I guess this is a new thing since I've been out of the loop. I see lots of videos with ipads mounted to the yoke. I presume people are using them for GPSs now? I'm looking to get my own GPS soon. Is an Ipad a good choice? What program is used on them?
Ipad
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Half Fast
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Lots besides GPS. You can see wx, traffic, charts, plates, satellite views, checklists, etc., plus create and file flight plans and get briefings. ForeFlight is the most popular app, but there are several others.
So you're saying I should get an iPad instead of a regular Garmin GPS?
Half Fast
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Not necessarily. You have some research to do to see what will work best for you, and other tablets besides iPads are also options.
denverpilot
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If you want to watch movies in the hotel room when the weather goes to crap and you’re socked in, yep.
Okay kidding aside, the software for the iPads is at least as good as the old handheld single use devices but you do need the cellular version (even if you don’t put a data plan on it) to get the GPS chipset or... an external iPad compatible GPS.
There’s been a bunch of threads here comparing the various software packages.
None of the handheld devices are legal as primary use for navigation. Doesn’t mean they don’t get used that way, but the stuff in the panel is primary. If either the handheld GPS or iPad decides to fail for whatever reason in flight you get to keep both pieces.
Half Fast
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You’ll want an external box anyway so that you can receive ADS-B In for traffic and wx and you can get boxes with GPS. I bought an iPad mini without GPS and use a Stratux box. Works very well so far.
The pad makes flight planning a breeze, too. Tap in the route, let the sw do the corrections for mag var and wind to give heading and ETE for each leg. Copy it to a flight plan form for paper backup.
denverpilot
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Or just print a flight plan form from the iPad.
(Requires a stupid AirPrint printer or one of many workarounds to that Apple stupidity however.)Real world, my iPad with Foreflight, and an external GPS are "primary", until the approach phase. I like having an external GPS that talks (Bluetooth)to my iPad. I use a Dual external GPS receiver, and it wasn't very expensive at all. There are other GPS receivers, but I didn't want something that plugs in.
I found it easier and quicker to interact with the iPad than with our panel-mount G530; for that reason, I did changes in FF, on my iPad first, got established with the change, then mucked with the G530 afterwards. We bought a Bluetooth box that can load a FF flight plan into the G530, but I haven't yet used it much.
I found it easier and quicker to interact with the iPad than with our panel-mount G530; for that reason, I did changes in FF, on my iPad first, got established with the change, then mucked with the G530 afterwards. We bought a Bluetooth box that can load a FF flight plan into the G530, but I haven't yet used it much.
denverpilot
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Yes. But I dare anyone to show up with a single iPad for a Private checkride VFR... heh. Because you KNOW this will happen...
“Your battery died on that thing. What’s Plan B?”
As long as you’ve got a plan...
Palmpilot
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Amen to the need for a plan.
I haven't looked at a PPL PTS/ACS in a long time. Having flown at least one Citabria that had no electronic means of navigation whatsoever, for practical purposes my answer would be "compass, watch, and chart," but I have no idea whether it's possible to meet private checkride requirements in such an aircraft.
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B and C and D....
On my checkride I had a G3X Touch in the panel for GPS, ForeFlight on my knee for backup GPS, Avare on my phone in my pocket, and a paper chart marked and folded on a clipboard. Plus, of course, a VFR flight plan with alternates and frequencies.
Ken Whitson
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I'm recently back in the loop myself and have gone through the "what should I get/do" routine. There are many 100's of possible combinations to consider, which can be a daunting proposition. Limiting it to just the question of GPS's and the subsequent choices that spring from that: 1) IPad ($$$$$) vs tablet (<$200) - I chose a Samsung Galaxy E with a 9" screen; long battery life, (seemingly) no over-heating problem, Wi-Fi only, no cellular access. 2) Foreflight seems to be the consensus leader, but I believe it is still Apple-only. I tried Avare (free), but found it difficult to work with. I settled on IFlyGPS. Full-featured, 2? month free trial, Windows/Android/IPad compatible, very straight-forward to work with, $70 annual basic subscription fee (for map/data upgrades), can load it on up to 4 devices ($20), with device syncing features. I have it loaded onto the Samsung, and my cell phone. The only problem I have had is that the Samsung screen can be difficult to see on bright days, but I think this is true of all of the tablet brands. If I am unable to come up with a solution, I am considering IFly's gps 740b tablet; it is reputed to have a super bright display, but it does cost $599. However they do offer a 30-day free trial.
"How easy is it to operate?", you may ask. I bought the tablet and downloaded the IFly app 3 days before I picked up my plane in Virginia to fly it back to Texas, and spent that time learning about the app and laying out the possible courses to home. The plane does have VOR capability, so I also penciled in the course the old-fashioned way on a multitude of sectionals. I took off with the belief that VOR navigation (my comfort zone) would be primary, with the GPS being a distant cross-check. In less that an hour into the flight, I was hooked on the tablet/gps with VOR there just in case. Hope this helps.
NJP_MAN
Pattern Altitude
I was surprised when I sent my last student to his private ride and the DPE said he didn't need to bring charts. The studenr made sure he had them but never did he get the dead battery scenario. The DPE even reminded him to charge his tablet during the oral
BrianNC
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And you'll see that more and more as pilots that were 'raised' in the electronic era get to be DPEs. And you have many of the older ones accepting it already. And no reason for them not to.
Do you think pilots will soon be phased out altogether as automation takes over? Or do you think that's a long way off?
BrianNC
En-Route
I personally just don't ever see that happening. At least not in the near future. Not sure I'd ride on a plane without a pilot no matter the technology. Just check the thread here on the woman that was killed getting hit by a drive in a self driving car, and he was sitting there monitoring the car and the car didn't recognize a pedestrian was in front of it.
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I think that subject was touched on in a long discussion we had about the recent self-driving car accident, and there wasn't much consensus.
https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/community/threads/first-driverless-car-pedestrian-death.109552/
BrianNC
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Well, we look around and away while driving our normal cars too. But my main point was that the technology didn’t ‘recogzize’ her and stop as it’s suppose too.
BillTIZ
Final Approach
Or like what happened to me today, and I’ve seen it happen before on a VFR cross country.
Under the hood, on approach, chart displayed on the iPad.
I look down and it had shut down from overheat with the sun directly on it.
But I had the printed paper approach plate already open on my knee pad.
Granted overheat from the sun may not be a true issue in IFR conditions on approach.
But I keep going back to paper.
Under the hood, on approach, chart displayed on the iPad.
I look down and it had shut down from overheat with the sun directly on it.
But I had the printed paper approach plate already open on my knee pad.
Granted overheat from the sun may not be a true issue in IFR conditions on approach.
But I keep going back to paper.