iPad help

Let'sgoflying!

Let'sgoflying!

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Dave Taylor
someone gave me one, tell me where to start wrt aviation apps.
Is there a thread I could read?
Tks.
It does not say anywhere on it or the box what model it is. There is not even a manual. It has some fine print but no way to read it. 32gB I think it says.

has a (n inflight) weather option appeared since I asked a few months ago?
 
1. download iTunes from Apple website (mac or pc version, depends on your computer)
2. make sure you have the iPad/USB cable
3. plug iPad/USB cable into iPad then into computer
4. start up iTunes

Inside iTunes all the details of the iPad will be magically visible to you

Free aviation software to start with
1. Aeroweather (there's a paid version but start with this one)
2. if you're an AOPA member, the AOPA Airports app
3. 30 day free version of ForeFlight to see if you like it
 
Well. I have two apps available:
http://www.wnbpro.com
http://www.e6bpro.com

They do not have "native" iPad views (designed for teh iPhone) but they do work very well on the iPad (this will improve in future updates).

Since I'm "pimping" my own products here. I might as well keep going:

Lincoln Nebraska Flight School

------

As far as maps, charts, etc, you cannot go wrong with Foreflight.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
someone gave me one, tell me where to start wrt aviation apps.
Is there a thread I could read?
Tks.
It does not say anywhere on it or the box what model it is. There is not even a manual. It has some fine print but no way to read it. 32gB I think it says.

has a (n inflight) weather option appeared since I asked a few months ago?
Click to expand...

Hi Dave,

Go to the Settings app, then tap "General" on the left and then "About" on top on the right. If you post what it says for "Capacity," "Version," "Carrier," and "Model" we'll have a better idea of what you've got. :thumbsup:

In case you haven't noticed, nothing comes with a manual any more. ;) But you can find manuals here: http://support.apple.com/manuals/#ipad

For aviation, ForeFlight is still the top of the game for flight planning/EFB type use. Jesse's stuff is good (WnB Pro and E6B Pro) at what it does too.

For in-flight weather, the big problem is getting the data to the device, as getting cellular data in the air is extremely unreliable. Unfortunately, neither of the two options is a good one right now. The first is to get an ADS-B box from a company called SkyRadar. But, without ADS-B service, it doesn't do anything. It also costs $1,300 and only works with their app, which is not very good IMO. The other option was discussed here recently and involves a WxWorx box and a link from it to the iPad. Also, several hundred bucks and IIRC it's not shipping for the next few months. It will, however, work with ForeFlight at least.

But, ForeFlight works quite well as a flight-planning tool and EFB already, and gets the weather just fine on the ground. I have gotten weather in flight, but that was down low over rural Missouri where I was probably only within reach of a single tower. The only other time I've gotten reasonable cellular data service while airborne was over the northwoods on the way to 6Y9. Actually, since you live in the middle of nowhere, maybe it'll work OK in your area too. ;) This is, of course, assuming that you've got a 3G iPad, which we don't know yet.

Hope this helps, and feel free to pester me with any questions you have.
 
Hi, thanks.
Kent, would have responded this am but it was dead when I got up. Battery was almost full last night when I shut it down, not sure what is up there. No cover installed, screen was dark at bedtime.

anyway;

for "Capacity,"29.0GB "Version,"4.3.1 (8G4) "Carrier,"Verizon10.0 and "Model"MC763LL
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Hi, thanks.
Kent, would have responded this am but it was dead when I got up. Battery was almost full last night when I shut it down, not sure what is up there. No cover installed, screen was dark at bedtime.

anyway;

for "Capacity,"29.0GB "Version,"4.3.1 (8G4) "Carrier,"Verizon10.0 and "Model"MC763LL
Click to expand...

I am guessing you have weak Verizon signal at home. With the wireless data on, it's trying to keep a connection to the cell towers, and having to use max power to reach the cell towers. Cell phone behave just the same way.

