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Do you use an iPad in the cockpit? Would you?

What are your feelings on institution of an iPad type device as a replacement for a chart/pub bag?


  • Total voters
    130

MIDNJAC

is clara ship
pilot
In this day and age , its almost inappropriate to fly with paper publications. And from a hardware perspective the iPad wins - by huge margin. Period. The level of safety, efficiency, speed, and SA can not be matched.

Gear matters.

Have never flown with a tablet, or anything other than paper. I guess I am inappropriate? :)
 

sevenhelmet

Low calorie attack from the Heartland
pilot
Have never flown with a tablet, or anything other than paper. I guess I am inappropriate? :)

Dude. Foreflight is awesome. Route & fuel planning, filing, and pubs, all in one easy to use app. You really need to try it.
 

Tycho_Brohe

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
Sorry to dig up a dead thread, but figured this was better than starting a new one.

A lot of my instructors flynwith iPads, which makes sense because SNAs can do some dumb stuff sometimes and we fly a lot “in the IFR structure”, so I get having extra SA as an IP.

Some of my contemporaries have begun buying iPad/GPS set ups because “I’m totally going to need this in the fleet”, but I have my doubts.

How useful/how often do you use an iPad as a Naval Aviator? I’m a Marine strike stud if that makes a difference. Is it actually worth the cost of a ForeFlight subscription (not to mention initial costs of iPad, Kneeboard and GPS), or is it something that would get in the way more than it would help? Obviously flying around with every chart known to man sucks as an SNA, but how often would that be of use later in my career? Does the fact that VR/IR routes are now on ForeFlight change anything, or is it still something that won’t be referenced real time?

The few IPs I’ve asked have been all over the place with if they were even allowed to be used, much less useful, but also concede that thier info is dated.
Can't say I have any input for the pointy-nose community, but if anyone on the maritime side of the house was wondering the same thing, the P-8 squadrons are starting to issue CF-20's to each pilot, which looks like a cross between a Panasonic Toughbook and a Microsoft Surface, running Windows 10. It's got the NGA Aero App, and hopefully soon, Milplanner, so it'd preclude the need to get an iPad unless you really, really like ForeFlight. And with the amount of navigation redundancy on the P-8, you'd probably get weird looks if you threw a GPS puck in the window like some of my instructors used to do in the C-12.

That said, I think about half our pilots own iPads anyway. They were able to get ForeFlight for free a while back, so it was kind of a no-brainer. And when you have a 10-hour flight that's only 4 hours on-station, or a transatlantic flight where you're on HF for a while, an iPad with some offline Netflix can make it go by a lot quicker. I have a WiFi only 10-inch Pro that I bought in Kadena as a per-diem present to myself. It was pretty expensive, but I love it.
 

sevenhelmet

Low calorie attack from the Heartland
pilot
Anyone with experience have a recommendation for the best iPad mini 4 case for all-around fixed-wing aviation use?
 

nukon

Well-Known Member
pilot
Anyone with experience have a recommendation for the best iPad mini 4 case for all-around fixed-wing aviation use?

My experience is limited to C-172/C-12/V22, but I love the Otterbox Defender. The little detachable screencover/kickstand is pretty sweet for being able to toss it in my bag and not worrying about the front face of it getting dinged. The ability to have it propped up for watching movies or scrolling pubs is a nice cherry
 

Jim123

DD-214 in hand and I'm gonna party like it's 1998
pilot
My experience is limited to C-172/C-12/V22, but I love the Otterbox Defender. The little detachable screencover/kickstand is pretty sweet for being able to toss it in my bag and not worrying about the front face of it getting dinged. The ability to have it propped up for watching movies or scrolling pubs is a nice cherry
Seconded for all of these reasons. You can use the detachable screen cover to clip it on a knee strap (it snaps on the front or the back of the main part of the case). I also clip it to a strip of aluminum stock that I rigged in my personal airplane, although I haven't seen any commercially available mounts that are compatible with it.
 

zippy

Freedom!
pilot
Contributor
Anyone with experience have a recommendation for the best iPad mini 4 case for all-around fixed-wing aviation use?

Fly wings in Pcola sells 9g iPad cases with a kneeeboard strap built in. I used one of those in the VTs and it worked like a champ... and they ship.
 

SynixMan

HKG Based Artificial Excrement Pilot
pilot
Contributor
Anyone with experience have a recommendation for the best iPad mini 4 case for all-around fixed-wing aviation use?

https://www.stmgoods.com/ipad-cases/ipad-mini-4-cases/dux-ipad-mini-4-case

I use this with a kneebord strap and it works great. Very protective but not bulky, has a stand built into the cover like the Apple cases, and works with many different leg straps. I’ll go against the folks suggesting the Lifeproof and Otterbox. They’re bulky and super ugly to my tastes.
 

ChuckMK23

FERS and TSP contributor!
pilot
The iPad mini is a bargain and will be discontinued - I'd snag one at Costco for $239 - terminal procedure charts are nearly identical in size to paper counterparts on the Mini.
 
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