the shear amount of tools available at your finger tips (fuel, WB, etc.) is amazing, regardless of which EFB you choose. I prefer the mini because even a "big" cabin plane like a 182, 210, Bonanza, Cirrus, etc., is still limited on cabin space.. the mini is the perfect size to mount on a yoke, or on your leg on a kneeboard

b.) I went with Foreflight and am happy. I know some people balk at the idea of paying for an app when there are free apps out there, and some of them really good.. but with Foreflight you have a solid support network, it is very easy to use, works with stratus etc., has a decent enough logbook (that you can export to spreadsheet, etc.).. you can also have your instructor sign your virtual logbook in Foreflight, which is pretty cool. I've been happy with it

6.) stratus
--depends really on where you live.. to be honest
pros: really cool to have traffic, a back up AHRS (if you get one with it), and the weather CAN be helpful.. reassuring looking at your Foreflight screen and seeing those green dots
cons: as a 12 hr student and VFR only you should be getting a solid weather briefing anyway and really if you are in a position where you need weather on your iPad in flight you may have gotten in deep and should be looking for a spot to land while you are still VFR.. so unless you have the money to burn I think you can skip this for a bit.. at least until you are further along and doing cross countries as a PPL

7.) spare batteries
--because always good to have for headset, flashlight, etc.

8.) USB battery pack
--because always good to be able to charge a low iPad or dead phone

9.) flashlight
--I mean, if you don't already have this.. get one. Again, you are VFR student, so you probably don't need this as much as the other stuff, but get one eventually!

10.) some kind of GPS locator
--many will think this is overkill. But honestly, I don't trust the ELT. And for a couple hundred dollars you can have a guaranteed lifeline with you. Imagine you are on your long cross country and put it down somewhere in the New Hampshire woods, Nevada or CA desert, Florida swamp land, or wherever.. and now you survived a crash landing but are sitting there alone with no service on your phone. iPad says you are 9 miles from a road, and 12 from a town.. that can be a long distance to hike, especially if terrain is not hospitable. Why not just flick on the EPIRB and make shelter for a few hours until help arrives



Anyway, that's my list. Cheers and happy flying!
MAN! Super helpful list. Being at the end of my time, I have a decent flight bag put together with a good bit of these basics. I do however need to put a USB power bank, more batteries, GPS and handheld radio in the bag. The radio was something that I was unsure of but after having a radio go out this weekend on my dual cross country, I am totally down to buy a handheld just in case.

I did opt for the A20 with Bluetooth headset the other day. The first time I wore them and turned on the noise reduction I seriously thought that the engine had died in the airplane. I thought I was turning on music or something and then it alllll went quiet. I will never be able to go without the noise reduction now.

What sucks is that I have an iPad mini that has completely crapped out on me. It will need to get fixed somehow or I will need to get another. I have thought about a refurbished iPad but as I stated above I find it hard to penny pinch on some things.

Thanks again for the nice list and super helpful reasoning. I will take your advice and get the handheld and gps. Any suggestions on type of handheld and also the gps unit?
 
The buyer of my old 172 had an iPad running ForeFlight and a new ForeFlight Sentry ADS-B receiver he brought along on our flight from Oakland to Albuquerque late last month, and it was really slick. The iPad screen was large enough to split the screen with both moving map and synthetic vision; IMHO the display would have been too small even with a large iPhone.

n2686u%20enroute%20oak%20to%20abq%2023jul18%20med_zpssxqh0eql.jpg
That’s a clean looking 172! I’m jealous. What year was she?
 
Something to consider... as of now Synthetic Vision is not available on the Iphone via Foreflight/Stratus. I use a iPad mini 4 and love the combination with the Stratus and foreflight. I have Garmin pilot too, but prefer Foreflight. Now that they added traffic to the synthetic vision page I think it is a more useful reference. I run the combination in my G500 equipped 210 and its a major tool in my Champ 7AC. I’m am a bit of a tech geek too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Thanks for that. The synthetic vision looks pretty cool. I can’t wait to check it out.

Tech geeks unite!
 
Bump on the iPad Mini/ForeFlight. I went with one that has Cellular because I use it for work too but depending on your individual situation you may not need if you go with a Stratus, Stratux, Sentry or similar. As they say, it depends. Happy flying!
 
I recommend getting with cellular. It’s nice to file a flight plan, get the latest weather or pack and brief for a flight without having a WiFi internet connection. When I flew from Kentucky to Alaska this came in handy. Also, nice to have the bigger screen to browse the internet in the hotel room.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Bump on the iPad Mini/ForeFlight. I went with one that has Cellular because I use it for work too but depending on your individual situation you may not need if you go with a Stratus, Stratux, Sentry or similar. As they say, it depends. Happy flying!
Thank you for the info on the iPad! Great job on the build of the plane too, looks great on the before / after.
 