To maximize my battery life, I put in airplane mode when I'm not using data, and turn it off at night or when going into my carry bag.
To power off, press and hold the power switch on top until a red swipe bar comes up saying "Swipe to shut down" (or something like that).

It only takes 15-20 seconds to start up. Small price to pay for not having it kill the battery sitting in my bag for two or three days.
 
PilotAlan said:
I am guessing you have weak Verizon signal at home. With the wireless data on, it's trying to keep a connection to the cell towers, and having to use max power to reach the cell towers.
Click to expand...

actually we have not signed up for a data plan at all just yet.
The 'Verizon' part of the detail I listed above means, I am told, that this ipad is hardwired only for Verizon and cannot use any other carrier.
But that might not change your point, just want to make sure I did not mislead.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
actually we have not signed up for a data plan at all just yet.
The 'Verizon' part of the detail I listed above means, I am told, that this ipad is hardwired only for Verizon and cannot use any other carrier.
But that might not change your point, just want to make sure I did not mislead.
Click to expand...

OK. Make absolutely sure the cellular data switch in "settings" is turned off, otherwise you're burning power for no reason.
WiFi is the same, if it's just sitting there, you're burning battery for no reason (it keeps trying to talk to the cell network, even though you have no data plan, just like a cell phone).

If it's plugged in, you can leave WiFi (and the entire device) on, but unplugged it's best to turn it off. In fact, if you plug it in, it turns itself on. You have to turn it off when you take it off the charger.
If it's in airplane mode, it uses very little juice. That's fine if you are using it and carrying it for the day. But if you forget to turn it off and forget to put it on the charger, you'll come back to a dead battery (just like a cell phone).

I'm not trying to make this more complex than it is. If you use it daily, and get in the habit of putting it on the charger at night, then no problems (just like a cell phone).
I carry mine with me all the time, and have found is there are days I use it heavily, and days I don't use it at all. So getting into the habit of turning it off means I'll never turn it on and get surprised by a dead battery.

You are correct, there are ATT iPads and Verizon iPads. They don't cross over, it's one or the other.
 
Last edited:
Let'sgoflying! said:
Kent, would have responded this am but it was dead when I got up. Battery was almost full last night when I shut it down, not sure what is up there. No cover installed, screen was dark at bedtime.

for "Capacity,"29.0GB "Version,"4.3.1 (8G4) "Carrier,"Verizon10.0 and "Model"MC763LL
Click to expand...

Wow... That's extremely unusual. Standby time on the iPad should be on the order of several weeks, not several hours. I think Alan might be on to something with the cellular data if you're in a weak-signal area, but that's still surprisingly short battery life - It may also be that since the iPad is new, it's not fully calibrated to its battery and may have been showing a high percentage when it wasn't really fully charged. A full charge from the wall-wart USB charger that comes with it should take around 4 hours. Plug it in for 5-6 to be sure it's really charged. (Just plugging into the USB port on many computers, it'll take 8-10 hours or even more, since many of them don't supply enough power.)

Other things you can check that will save power - All of these are in the Settings app:

1) Turn off cellular data if you're not using it. Tap "Cellular Data" on the left and flip the 'switch' to Off.

2) Turn off Bluetooth if you're not using it. "General" on the left, then "Bluetooth on the right, and turn the switch off.

3) Don't have it repeatedly check your e-mail. "Mail, Contacts, Calendars" on the left, and change it to "Manually". That way, e-mail will be checked only when you open the Mail program. If your e-mail provider supports push notification, you can turn that on and it'll alert you instantly when you have e-mail rather than having to wait for the next check anyway.

4) Screen brightness makes a huge difference - The difference between max brightness and half brightness isn't very big in terms of readability, but it makes a huge difference in battery life. I leave mine at half. Tap "Brightness & Wallpaper" on the left, leave the slider at halfway with auto-brightness on. This is the default, so chances are it's already this way.

