IPad Mini 6 for Foreflight

iPad Mini 6 or 5 ForeFlight?

  • 6 with cellular

    Votes: 31 48.4%

  • 6 WiFi only

    Votes: 14 21.9%

  • 5 with cellular

    Votes: 14 21.9%

  • 5 WiFi only

    Votes: 9 14.1%
  • Total voters
    64
I haven't ventured into apple pencil territory yet, but I'm tempted. I'd probably attach it to the ipad with a string, which seems terrible for a $130 gadget, but I hate losing things in IMC.
 
I use the Apple Pencil to take down clearances in foreflight and it works well for that. I haven’t fully decided whether I prefer my larger ipad or the mini for the cockpit so I’m going back and forth and it is nice that the pencil will seamlessly work with both/either. It is pretty easy for it to fall off the side of the ipad though as the magnet isn’t super strong so I have had to look for it under the seat once or twice.
 
schmookeeg said:
I'd probably attach it to the ipad with a string, which seems terrible for a $130 gadget, but I hate losing things in IMC.
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What I use - a retractable pencil holder, which I attach to my kneeboard.

51668570163_dab1ed8fc4.jpg


Available at Home Depot for just a few dollars.
 
I have a big iPad with the pencil (v2?). I love the pencil. It’s attached via magnet so I’ve dropped it twice in 300 hrs… but you can always write with your finger in a pinch. I use the pencil to write down clearances, ATIS’s, and notes when I’m track up on map mode (directly on the map like xpndr, freq changes, ATIS letter).

Once this iPad bites the dust, I’m getting the mini and keeping the pencil. From what I’ve heard, avoid the v1 pencil.
 
Thank you all!

I’ve decided to get the 6- and the pencil (v2- I heard the same thing about staying away from version 1)
Only bummer is it’s back ordered pretty well- will take a few weeks to get.

with that said-

Any news on what’s coming out for knee boards, straps, mounts etc? And when?

what do y’all recommend and what do you recommend for protecting it until the aviation cases hit the market?- the Apple case?
 
Scott Mitchell said:
Thank you all!

I’ve decided to get the 6- and the pencil (v2- I heard the same thing about staying away from version 1)
Only bummer is it’s back ordered pretty well- will take a few weeks to get.

with that said-

Any news on what’s coming out for knee boards, straps, mounts etc? And when?

what do y’all recommend and what do you recommend for protecting it until the aviation cases hit the market?- the Apple case?
Click to expand...

Lots of cheap cases on Amazon that would probably work just as well for a temporary case vs. paying Apple's pricing (that said I have an Apple case but I don't intend to replace it).
 
I have an Apple Pencil. It's okay for use with FF, but nothing special. The pencil is really for artsy stuff, and all I want to do is write stuff down. It's pricey for something to write things down, and it has to be charged (although charging is quick and lasts a fairly long time). There are other pens available on eBay for a few bucks that have non-marring rubber tips that write on iPads, and have a ball point pen in case you have to write a clearance down on paper.
 
I use the Rod Machado rubber band tied in a small knot around my Apple Pencil. Loop the big end of the rubber band around your middle finger or first two fingers. You can flip the pencil over the back of your hand when you don't need it, and flip it back in your grasp when you do.
 
LesGawlik said:
I have an Apple Pencil. It's okay for use with FF, but nothing special. The pencil is really for artsy stuff, and all I want to do is write stuff down. It's pricey for something to write things down, and it has to be charged (although charging is quick and lasts a fairly long time). There are other pens available on eBay for a few bucks that have non-marring rubber tips that write on iPads, and have a ball point pen in case you have to write a clearance down on paper.
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The price of the Apple Pencil gets you palm rejection, which is the feature I really need for a stylus to be remotely useful for note taking in the air or on the ground. YMMV and if you don't need palm rejection, I agree that this is an easy place to save $100.
 
RudyP said:
Lots of cheap cases on Amazon that would probably work just as well for a temporary case vs. paying Apple's pricing (that said I have an Apple case but I don't intend to replace it).
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What's an "Apple case"? Pretty sure I've never had one..
 
iamtheari said:
The price of the Apple Pencil gets you palm rejection, which is the feature I really need for a stylus
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I agree that palm rejection is essential. But don't equate it with Apple's high price. I can buy 5 styluses with palm rejection for the price of one Apple pencil.

Of course, there are other things you get with the Apple pencil even as a basic writing tool. I can't just lay mine against the Mini and have it automatically charge. It has a USB-C port and I need to plug it in to charge it.
 
