Ipad mini apps

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RichNY

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RichNY
For VFR trips only, which app do you prefer and what does it cost? I want in flight weather, charts, TFRs, airport info etc. I see that Jepp has FlightDeck VFR but only offering text weather at this time at $49 a year.
 
Go ahead and get ForeFlight. You'll be happy you spent the extra money once you start using it.
 
RichNY said:
For VFR trips only, which app do you prefer and what does it cost? I want in flight weather, charts, TFRs, airport info etc. I see that Jepp has FlightDeck VFR but only offering text weather at this time at $49 a year.
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I wanted to try their app, but I could never get it activated. Attempted to use their support which was completely worthless. After three attempts I gave up and deleted the app. There are so many good companies that want your business and produce great products, there's little point in putting much effort into a company that doesn't seem to care.

So, that said: Do a free 30 day eval of ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot, FlyQ EFB and WingX. All are very credible products and worth reviewing. Play with them on the ground AND in the air.
 
There are a number of excellent choices. Mine happens to be ForeFlight and it looks great on a mini.
 
I still need to buy the Ipad mini. Which one, 16, 32 or 64? Wifi and cellular?
 
I am using the 30 day free of FlyQ right now,it is nice Program but the only concern is ,it froze up couple of times and that isn't! Good . I may go back to Wing X .
 
RichNY said:
I still need to buy the Ipad mini. Which one, 16, 32 or 64? Wifi and cellular?
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For a single program 16GB is sufficient. But if you're like me and like to run a couple, plus carry all the charts AND use the iPad for many other useful purposes, buy as much as you can afford.

I started with 32GB, then upgraded to 64GB....then 128GB. I did max out the 32GB, used a good chunk of 64GB but have barely dented the 128GB. YMMV.
 
RichNY said:
I still need to buy the Ipad mini. Which one, 16, 32 or 64? Wifi and cellular?
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Rich,

Try a search - lots of recent threads on the topic.

I went 64 gb w/cellular, though your needs may differ. You need cellular capability to have built-in GPS, which is handy. You do not have to activate it, however.
 
I have been using the Garmin Pilot App. I have used Fore Flight and Wing X as well. Though not the cheapest I have kept the Garmin App as it seems to me the most advancements and add on's have happened with that app. I had somewhat of a learning curve working with the way the app works. Once I figured it was close to the GTN buttonology and not G1000 I moved past that quickly. I have my app coupled with the GDL39 ADSB. I have operated this combination from coast to coast low level and flight levels. In the beginning there were a few kinks but with the updates, the past 6 months (300 hours) have been flawless.
 
RichNY said:
I still need to buy the Ipad mini. Which one, 16, 32 or 64? Wifi and cellular?
Click to expand...

Hard Drive Capacity will be determined by how much use out of cockpit you do, and how much music and other apps will be loaded.

My personal philosophy is the value of 64GB over 32GB for the reasonable price difference was worth it. But I use it as a personal device and have a large music and photo library.

Always select the Cellular version. Only these get the internal GPS chip.

It is not necessary to opt in (and pay for) a data plan. However, having said plan is extremely useful when flying. It makes it possible to sit at the end of the runway, do one last check of weather, NOTAMS, TFR's etc.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Hard Drive Capacity will be determined by how much use out of cockpit you do, and how much music and other apps will be loaded.

My personal philosophy is the value of 64GB over 32GB for the reasonable price difference was worth it.
Click to expand...


That was exactly my rationale. 16GB had always been enough on my Gen1. 32GB should have been plenty for my new iPad Mini. But when it came time to click the button on the Apple Store site, the extra $100 for 32GB more (64GB ) seemed like a good investment, especially since I tend to keep my devices a long time and programs and apps do not seem to be getting any smaller over time.

In other threads I described my mounting system. I did my first cross country with it Saturday, and in this video you can see that the mount is plenty rigid, even on a soft field takeoff:

http://youtu.be/aEDltmHhwrE?t=43s
 
As everyone has said, get the cellular version so you have the internal GPS. I personally got the 16GB non-Retina; While I can tell a difference between the two screens when compared side-by-side, I don't see a huge benefit for reading charts. Also, with that version, I was stuck with 16GB (would have preferred more) but I really only use it for aviation and a few other small apps.

But I'm honestly shocked they're saying to not activate the cell service... If you get one with a T-Mobile SIM card (free from Apple; $10 if you get it directly from T-Mobile), they give you 200MB free per month when using the cell network. Sure, it's not a ton, but I use it when I'm at an airport with no Wifi for a WX update and to file a flight plan and such.
 
www.ipadyokemounts.com is a new player in the marketplace.

And his idea of how to secure the mini to Cessna and Beech yokes looks like a good alternative to the traditional shaft clamps.
 
Thanks for the replies. I'm at the bottom of the knowledge ladder when it comes to these devices so bear with me, please. If I buy an Ipad mini retina and subscribe to Foreflight standard, do I need anything else to get in flight weather radar graphics at 8500 ft. in cruise.
 