5) I would say "turn Wi-Fi off if you're not using it" but presumably you are. However, do tap "Wi-Fi" on the left and make sure that "Ask to Join Networks" is off, that's another huge power drain as it's constantly looking for WiFi networks. If you set it up for your home, work, and any other often-used WiFi networks, it'll find them even with this setting off and automatically switch between them.

Anyway - It sounds like you have the Verizon 32 gig iPad 2 with 3G. That means you'll have GPS moving map functionality in ForeFlight, along with location services in many other apps.
 
iASCIIart -

You are wrong about SkyRadar ADS-B only working with its own software. WingX offers automatic connection to SkyRadar's ADS-B receiver. Rumors are that Foreflight will also offer the option in a future version. And you're wrong about the price of the receiver...right now it's $895. That's less than two years of XM weather subscription service. And as we all know, ADS-B weather is free. ADS-B is accessible over most of the US already.

The SkyRadar software that comes with the receiver is not designed to be a full-featured package like Foreflight or WingX...it is intended to display ADS-B In services and does that well. The interface is odd but the software does what it says it will do.

The WiFi jank for Foreflight and XM is available now and costs around $200, I think. Then you have to have an XM WxWorx receiver which I think costs around $600 new (way cheaper on e-Bay). Then you have a $100+ annual fee to XM and a $35+ fee per month for a very basic weather service. What a ripoff! With WingX and a SkyRadar receiver you're ready to go now with free weather. If Foreflight comes through with a SkyRadar receiver-friendly version, it will be a no-brainer!
 
tillery said:
iASCIIart -

You are wrong about SkyRadar ADS-B only working with its own software. WingX offers automatic connection to SkyRadar's ADS-B receiver. Rumors are that Foreflight will also offer the option in a future version. And you're wrong about the price of the receiver...right now it's $895. That's less than two years of XM weather subscription service. And as we all know, ADS-B weather is free. ADS-B is accessible over most of the US already.

The SkyRadar software that comes with the receiver is not designed to be a full-featured package like Foreflight or WingX...it is intended to display ADS-B In services and does that well. The interface is odd but the software does what it says it will do.

The WiFi jank for Foreflight and XM is available now and costs around $200, I think. Then you have to have an XM WxWorx receiver which I think costs around $600 new (way cheaper on e-Bay). Then you have a $100+ annual fee to XM and a $35+ fee per month for a very basic weather service. What a ripoff! With WingX and a SkyRadar receiver you're ready to go now with free weather. If Foreflight comes through with a SkyRadar receiver-friendly version, it will be a no-brainer!
Click to expand...

I haven't been able to find accurate (updated) maps of ADS-B wx coverage. Where do you see that it currently covers most of the US?
 
tillery said:
You are wrong about SkyRadar ADS-B only working with its own software. WingX offers automatic connection to SkyRadar's ADS-B receiver. Rumors are that Foreflight will also offer the option in a future version. And you're wrong about the price of the receiver...right now it's $895. That's less than two years of XM weather subscription service. And as we all know, ADS-B weather is free. ADS-B is accessible over most of the US already.
Click to expand...

Garland,

Thanks for coming on board! I'm glad to hear we're closer to an ADS-B solution on the iPad.

The $895 price for SkyRadar was a Sun 'n' Fun deal, though their site is now showing $950, which is an improvement. (Though I just found a "coupon code" elsewhere on their site offering the additional $55 off to the first 100 buyers...)

Unfortunately, ADS-B coverage isn't available everywhere yet. I just looked at the coverage map, though, and it is available in my area now (finally! Wasn't last time I checked a few months ago) and I was VERY surprised to find that there's ADS-B service in Dave's area since he's in the middle of damn nowhere, west Texas. But sho'nuff, it's there - Surprising, since the D/FW area does NOT have it yet, nor does most of the rest of TX!