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I got a new iPad Mini 6. Thing I didn't like was no earphone input. I had to buy a splitter so I can charge and then plug my Lightspeed's into the jack on the splitter. Also had to buy a bunch of new cables as they got rid of the lightning adapter.

I keep my LS paired to my iphone for music/podcasts, and unilke the Bose, they will only pair with one thing at a time.
 
schmookeeg said:
Well under my "sure, what the hell" impulse purchase threshold, unlike Apple's offering. :) Thanks. Will try it on my mini5 and see how i like it.
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I didn't like it. It's "USB-C" only in the sense that it has a custom charge cord that fakes the USB-C end. None of my other USB-C chargers will charge the thing, and I'm not gonna tote around the 4" fake USB A->C pigtail cord in the cockpit, and let it fry my other iThings.

Neat doodad otherwise, the pencil works neato. I should've known it would be fraudulent in some way. Phoo.
 
schmookeeg said:
None of my other USB-C chargers will charge the thing
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Mine do.i haven't even opened the charging block which came with it.

The only issue I've seen is the same issue I've seen with my Samsung and earlier iPads. A charger old enough to be weak enough to not be able to power and charge at the same time. Even then, the "Not charging" message has only meant "not charging at the same time you are using it."
 
midlifeflyer said:
Mine do.i haven't even opened the charging block which came with it.

The only issue I've seen is the same issue I've seen with my Samsung and earlier iPads. A charger old enough to be weak enough to not be able to power and charge at the same time. Even then, the "Not charging" message has only meant "not charging at the same time you are using it."
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Sorry I was referring to the $20 "Stylus Pen" linked above from eBay, not the Apple Pencil I was too cheap to start with. I hope my 3A Anker PD charger is enough to run the thing :D
 
schmookeeg said:
Sorry I was referring to the $20 "Stylus Pen" linked above from eBay, not the Apple Pencil I was too cheap to start with. I hope my 3A Anker PD charger is enough to run the thing :D
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I'm the one with the $20 Stylus Pen. I haven't had any problem charging it with literally any charging block I have, even the weak ones. I have two. Maybe you got a bad one?
 
Just a note, if you are considering the wifi vs cellular: if you have an iphone, getting personal hotspot going and using your iphone's internet to connect your ipad is extremely fast and easy.
 
Scott Mitchell said:
Oh that’s lame- it’s usb-c but proprietary? C’mon apple
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USB-C is an open standard. Apple, however, does have the habit of using new-fangled connectors before the rest of the world moves that way--so sometimes it appears that Apple has created something new and proprietary. USB-C is starting to become commonplace among electronic gizmos. We had a good ride with USB-A...but now we get to start buying new cables again.
 
midlifeflyer said:
I'm the one with the $20 Stylus Pen. I haven't had any problem charging it with literally any charging block I have, even the weak ones. I have two. Maybe you got a bad one?
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Weird, this is what I got from the seller when I inquired -- different seller or batch maybe? :

eBay clown said:
New message from: dawnecom (13)
Hello, This 2nd Gen pencil charging cable is TYPE C, not USB C,, type C bigger plug
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I had to disagree of course, with measurements on my little micrometer. Looking forward to sparring with some idiot over the price of a big mac combo, but... should be entertaining. :D

 
schmookeeg said:
Weird, this is what I got from the seller when I inquired -- different seller or batch maybe? :



I had to disagree of course, with measurements on my little micrometer. Looking forward to sparring with some idiot over the price of a big mac combo, but... should be entertaining. :D
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That is definitely weird.

I just re-charged mine before a trip with the cable I regularly use with my Samsung S10. And I'm pretty sure my Samsung is charging right now using the cable that came with the pen. I'm traveling and I always keep a group of cables in my travel bag. Micros, minis, Lightnings, and Cs. I have a third-party USB-C I used on the (commercial) plane with my Samsung. It's being used right now to recharge the Mini 6 I'm typing this on and, to double-check, I just plugged it into my $20 pencil. Yep. It works.

perhaps even weirder is the thought that with millions of standard cables, the manufacturer of a $20 pen would use something custom.
 
So … a couple more thoughts. I don’t like taking electronic notes. I know most of my CFIs do when they fly with me, but when I’m on a long XC and the sun overheats my iPad (or whatever glitch) I keep my notes, frequencies, tank switch times and codes on my paper knee pad. I usually let FF do the flight plan for me prior to flying, but copy the numbers down onto the same paper XC planner I used in primary. I also write down the basic information for each airport along the route: freqs, runways, and patterns.

