FAR/AIM for iPad

Retro Manger

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Retro Manger
Hey fellow pilots!
Just got an iPad for the sole purpose of a EFB + pilot supporting tool in whatever possible way.
Now, I wanna get FAR/AIM in it, but with two specific features:
to be able to underline /or tag/ the info - substituting the brick made from paper
to be constantly updated - eliminating the need for a new issue of the brick every year.

I've heard some things about Sporty's, ASA's, however still not decided which is best, because there are other options.
I would appreciate some advise from people who already done that.
Thank you!
 
Before you buy one, check out the bookmarking and annotating options in ForeFlight. Or alternatively, you could download the Pilot Controller Glossary, AIM, and FARs and open them in Acrobat or your preferred pdf reader.
 
I have not used the Sporty's but I have the ASA. Overall, it does the job.

The top goods:
Yes it is tagable. In two ways. You can bookmark sections and you can highlight text.
No charge for updates.

The bad:
The search facility is keyword, not text. IOW, unless the words and phrases you choose to search are ones they chose to index, no dice. Fortunately that doesn't happen too often; just enough for me to notice when I'm trying to find something I know is there.
 
There is one from Aviation Mobile Apps LLC. that caught my eye, but I am not sure. It says daily update and alerts.
 
Not answering your question directly, but you're going to get ForeFlight. I'd go ahead and get it now, see how it works for you for the FAR/AIM, and decide if you need something else. Honestly I'd devote a lot of time getting to know ForeFight more than electronic FAR/AIM.
 
You can download a PDF AIM for free from the FAA. Not so much the FAR though they are accessible through the FAA website.
 
AIM is second in the line of importance actually.
I need to have all those tags and highlights at hand, because the brick with the 3M tags is "uncomfortable" to summarize it in a word.
 
...iPad ...I wanna get FAR/AIM in it, but with two specific features:
to be able to underline /or tag/ the info - substituting the brick made from paper
to be constantly updated - eliminating the need for a new issue of the brick every year

Foreflight will do all this. The FAA PDF files can be downloaded from within the Foreflight app, and they will thereafter stay in the "Documents" tab, and they will be updated there if you turn that feature on.

"Annotate" is the verb that describes the underlining and so forth that you wish to do. Foreflight will allow you to highlight (analogous to a color highlight marker, using your finger), and type text atop the PDF file.

"Bookmark" is the verb for tagging. I haven't tried that feature in Foreflight, but I can see that it's available there when you're viewing a PDF file within the Documents tab.

Alternative standalone solution:

Search the App Store for these two words: PDF annotate
Install an app, then download load for free the PDF file from FAA or wherever. Then you can annotate and bookmark as you please. This is what college students do with lecture notes provided to them as PDF files, and it's a good thing. But it won't autoupdate the document each year.
 
I second (or third) the faa website, download the AIM ( it's free) and using Foreflight to bookmark, it's great for exams. BUT, beware that manuals like the AIM and the handbooks do get updated occasionally, which will make your FF bookmarks and annotations useless. I learned the hard way.
 
I've always wondered why the complete AIM is available free as a PDF and the FAR is not. After all WE paid for the AIM/FAR with out tax dollars.
 
I've always wondered why the complete AIM is available free as a PDF and the FAR is not. After all WE paid for the AIM/FAR with out tax dollars.
On your computer,
In Safari, choose Reader View then print to PDF.
In Chrome, just choose Print, then pick PDF instead of a printer.

On your iPad, pick the little box with the up arrow in it, then the More icon, then Books and save as a PDF in the Books app.
 
While a useful link, that’s not what he asked for. PDF format.

He asked for free, I gave it to him. Getting from there to pdf is no big deal, I assume he knows that, if he doesn't he can ask.

I rarely go directly to the FAA for this stuff when I need it, Foreflight manages it quite nicely and keeps it up to date via the documents tab, faa drive. Good stuff.
 
He asked for free, I gave it to him. Getting from there to pdf is no big deal, I assume he knows that, if he doesn't he can ask.

I rarely go directly to the FAA for this stuff when I need it, Foreflight manages it quite nicely and keeps it up to date via the documents tab, faa drive. Good stuff.

Getting from HTML to PDF with proper links is actually a mild PITA for most folk. Are you converting it from HTML or just text?
 
I have the ASA on my iPad and phone, works good enough
 
Getting from HTML to PDF with proper links is actually a mild PITA for most folk. Are you converting it from HTML or just text?

As I said, I download it from Foreflight, which keeps it up to date for me and comes in as a pdf, so I never really think about it. If I didn't have FF I would just bookmark the FAA site and click when I need it, which is not too often right now.
 
As I said, I download it from Foreflight, which keeps it up to date for me and comes in as a pdf, so I never really think about it. If I didn't have FF I would just bookmark the FAA site and click when I need it, which is not too often right now.

Ahh. I missed that FF was doing the conversion for you.

Clicking when needed only works if you have internet. Which... is iffy at many locations where I’ve wanted to look something up.

So... something that pulls down a properly linked and cross referenced version with built in full text search and bookmarking and such, is worth a one time price of $10.

That price might be grandfathered though. The app I use may have gone to the software rental model like FF.

Unlike some other software that did that who didn’t grandfather their original users, that one did. Stand up people running that one.
 
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