The WiFi jank for Foreflight and XM is available now and costs around $200, I think. Then you have to have an XM WxWorx receiver which I think costs around $600 new (way cheaper on e-Bay). Then you have a $100+ annual fee to XM and a $35+ fee per month for a very basic weather service. What a ripoff! With WingX and a SkyRadar receiver you're ready to go now with free weather. If Foreflight comes through with a SkyRadar receiver-friendly version, it will be a no-brainer!
Click to expand...

Yup... But there's a HUGE gap in the middle of the country, and a majority of my long trips go there. Dave's kind of near the edge of current coverage too. Once this stuff is up and running in more places, and ForeFlight supports it, I'll be all over it. But, it's just not quite "there" yet... And I'm generally an early adopter. But I only "adopt" stuff that's gonna work right now.
 
FlyNE said:
I haven't been able to find accurate (updated) maps of ADS-B wx coverage. Where do you see that it currently covers most of the US?
Click to expand...

Jason,

Check here: http://www.faa.gov/nextgen/flashmap/

Believe it or not, you're covered out there in eastern Nebraska - But not all of NE.

So far, it appears that the following Centers are covered in the lower 48: Boston, New York, Washington, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Miami, Cleveland, Chicago, Minneapolis, Albuquerque, Oakland, and Seattle.

Still no official coverage in these centers: Indianapolis, Memphis, Kansas City, Fort Worth, Houston (except in the gulf), Denver, Salt Lake City, and Los Angeles. There are operational antennas in some of those centers, and based on the antenna map it won't be long before Los Angeles Center and Indianapolis Center are switched on.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Jason,

Check here: http://www.faa.gov/nextgen/flashmap/

Believe it or not, you're covered out there in eastern Nebraska - But not all of NE.

So far, it appears that the following Centers are covered in the lower 48: Boston, New York, Washington, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Miami, Cleveland, Chicago, Minneapolis, Albuquerque, Oakland, and Seattle.

Still no official coverage in these centers: Indianapolis, Memphis, Kansas City, Fort Worth, Houston (except in the gulf), Denver, Salt Lake City, and Los Angeles. There are operational antennas in some of those centers, and based on the antenna map it won't be long before Los Angeles Center and Indianapolis Center are switched on.
Click to expand...

I hadn't seen that one yet, but it still says it hasn't been updated since last August...unless that's just the page and the flash map has been updated since. Also, I've read that the ADS-B wx isn't necessarily the same as ADS-B coverage. I've just never been sure what equates to what.
 
FlyNE said:
I hadn't seen that one yet, but it still says it hasn't been updated since last August...unless that's just the page and the flash map has been updated since. Also, I've read that the ADS-B wx isn't necessarily the same as ADS-B coverage. I've just never been sure what equates to what.
Click to expand...

I noticed the old date on the first map that comes up, but the radio antenna page lists a date in the last couple of days.

I have also seen FDC NOTAMs talking about ADS-B being available, but it doesn't seem to really tell you much. I'm not gonna drop a grand on an experiment...
 
Hello Kent. You're right...much of the country doesnt appear to have service yet according to the Flash map on FAA's site. But there are lots of dots for transmitter sites and, if I'm not mistaken, the service volume for each transmitter is about 300 miles diameter, so it could be that more of the country is covered than it appears. Since I'm on the East coast, I have coverage pretty much all over. Everybody else will soon, too!
So far, I have been happy with my iPad/SkyRadar setup. The only drawback I have found other than no access via Foreflight is that reception of weather on the tarmac at Norfolk is spotty. Apparently the signal is only guaranteed to be available at altitudes greater than 1000 feet.
I used to suggest iPads to just about every pilot I met and now they are everywhere! I haven't demo'd the SkyRadar setup much yet, but the two folks I did show it to were so impressed that they bought receivers, too. I wasn't First on the Block for long!
 