I recommend getting with cellular. It’s nice to file a flight plan, get the latest weather or pack and brief for a flight without having a WiFi internet connection. When I flew from Kentucky to Alaska this came in handy. Also, nice to have the bigger screen to browse the internet in the hotel room.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
I see your points on both topics. I am leaning that direction right now. I’ve been told many times that 1.5 inches makes a difference.
 
2.) paper AFD
--same reason as above. iPad died and you need to find that ATIS or TWR frequency? Love having my trusty AFD always in my bag
I think you mean p-CS (as opposed to d-CS). ;)

BTW, ATIS and TWR freq's are usually printed on the sectional mentioned in #1. But yeah, I too think the CS is rather underappreciated these days.
 
What sucks is that I have an iPad mini that has completely crapped out on me. It will need to get fixed somehow or I will need to get another. I have thought about a refurbished iPad but as I stated above I find it hard to penny pinch on some things.

Thanks again for the nice list and super helpful reasoning. I will take your advice and get the handheld and gps. Any suggestions on type of handheld and also the gps unit?
**Foreflight, while awesome, I find to be somewhat taxxing on the iPad. I had a brand new "top of the line" iPad in 2016. I forget what Apple called it, but it was whatever Mini had the best hardware on it. Anyway, now, about 3 years later, it is pretty slow. Still works.. but it will be time for an upgrade soon. Typing, navigating between pages, has a healthy lag time. And this is strictly my flying ipad, so it has nothing else on it. So I don't think a refurb will cut it for you unfortunately.. Maybe just save up and bite the bullet?

*I had this handheld... but this was about 15 years ago I got whatever the predecessor to this was. I would honestly just get one of the lower cost ones. It's going to be strictly for emergencies and maybe grabbing the ATIS on the ground without burning hobbs. If it has a radio, that's it. I would just pick the cheapest one on Sportys that has decent reviews

*For the GPS, what me and my friends fly with are PLB satellite communicators, there is the DeLorme inreach, and Spot also makes one. They let you do messaging via satellite.. it's the low cost option to at least tell your girlfriend, wife, boyfriend, dad, mom, concubine whatever that you are stuck and need help

The synthetic vision looks pretty cool.
It's cool, and I got the upgraded plan with it.. but I've never used it. I suppose if you have a stratus with AHRS, and you get into IMC, and you lose your vacuum, then it's a good backup. If you have any kind of budgetary constraints though then this is definitely a "nice to have but not needed" option in my book

Thanks. It's a 1963 C-172D. In the early 2000s I completely redid the panel.
Beautiful
 
I think you mean p-CS (as opposed to d-CS). ;)

BTW, ATIS and TWR freq's are usually printed on the sectional mentioned in #1. But yeah, I too think the CS is rather underappreciated these days.
You are right. :D I still call it the AFD from when I first got my license but yeah. Somehow "chart supplement" doesn't roll of your tongue as well. Same reason I hate "line up and wait" and "no more usable runway, gear up." "Position and hold" and "positive rate; gear up" just sound cooler. Granted.. in a Cirrus I'm not doing any gear stuff.. and yes I say "line up and wait" when told by ATC :(
 
*For the GPS, what me and my friends fly with are PLB satellite communicators, there is the DeLorme inreach, and Spot also makes one. They let you do messaging via satellite.. it's the low cost option to at least tell your girlfriend, wife, boyfriend, dad, mom, concubine whatever that you are stuck and need help

Although they are very similar in function, there are subtle but very important differences between a PLB and a satellite communicator. It would be best to distinctly distinguish between the two.
 
@asicer I personally do not own, but the plane I fly in has both.. and my friend has a PLB from hiking then got a satellite communicator as well for his bag

But you are right. There IS a distinction indeed. Still, *one* of those things would still be nice to have if you go down in the woods somewhere and are miles from a road, etc.
 
All I really bring is my iPad mini cellular with a small legal pad on the flip over cover.

If I'm staying local, as in VFR and not going to any class B or Cs, I don't even bring that.
I do have a iPhone with foreflight that I always have to check weather quickly and to log my flight time.
 
^funny as you get more experience your perspective of what you NEED changes. My IR CFI brought just his ipad, and that was it. Interesting how perspective changes as you go from 50, to 100, to 300, to those people (esp non airline guys) who have 2K or more hours
 
MAN! Super helpful list. Being at the end of my time, I have a decent flight bag put together with a good bit of these basics. I do however need to put a USB power bank, more batteries, GPS and handheld radio in the bag. The radio was something that I was unsure of but after having a radio go out this weekend on my dual cross country, I am totally down to buy a handheld just in case.

I did opt for the A20 with Bluetooth headset the other day. The first time I wore them and turned on the noise reduction I seriously thought that the engine had died in the airplane. I thought I was turning on music or something and then it alllll went quiet. I will never be able to go without the noise reduction now.

What sucks is that I have an iPad mini that has completely crapped out on me. It will need to get fixed somehow or I will need to get another. I have thought about a refurbished iPad but as I stated above I find it hard to penny pinch on some things.

