Foreflight renewal approaching, iPad out of support - Is it time to go Android?

[Stewartb]

Two planes, two mini 6s, both have USB outlets and power cords available if needed. I’ve never had an overheat shutdown in my airplanes. I appreciate the GP functions and appearances are similar to the G3X. I use the Mini for nav to free up the G3X for better things. It’s amazing what iPads and apps can do. I can’t think of anything to be unhappy about. Well, I wish the G3X was as easy to update!

 

[Steamflyer]

For my use case, albeit a hugh wing aircraft with the iPad nonetheless near the windshield and often in the sun, a ventilated powered clip in case solved the overheating.

A bubble airplane at 100 F is going to be a challenge regardless.

 

[Dana]

As a pilot, I am not designed to deal with the hest of a bubble canopy in the desert either.

As a pilot, I am not designed to deal with the cold of an open cockpit in today's single digit temperatures, either. It's sure nice in the summertime, though!

Dana,
who will unbuckle the harness as soon as I regain feeling in my fingers...

 

[midlifeflyer]

I still contend that it is a Ford Chevy argument. I too have an EE, real-time software development background although in a much different time on much less stable and lower level operating systems. I’ve been retired going on 9 years. I’ve never developed any software on either platform. If I were doing that I might prefer the Android over the Apple. As a user, however I prefer an Apple. For end users I see it as Ford Chevy.

I guess we agree.

 

[Steamflyer]

Heck with desert heat - have now learned that an iPad will also cease charging below about -15F. Need a heated case.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

Today, there are SDKs like Xamarin that allow you to develop cross-platform apps.

Which other cross-platform SDKs exist?
Xamarin isn't supported anymore.

.NET MAUI Mobile App Development with Visual Studio | Visual Studio

Xamarin is no longer supported by Microsoft as of May 1, 2024. Learn how to migrate your Xamarin apps to .NET MAUI, the evolution of Xamarin.Forms, which lets you build native apps for Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows with a single codebase.

visualstudio.microsoft.com

They seem to be pushing people to .Net MAUI and C#

.NET Multi-platform App UI (.NET MAUI) | .NET

.NET MAUI is a framework used to build native, cross-platform desktop and mobile apps from a single C# codebase for Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows.

dotnet.microsoft.com

I didn't know C# was still a thing!

 

[Pinecone]

I always go with just the wifi; I'm not paying for another data plan; I'll hotspot off my cellphone when I need to.

You don't need to pay for a data plan if you don't want to. But the WiFi only iPads do not have the built in GPS, only the cellular versions do.

I bought my iPad Mini 6 without a data plan. But later added it, as it was just easier than dealing with hotspoting.

 

[Clip4]

As a pilot, I am not designed to deal with the cold of an open cockpit in today's single digit temperatures, either. It's sure nice in the summertime, though!

Dana,
who will unbuckle the harness as soon as I regain feeling in my fingers...

Who the hell is flying in an open cockpit in single digit temps. Hell, I don’t being on the ramp in single digit stuff.

 

[Dana]

Who the hell is flying in an open cockpit in single digit temps. Hell, I don’t being on the ramp in single digit stuff.

Some people do, but I am not one of them. My lower limit is 40°F, and that's a short flight when I'm desperate for my fix.

 

[midlifeflyer]

You don't need to pay for a data plan if you don't want to. But the WiFi only iPads do not have the built in GPS, only the cellular versions do.

I bought my iPad Mini 6 without a data plan. But later added it, as it was just easier than dealing with hotspoting.

That was never an issue for me. On the GPS end, I made a decision with the iPad Gen 1 that the extra $100 was better spent on an external puck than cellular and, at least for me, I've been happy with that choice.

On the data side, even in the "early days" using my phone as a hotspot when WiFi wasn't available (or I didn't want to use it) was a one button tap and I probably haven't done that more than a handful of times in the past decade. The only time its had relevance to aviation was in commercial airline terminals with bad WiFi option..

 

[Dana]

On the data side, even in the "early days" using my phone as a hotspot when WiFi wasn't available (or I didn't want to use it) was a one button tap and I probably haven't done that more than a handful of times in the past decade. The only time its had relevance to aviation was in commercial airline terminals with bad WiFi option.

I still use the phone hotspot all the time, especially in places like airline terminals. Public wifi in those kinds of places is notoriously unsecure. And to get weather data at small airports with no internet access.

 

[midlifeflyer]

I still use the phone hotspot all the time, especially in places like airline terminals. Public wifi in those kinds of places is notoriously unsecure. And to get weather data at small airports with no internet access.

Yes, that’s one of the “bad” categories.

The last time I was at a small airport without internet access was 2006

 

[hoche]

I'm mostly an Android guy, but I bought an iPad mini a few years ago specifically for aviation stuff. I tried FltPlanGo and Avare and GarminPilot and didn't like any of them. (I didn't know about iFlyEFB at the time.) Everyone else at the flight school I'm affiliated with was using ForeFlight so I just went ahead and got an iPad (and a Sentry). So, yes, peer pressure was involved, but it's been pretty pretty solid.

I've had both Android tablets and iPads overheat, generally in direct sunlight. You can delay it somewhat if you make sure they're not charging at the same time. I now use a mount that has a set of fans built in, and that's worked even in the summer.

And yes, the GPS is generally incorporated into the cell module. All the Apple ones are like that, all the Samsung ones are like that, and all the offbrand Android ones I've worked with have been like that.

 

[Dana]

The last time I was at a small airport without internet access was 2006

I'm more likely to be found at airports with grass runways and no FBO.