Here's the address of the most recent ADS-B coverage map.
http://www.faa.gov/nextgen/flashMap/index.cfm

The map is in Flash, so we iPad users can't see it, though! Hopefully the FAA will one day figure out that a large percentage of us have iPads and that maybe they should let us pilots see their information, too!

Garland Tillery
 
tillery said:
The only drawback I have found other than no access via Foreflight is that reception of weather on the tarmac at Norfolk is spotty. Apparently the signal is only guaranteed to be available at altitudes greater than 1000 feet.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but if you're on the ground, you can get the weather in ForeFlight through the internet instead. :)
 
Do you first have to buy Foreflight HD, and then Pro?
Or does Pro have everything that HD has, plus georefing?
It says Pro includes everything in the 'base plan' but does not ever reference 'base plan' again. Presumably the 'b.p.' is "HD"?
Oh, and can I buy FF and survive just fine without a data plan?
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Do you first have to buy Foreflight HD, and then Pro?
Or does Pro have everything that HD has, plus georefing?
It says Pro includes everything in the 'base plan' but does not ever reference 'base plan' again. Presumably the 'b.p.' is "HD"?
Oh, and can I buy FF and survive just fine without a data plan?
Click to expand...

Pro has everything in HD plus georef. Two plans. $75/yr for everything except georef. $150/yr for pro (which just adds georef).

Yes. You can survive without the data plan. The only thing you would lose is the ability to grab weather and file your flight plans on the go (without a wifi hotspot). You can also activate and deactivate the data plan on a whim. No contract required and it's not necessary that it always be active.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Do you first have to buy Foreflight HD, and then Pro?
Click to expand...

Dave,

The app itself is "ForeFlight Mobile HD" and can be found here (iTunes link): http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/foreflight-mobile-hd-aviation/id333252638?mt=8

It sounds like you're wondering about the ForeFlight subscription, instead. In that case, no you don't buy both - You buy one or the other. If you buy the normal plan and later decide to upgrade to Pro, they will pro-rate the upgrade too.

Or does Pro have everything that HD has, plus georefing?
Click to expand...

Yes - The $75/yr plan has everything except georef, the Pro plan has everything including georef. And when I say "georef" I mean "The ability to see a little blue airplane on approach plates and airport diagrams." You do NOT need the Pro plan to see your location on sectionals and enroute charts.

It says Pro includes everything in the 'base plan' but does not ever reference 'base plan' again. Presumably the 'b.p.' is "HD"?
Click to expand...

I guess so. I didn't know that they called it "HD" either - Mine is called "1 year plan, loyal customer!" from when I upgraded from ForeFlight 2.x to 3.0.

Oh, and can I buy FF and survive just fine without a data plan?
Click to expand...

Depends what you mean by "data plan." If you mean an AT&T/Verizon data plan, yes you'll do just fine without those. The limitation is that you won't have Internet connectivity unless you have a WiFi network available, meaning that if you land at Podunk Muni and they haven't set up a WiFi network, you won't be able to get the weather on your iPad.

If you mean the ForeFlight subscription, you do want to purchase that - Otherwise, you won't be able to download the charts and other information to your device and you'll need an active Internet connection to see charts and such, which would make it completely useless in flight. Besides, $75/year is less than it costs to keep just a local area sectional, enroute, A/FD, and approach plates up to date for a year.

Hope this all makes sense!
 
BTW Dave, did you get the battery issue figured out? You should get 10 hours of actual use (as in, the screen is on!) out of the iPad if it's starting at 100 percent.
 
Great Kent
the battery seems fine, haven't charged it in a few days and its holding with occasional use
I haven't had time to change the settings so not sure what happened.
 
Hey is there a way to divide the desktop so that 'her' apps on are on her side, and mine are handy?
Cant seem to move any app icons around at all in fact.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Hey is there a way to divide the desktop so that 'her' apps on are on her side, and mine are handy?
Cant seem to move any app icons around at all in fact.
Click to expand...

