iPads...

If it paints a pink line for me to follow and makes me a lazy pilot who lacks situational awareness without it. Sign
me up! :D
 
CFI A&P said:
Personally, I was very skeptical over switching to EFB's. However, I started using an iPad about three months ago. I'm not a 121/135 pilot, flying under 91 only. Still working out some bugs while making the transition.

As a flight instructor- I see every student pilot has one to go with their aviators.
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So I'm guessing iPads are allowed on checkrides where you're at? I hear that some DPE's are so old school, they prohibit students from using their iPads on checkrides while in other places its actively encouraged!! There should really be a nationwide rule on this to avoid confusion...
 
DeuceOfAces said:
So I'm guessing iPads are allowed on checkrides where you're at? I hear that some DPE's are so old school, they prohibit students from using their iPads on checkrides while in other places its actively encouraged!! There should really be a nationwide rule on this to avoid confusion...
Click to expand...

I have not had a student take a check ride with an EFB yet, except I did have one with a 696 but it was a VFR check ride so it was for airspace boundaries only. Although one of the DPEs in our FSDO (S Florida) has mentioned that he's seeing applicants arriving to a check ride with just an EFB and a headset. He didn't seem to complain about it, just one of those "back in my day..." discussions.
 
DeuceOfAces said:
So I'm guessing iPads are allowed on checkrides where you're at? I hear that some DPE's are so old school, they prohibit students from using their iPads on checkrides while in other places its actively encouraged!! There should really be a nationwide rule on this to avoid confusion...
Click to expand...

My private pilot DPE loved the iPad and spent half the flight talking about it. His method of creating a "realistic distraction" was showing me features of Foreflight on his iPhone :D All the stage check pilots I've had at UND have also encouraged it and the last couple spent the entire flight playing with theirs. I always carry current paper charts to stage checks though just in case.
 
speaking of ipads...anyone have any tips on buying one used?

I know i should look to inspect to see if it has any cracks, dents, dings, connect to wifi/ 3g to make sure that works, etc....anything else?
 
Buy it refurbished straight from Apple. You can get iPad 2's for under $400, depending on which one you get. It's practically brand new and includes a warranty.
 
RedBaron2000 said:
Buy it refurbished straight from Apple. You can get iPad 2's for under $400, depending on which one you get. It's practically brand new and includes a warranty.
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What RedBaron said. Apple also puts a new battery in. Buying used you have no way to verify what sort of condition the battery is in. We have been buying refurbished from Apple for years and have never had any problems.
 
thevideographer said:
It's interesting that people on here are using the iFly. I almost got one of those but then I compared it to an iPad, and saw that the iPad does everything the iFly does, and it's something I can use every day outside of flying, for about the same price. I use Foreflight for everything but I have been using paper approach plates just because I find them easier to find and read in a bumpy airplane. However it is nice to know that if my plates are expired or I'm flying into an airport that I don't have the plate for I can just use the iPad.
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I keep my iFly around for two reasons:

1) It's actually an aviation-grade GPS (and WAAS at that). I'm still somewhat leery of the iPad GPS units.
2) It's small enough that I can mount it on the windscreen to keep my eyes out the window, rather than constanly looking at the iPad in my lap.
 
thevideographer said:
It's interesting that people on here are using the iFly.
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The iFly is a good unit. I like it. If I had only been buying a unit for myself I probably would've went with a tablet, but at the time I was looking to add a nice GPS to leave in my plane for my renters use as well. The iPad is too big to effectively panel RAM or yoke mount in many planes.

Here's how I have mine setup, it's on a portable RAM mount and is removable in seconds, but looks like it was made to fit the panel.

ifly-mounted.jpg
 
I was going to ask how Android fares in this competition as I have a Sony Tablet S. Might try that. IPads are expensive man

Sent from my Sony Xperia arc S
 
Around the Chicagoland area, most DPE's are cool with the EFB as long as it's updated. I fly with one myself, and have paper charts for VFR and IFR in the backpack to be safe. When I fly with a student I'll let them start off with the iPad, and about 1/2 way thru some pilotage throw their TAC or SAC chart on top of it and say "your battery just died, and you forgot your charger. Good luck" . Usually it's 10 seconds before I simulate an emergency. :-) . I'm such a dick I know, but its what examiners will do too...
 
Bushmaster78FS said:
I was going to ask how Android fares in this competition as I have a Sony Tablet S. Might try that. IPads are expensive man
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I "want" to go with an Android device because I prefer flexibility and open software... but I'm finding that the Android tablet field is still just really weak on applications in general and especially for pilots. The Asus Transformer seems like a good option. I'm also really intrigued by the Xyboard, in the 8.2" format as I think that'd fit much better as a knee board... but it seems to be only available through Verizon contracts and I'd rather have that month-to-month flexibility so if I'm not using it much over winter I'm not paying for it. It's looking more and more like I'll end up with an iPad 2.

Those of you with iPad 2 in the cockpit, what sort of battery life do you get with general aviation use?

Do you have any knee board style holders that you really like?
 
iPads are actually very reasonably priced, especially if you go with an iPad 2 (not a "3", which really just gives you more resolution and LTE, both of which I can do without). A brand new iPad 2 starts at $399 (the exact model I have). I'm not sure if there's another decent tablet in the 9-10" range that can compete in that form factor - the Galaxy Tab is one of the better ones yet I believe it's a bit more expensive (at least it was last I checked). But yeah, if you want a 7" tablet, those can be had for cheaper I guess. There's a reason most others have all but given up trying to compete in the 9-10" range.
 
KHanson said:
Around the Chicagoland area, most DPE's are cool with the EFB as long as it's updated. I fly with one myself, and have paper charts for VFR and IFR in the backpack to be safe. When I fly with a student I'll let them start off with the iPad, and about 1/2 way thru some pilotage throw their TAC or SAC chart on top of it and say "your battery just died, and you forgot your charger. Good luck" . Usually it's 10 seconds before I simulate an emergency. :) . I'm such a dick I know, but its what examiners will do too...
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Yeah, you're a real jerk. I bet you make them practice simulated engine failures, partial panel, and GPS failures too huh? What a douchebag you must be!
 
I picked up my iPad used from Craigslist. I emailed back and forth a few times with the guy to haggle on price, and to get a feel for the guy to see if he was just trying to unload it or not. If the CL price is too low, it's probably a scam. I got an iPad 2 64 GB w/ Verizon for $500 cash. I emailed on a few that were in the $200 range but it was the standard "I just sold it, but check out this linked website and you can find ZOMGZ! deals..." scam. The guy was a Mac admin for a national firm and had upgraded to the new iPad. Good deal in my opinion.
 
rframe said:
I "want" to go with an Android device because I prefer flexibility and open software... but I'm finding that the Android tablet field is still just really weak on applications in general and especially for pilots. The Asus Transformer seems like a good option. I'm also really intrigued by the Xyboard, in the 8.2" format as I think that'd fit much better as a knee board... but it seems to be only available through Verizon contracts and I'd rather have that month-to-month flexibility so if I'm not using it much over winter I'm not paying for it. It's looking more and more like I'll end up with an iPad 2.

Those of you with iPad 2 in the cockpit, what sort of battery life do you get with general aviation use?

Do you have any knee board style holders that you really like?
Click to expand...

I heard from several people that the Asus Transformer does not have a good GPS, (always losing signal, hard to pick it up in a pressurized cockpit) I never had a problem though with the Xyboard.
 
What size of ipad do you have? I plan to put 7 gigs of my stuff on it. After that it will pretty much be foreflight.

Do i bite the bullet and get the 64? Or is that just overkill?
 
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