RichNY said:
Thanks for the replies. I'm at the bottom of the knowledge ladder when it comes to these devices so bear with me, please. If I buy an Ipad mini retina and subscribe to Foreflight standard, do I need anything else to get in flight weather radar graphics at 8500 ft. in cruise.
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Yes... you'll need the Stratus II ADS-B Receiver to get FF to show weather details while away from a reliable internet signal.

And timely question since "In flight weather radar graphics" was just added in yesterday's FF upgrade release. Link to Announcement
 
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Thanks Aggie. So, for $899 I can get the weather inflight? I think I'll stick with my charts and FSS for now. At least till 2020.
 
RichNY said:
Thanks Aggie.
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Mike is preferred :yesnod:

So, for $899 I can get the weather inflight? I think I'll stick with my charts and FSS for now. At least till 2020.
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Correct. The "cost benefit" is there is no ongoing subscription cost. Before getting the information via ADS-B, the solution was XM Weather for $35-55 per month subscription. And this was displayed on other devices (like the Garmin x96 devices) that used are about the same as the Stratus II, and new are 2.5 times that cost and more.

What has not been shared with you yet is that with devices like the Stratus II is that you can also have ADS-B traffic displayed on your iPad. See http://ipadpilotnews.com/2013/06/ads-b-traffic-101/ for more details on this function.


Staying with your paper charts and FSS briefings are still a very valid option. But once you get a good EFB going, you'll likely never return to papyrus + FSS. The savings in space and weight and costs of charts will help ease the burden of the hardware purchase.

And it's much simpler to get chart coverage for a trip to a new-to-you destination. An example is me this weekend. I am planning to go to South Western Kansas for the first time. In the old days, I would have to go to my local pilot shop and hope they have a VFR chart in stock for that section of the US. If they didn't, I would have to go online, order it, and wait for it to arrive. And I might need/want to get the an updated A/FD to cover that area.

Now with ForeFlight and the other EFB's, I just visit the download section, select Kansas, and within a few minutes, I have the VFR chart, Terrain, IFR Low, Airport/Facilities Director, and more. Again, all within a few minutes, and at no additional costs. That right there justifies the expense of the tablet and the EFB program.

As far as the cost of the Stratus II, that's justified by the improved GPS reception (less than 1 meter vs. 5 meters and occasional "no signal") and the ability to get weather details in flight (including nearby METARS and TAFS), and now animated weather.

To purchase all of this or not is really "to each his own". But for me, I'm really enjoying the added situation awareness the Retina Mini + FF + Stratus II provides.

(and for disclosure, I'm also a fan of WingX. But I don't have access to an ADS-B box that's compatible for that..... yet)
 
Great summation. Thank you Mike.
 
LDJones said:
I wanted to try their app, but I could never get it activated. Attempted to use their support which was completely worthless. After three attempts I gave up and deleted the app. There are so many good companies that want your business and produce great products, there's little point in putting much effort into a company that doesn't seem to care.

So, that said: Do a free 30 day eval of ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot, FlyQ EFB and WingX. All are very credible products and worth reviewing. Play with them on the ground AND in the air.
Click to expand...

I had no problem starting Jeps trial. I was quite impressed with the map view. Since its all vector based, its very sharp and detailed. Features are lacking but I can easily see them competing with Garmin and Foreflight eventually.
 
I use Foreflight and a stratus. Fly q seems to freeze a lot at this time. You could also go with a portable garmin GPS like a 496 with a weather subscription.
 
Seanaldinho said:
Keep in mind FF will still show weather if you have wifi.
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Yes it will. On the ground only.

When flying, you're no longer in range of a wifi access point. a 3G/4G/LTE equipped iPad occasionally gets some connection to the internet, but often it's not a strong enough for FF to get the weather data and make it reliable.
 
HighFlyingA380 said:
As everyone has said, get the cellular version so you have the internal GPS. I personally got the 16GB non-Retina; While I can tell a difference between the two screens when compared side-by-side, I don't see a huge benefit for reading charts. Also, with that version, I was stuck with 16GB (would have preferred more) but I really only use it for aviation and a few other small apps.

But I'm honestly shocked they're saying to not activate the cell service... If you get one with a T-Mobile SIM card (free from Apple; $10 if you get it directly from T-Mobile), they give you 200MB free per month when using the cell network. Sure, it's not a ton, but I use it when I'm at an airport with no Wifi for a WX update and to file a flight plan and such.
Click to expand...
Yes, it does seem shocking but.... I'm a Foreflight user and I've made the decision twice to not get an iPad with cellular, let alone activate it. There are several reasons but one reason is that buying FF (Pro only perhaps) gets a copy for your iPad and one for your iPhone (which is my backup device for plates and such). No Wifi for weather or filing - I use the iPhone.

BTW, my wife is on her second iPad but I configure hers with an activated cellular service.

Shocking at first look but I have no regrets. YMMV
 
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