Thanks again for the nice list and super helpful reasoning. I will take your advice and get the handheld and gps. Any suggestions on type of handheld and also the gps unit?
pick up a refurb iPad mini on Apple's used website.
 
iPad is really nice man. Stratus 2S was some of the best money I spent on “gadgets”. You can get other products like it for much cheaper (aka Stratux). I don’t regret it though. I’m probably in the minority’s - I’m sure everyone else will tell you something different :)
+1 on the Stratus 2s with an iPad. Honestly I've tried using an iPhone, and it just doesn't cut it. One of the biggest drawbacks for me isn't the screen size, but the missing features on the iPhone (for example, the iPad vs iPhone flight planning screen). I also have used a Stratux but I've found the Stratus 2s way more convenient, and I love the backup AHRS for an IFR emergency loss of vacuum or electric. Oh, and my iPad is just a mini 3, which is supposedly too slow, but mine works fine...although sometimes when scrolling the map, it does take 3 seconds or so to display.
 
For training no one needs anything, its the CFIs job to keep a student out of dutch. Once the PPL is accomplished, yeah get the ADSB antennae. Stratus, Stratux, Scout, whatever. Paired with a tablet or your phone you can't easily get better situational awareness, most of these things will give you wx and traffic. The technology is breathtaking, and the price more than reasonable. A pity the same can't be said for airframes.
 
Refurbished iPad’s from the Apple store have the same warranty as new ones. I’ve gotten all my Apple gizmos except the phone refurbished and never had a problem.

Cheers
 
Refurbished iPad’s from the Apple store have the same warranty as new ones. I’ve gotten all my Apple gizmos except the phone refurbished and never had a problem.

Cheers
Good tip, thank you for that!
 
Hey guys! First post here. I will be doing my checkride in a few weeks. Solo at 12 hours, I should take my checkride around 42 hours. Started in May of this year.

Anyways, I am a big fan of having the correct technology and equipment. Partly because I like gadgets and partly because I like to be well prepared. I have been entrigued by all of the applications for iPads, phones, receivers, etc.

I have been contemplating with getting an iPad and possibly a Strattus receiver soon. I wil obviously be VFR for now and will do the IFR very next but who knows how long that will take and how often I will truly need/use it.

Here is the question - I have an iPhone 8+. Do I need an iPad? And more importantly, do I WANT an iPad? 500-600 aside.. Also, do I need a receiver yet if I am only doing VFR stuff?

What would be a good simple setup to get that doesn’t absolutely break the bank? Funds aren’t a huge issue but I don’t want to get stupid with it, especially if I don’t need it or won’t get much bang for my buck.

Thoughts?

Jake (from State Farm)

I have decided that we need a new set of rules to add to VFR and IFR: GFR...Gadget Flight Rules. If you are more concerned with gadgets than flying the airplane, allow much more maneuvering room from other airplanes lest you encounter one during a head-down session consulting a gadget.

Bob
 
I use my iPad for my afd and a phone as my backup afd now. I do still carry paper charts. My instructor was not such a believer in the digital tech until we were flying in the Bay Area and he saw how easy it was to avoid class bravo airspace with it. Now that I have the stratus 3 it is the best overall tool in my
Flight bag. I also have a pair of lightspeed Zulu 3s that sync with FF and I get warnings on it through my headset. Adds a bit of situational awareness for sure! The adsb stuff is outstanding as well. Having current weather at your fingertips can save your life. I am a student pilot with just over 40 hours. Prepping for my checkride and hoping to have my ticket in a few weeks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
I have decided that we need a new set of rules to add to VFR and IFR: GFR...Gadget Flight Rules. If you are more concerned with gadgets than flying the airplane, allow much more maneuvering room from other airplanes lest you encounter one during a head-down session consulting a gadget.

Bob
Bob, I see your point for sure. I am flying and training now without any gadgets and continue to carry paper charts in my bag and always will. I actually like the paper stuff which is rare at 30 years old. With that being said, technology is a good thing. I plan to mount an iPad on the copilot yoke so that my head is always up and not down.
 
I have decided that we need a new set of rules to add to VFR and IFR: GFR...Gadget Flight Rules. If you are more concerned with gadgets than flying the airplane, allow much more maneuvering room from other airplanes lest you encounter one during a head-down session consulting a gadget.

Bob

I would second Bob's recommendation. Don't get me wrong, I am totally into tech - I write most of my own software and build my own electronics. In the cockpit, the essential elements of flight are already there on your panel, regardless of how old style the gauges are. EFB is really a replacement for paper charts. But really, nothing beats looking out the window for the enjoyment of flight and for safety. At least until everyone has an ADSB-out, your eyes are still the best traffic sensor.

Instead of the current trend of loading the panel and the pilot with excessive gadgets, I would like to see an alternative minimalist cockpit style emerge. I don't mean vintage style, but a modern minimalist style with electronic displays, but with a minimalist approach.
 
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