Which iPad is best for "panel mounting?"

[GeorgiaPilot1021]

After watching Socal Flying Monkey and Angle of Attack go through panel upgrades, I'm blessed with the opportunity to rebuild a panel of my own, and I want to mimic their setups with the iPad on the right side of the panel for ForeFlight. I currently use an iPad mini on a yoke mount, and it makes it a little difficult to see my manifold pressure gauge, so I'd like to have a larger iPad on the panel for better situational awareness.

I think it seems like the newest and greatest iPad Pro is obviously the best overall device, but do I really need all of those features? Is the extra two inches (11" iPad Pro or Air vs 12.9" iPad Pro) that big of a difference?

For reference, the 12.9" iPad Pro w/ 256gb is $1,199, 11" iPad Pro w/ 256gb is $899, and the 11" iPad Air w/ 256gb is $749.

The 11" iPad Pro and iPad Air are very, very similar, so if choosing between those two, I probably would choose the air (basically the same, $150 cheaper). So, in the end, it comes down if the extra two inches are worth $450...I've got good eyes, FWIW. Any thoughts?

 

[Hector Parra]

Saw both of those upgrades and one thing they don't mention is sun glare. Could be that the newest Ipads don't have issues with that. Maybe you can keep the Ipad mini and add a dedicated EMS?

 

[Half Fast]

The iPads aren’t nearly bright enough and they overheat. Get a ruggedized, 1100 nit Android tablet and pick a different app.

 

[Clip4]

Why would you need an IPad mounted to the panel?

 

[k9medic]

I used an Otter Box and velcro'ed the lid to the panel. Pops in and out with no issues. Never had an issue with overheating as well as it is out of the sun.

 

[Stewartb]

I’ve had an Aera in my panel for many years. I swore off buying Garmin GPS boxes after adopting Garmin Pilot. My iPad Mini fits over the Aera using velcro. If the iPad fails me (it never has) the Aera is working in the background.

 

[Hang 4]

I think the 12.9” would be huge. I’d try a cardboard cut out to size and see what fits best. What plane?

 

[bbarrett]

I think the 12.9” would be huge. I’d try a cardboard cut out to size and see what fits best. What plane?

Definitely mock up with cardboard. I couldn’t find a setup I liked with the bigger (cardboard) ipads. I ended up going with a Mini for panel space/interference reasons.

I am also very glad I went with a non-flush mount setup for mounting the Aera, that was replaced with an original iPad mini, then an iPad mini 5 and now the latest iPad mini. Each is a slightly different shape, and it would have sucked to make panel mods for the upgrades in hardware. I went with the MyGoFlight kit, which is no better than any of the others. But I would stay away from options that assume tablets stay the same size; history is clear that they don’t.

 

[GeorgiaPilot1021]

Thanks for sharing the pictures, these are great! And the idea of using cardboard to mock it up is great!! I’ll definitely have to do that.

It’s a 1973 Cherokee 235. Here is a picture of the current panel. We’re adding a GTN 375 and a G5 stack. Everything on the right will be gone.

I have an iPad Mini that I’m going to keep as a backup, but I’d like something a little bigger since it’ll be further from my eyes. It does feel like the 13” is bigger than I was originally thinking…probably best to look at the smaller options!

 

[donjohnston]

The iPads aren’t nearly bright enough and they overheat. Get a ruggedized, 1100 nit Android tablet and pick a different app.

Bright enough for me. And I’ve never had one overheat.

 

[Unit74]

Guardian makes powered panel mounts if you are looking for a more permanent style of set up. They also have a cooling fan if one desires that option. As to the overheating of the iPads, I have had it happen a couple of times. Always on the ground when I left the iPad in the mount and left the airplane for a while. Now, I take it out and put it in a bag or seat pocket to keep it out of direct sun. Never had it happen in flight, with one mounted on the panel in a RAM Mount and/or the other on the yoke of the Pipers I have access to.

 

[ktup-flyer]

I fly with an 11” Pro in my 182. I’d probably stick with the mini in a PA28, or so a window suction cup mount