Hold down on one of the icons until they start wiggling. Then you can drag it to the edge of the screen and move it to a different "page". When you're done arranging simply hit the home button to stop the wiggling. Swipe the screen to move between pages.
 
how about moving icons about the page. On my windows laptop I can unlock the icons and move 'em anywhere I want. These always seem to populate only from the top down.
 
Keeps nagging me 2 ctc Verizon abt buying a data plan - where is shutoff switch 4 that?
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Any way 2 print from an iPad? How abt wirelessly?
Click to expand...

The official way is described here, it requires a special printer from HP with the "AirPrint" system.

http://www.apple.com/ipad/features/airprint.html

Very few HP printers are supported.

If you have a PC or a Mac on your local wireless network there are some hacks that can make a printer that's already hooked up to a desktop computer look like an AirPrint printer to your iOS devices.

(iOS is the operating system running on iPad, iPhone, AppleTV, etc.)

I've had somewhat mixed results with those hacks, but can print at home from the iPad about 95% of the time. They're not officially supported by Apple, so if they break, you get to keep both pieces, but they're also usually free or cheap.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Hmmmm
Click to expand...

Dave,

That app only allows printing of web pages, contacts, and images - You won't be able to use it to print approach plates, for example... Or anything but those three things I just mentioned.

ForeFlight recommended Printopia to us for beta testing the printing features, but it appears that it's a Mac-only app, and as I recall your computers are Windows PC's. Right?

If you can tell us the model of printer you have, and what version of Windows you have, hopefully somebody can help.
 
What about carrying cases/covers/kneeboards.
A multipurpose one would be nice.
Thanks
oh - and an antiglare/protective cover
tks agn.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
What about carrying cases/covers/kneeboards.
Click to expand...

There are so many options I don't know where to begin. If you can dream it, it probably exists. Be aware that many of them make the iPad significantly bulkier in the course of "protecting" it. For example, the OtterBox Defender.

Personally, I use the "iPad 1" case from Apple. I didn't have any for quite a while, ended up getting the Apple one as it makes a nice "handle" to hold onto with my left hand while tapping away with my right hand.

I also have a RAM mount for the iPad in the airplane.

Anyway - There's a ton of cases available for the iPad - There one that's stretchy rubber that you tuck your hand inside, there's one that's like a little aluminum easel, there's the neato wooden cover that Grant linked to a few weeks ago, there's just about anything you could want.

So, if you could have the ideal case/cover/whatever, what would it look like?

oh - and an antiglare/protective cover
Click to expand...

I would suggest that you avoid these - The screen is incredibly durable and doesn't need a cover. There are antiglare covers for the screen, but they work by increasing texture, which increases friction with your fingers, and I've found that they make the feel of the screen really bad.

If you do decide that you want an antiglare/protective cover for the screen, I highly recommend you try before you buy.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
What about carrying cases/covers/kneeboards.
A multipurpose one would be nice.
Thanks
oh - and an antiglare/protective cover
tks agn.
Click to expand...

I have an anti-glare screen cover, and strongly recommend it for cockpit use. It easily improves in cockpit readability a few hundred percent.

I am out of town and don't have the info the specific one it got, but search on Amazon.
 
I just got my I-Pad and can't download I tunes. Thought Apple was supposed to be the greatest and can't even get started <g>
Page says there's some technical err and to come back in a few hours; it's said that since about 3 today when I began trying to download.

Best,

Dave
 
Dave Siciliano said:
I just got my I-Pad and can't download I tunes. Thought Apple was supposed to be the greatest and can't even get started <g>
Page says there's some technical err and to come back in a few hours; it's said that since about 3 today when I began trying to download.
Click to expand...

Dave,

I assume you mean download iTunes on your Windows PC, correct? ;)

Sure looks like it's down... That administrator is gonna have about 300 million emails! :eek:
 
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