That’s just me. I love tech. But tech can and will fail. I keep enough on paper to get from point A to B as a just in case scenario. Even with all the i-stuff. Mini on the yoke. iPhone somewhere out of the sun. On a long long XC my work provided iPad Pro with the fancy pencil 2.0 in my bag.
 
woodchucker said:
So … a couple more thoughts. I don’t like taking electronic notes. I know most of my CFIs do when they fly with me, but when I’m on a long XC and the sun overheats my iPad (or whatever glitch) I keep my notes, frequencies, tank switch times and codes on my paper knee pad. I usually let FF do the flight plan for me prior to flying, but copy the numbers down onto the same paper XC planner I used in primary. I also write down the basic information for each airport along the route: freqs, runways, and patterns.

That’s just me. I love tech. But tech can and will fail. I keep enough on paper to get from point A to B as a just in case scenario. Even with all the i-stuff. Mini on the yoke. iPhone somewhere out of the sun. On a long long XC my work provided iPad Pro with the fancy pencil 2.0 in my bag.
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I also use pen and paper for in-flight note taking. It's less about glitches (my iPads haven't shut down in flight in the almost 11 years I've used them). More that the feel of hand and pen on paper is so natural, I can write those notes without looking. I always feel I have to watch the Mini when writing on it. But I do have to say that writing with an Apple-dedicated and compliant "pencil" is a far more natural feeling than before I had one. So I have both the pencil and a real pen available.
 
I finally gave up on waiting for a sale and ordered one yesterday. Which means there will be a big sale tomorrow.

I decided on the cheapest option, 64gb/wi-fi only. I'm still going to carry my android tablet in my flight bag, so if the gtn craps the bed I'll have that as a backup.

I ordered through Amazon so I'll get 5% back. I was pleasantly surprised that they estimated a Dec 9 delivery, and shocked when I got an email updating that date to Dec 3.
 
I’ve been using mine for the past couple of months with the Apple Pencil. It fits in the same RAM mount I had for the Mini 4. You will like the 6. Much faster and I like the larger screen.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
schmookeeg said:
my mini6 is still on backorder. when it finally arrives, ill be selling my mini5/256/cellular if you prefer a cheaper option.

Given the poll and no other info, why wouldn't someone vote "latest and greatest" ?
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Got my mini6, which means OP if you haven't decided yet, I have a mini5/cellular/256gb for sale as soon as I can wipe it and snap a few photos to vet its condition. :D
 
schmookeeg said:
Got my mini6, which means OP if you haven't decided yet, I have a mini5/cellular/256gb for sale as soon as I can wipe it and snap a few photos to vet its condition. :D
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How long was the wait?

I looked this morning and a Mini 6 was going to be 4-5 weeks no matter what the color or configuration
 
AggieMike88 said:
How long was the wait?

I looked this morning and a Mini 6 was going to be 4-5 weeks no matter what the color or configuration
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3 weeks or so to ship, but I shipped to my dad's to collect over Thanksgiving, so was 4 weeks for me due to stealing his military discount + sales tax avoidance :D
 
My ram mount case from my 5 worked for my 6
 
midlifeflyer said:
I also use pen and paper for in-flight note taking. It's less about glitches (my iPads haven't shut down in flight in the almost 11 years I've used them). More that the feel of hand and pen on paper is so natural, I can write those notes without looking. I always feel I have to watch the Mini when writing on it. But I do have to say that writing with an Apple-dedicated and compliant "pencil" is a far more natural feeling than before I had one. So I have both the pencil and a real pen available.
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I have found that this armorglass anti-glare screen protector not only helps cut down on glare in the cockpit but also makes writing with the apple pencil feel much more natural than the stock screen.

After a few months of using my iPad mini 6 and 2020 iPad Pro 11" I think I like the mini better in most cases but the Pro is definitely brighter and the mini 6 can sometimes be a bit hard to read in direct sunlight. I'll probably keep bringing both for a while...
 
Can someone please explain the Rod Machado rubber band trick? Or is there a web link?
 
Take a rubber band. Tie a knot in it about 3/8" from one end. Slip your pencil, pen or Apple pencil in the little loop created by the knot. Take the big loop and hook it over your pointer and middle finger. You will see that you can grasp the pencil normally with the rubber band over your fingers. When you let go, the pencil will flop to the back of your hand. Flip your wrist and the pencil will come right back between your thumb and forefinger.
 
Hi all - I am new to this with only ~50 hours and getting ready to take my check ride soon. At what altitude does cellular (generally) stop functioning? I'm sure it varies by area, but is it like 6,000 AGL?
 
It's all over the place. I don't count on it above 1000 AGL.
 
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