Ipads

What Ipad in the cockpit?

  • Ipad Mini

    Votes: 25 56.8%

  • Ipad Pro

    Votes: 11 25.0%

  • Ipad

    Votes: 8 18.2%
  • Total voters
    44
J

Jon Scofield

Filing Flight Plan
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Apr 6, 2019
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Jon Scofield
Suggestions on what iPad I should buy. I'm a PPL ready to start on instrument. Flying a Cessna...Not really wanting to spend the crazy amount for the Pro. Ipad mini? Ipad air? Anything would help.. Thanks! I would run foreflight on the Ipad and not much else..
 
Or Android, can't run Foreflight but lots of other options...
 
Most pilots prefer the Mini because of its size. Easier to find a place to mount it in a good, usable location, particularly for IFR flight.

Others are happy with a larger size. The under 10" form factor can fit well enough and some folks like it on their lap where the size matters less.

Personally, if I were making the choice now, I'd recruit a friend to let me try theirs. The choice involves a lot of personal preference and varies from pilot to pilot and even cockpit to cockpit.
 
As midlifeflyer says, itis varies from pilot to pilot and cockpit to cockpit.
I like the Ipad Air. There is room on my lap in the Bo, and I can read the charts (and particularly the approach plates) better. If I zoom in enough on the mini to be able to read it, then I have to slide the chart back and forth and up and down to be able to find what I need.

My wife (an instrument rated pilot) likes the mini, but she also makes sure she has paper approach plates, which she prefers to use.

If your eyes are better than mine (most people's are), and if you have room in your cockpit, then the mini is probably the way to go.
 
I use the Biggest IPad I can find and keep it clean of any other Apps beyond the standard issue to keep the potential life and death Aviation apps somewhat isolated. This is a holdover from my career in automation where HMI and other mission critical software was isolated from the outside world and kept free from nonessential apps.

My Son in Law who is much younger with younger eyes, strongly prefers a mini. He does a considerable amount of business flying in his Baron with enough panel that his pad is not at all essential anyway.

For me, the pad is pretty necessary in my Cessna and although I have enough panel in the Mooney that I could get by without a pad I still never leave home without it.

If you have good vision, the mini would probably work well for you. In fact back in 2011, for the first six months or a year that I used Foreflight, all I had was an iPhone 5, or maybe even a four and got along with it pretty well.

Doug makes a good point about buying a cellular version for the GPS receiver. I have always had that and never had any trouble acquiring satellites. I now have GPS received from the ADS-B IN from the transponders in both planes, but knowing that I have a redundant receiver in the IPad and IPhone is peace of mind.
 
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MBDiagMan said:
My Son in Law who is much younger with younger eyes, strongly prefers a mini. He does a considerable amount of business flying in his Baron with enough panel that his pad is not at all essential anyway.
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A lot of folks make the old guy/bad eyes excuse about the Mini. I'm 67, my far vision is decent although I need glasses to fly, but my near vision sucks. I can't read my watch without glasses. This was exactly my reason for avoiding the Mini originally.

Then I decided to borrow one from a friend to try it in flight. Bought one a day or two later. If the Mini went away, I'd have no problem going back to a 10-" but I still prefer the Mini (so far). I can't imagine using a 13" Pro in the cockpit, but then again, I haven't tried it.

That's why I say the decision so personal preference based.

BTW, mine is also "not clean of other apps." It's loaded! It's my daily use tablet and has replaced my laptop entirely for travel (unless it's business-related).
 
I’ve got an iPhone XS Max and used it with Garmin Pilot on my last XC flight and with its 6.5 inch screen it worked great. Granted, my eyes are still young so it might not be a viable option for all demographics.
 
I have both the Mini4 and 10.5" IPad Pro. Both work well for me. Currently use the Pro on the yoke more than the mini.
 
I also have presbyopia. I use a pair of photochromic occupational bifocals with the near segments set high (the top of my instrument panel). This works great for me, and I can see the fine print easily on my iPad mini (as well as my GPS display, electronic engine instruments, etc.).
 
I use the 12.9 Pro. It sits on my lap like my old lap board and paper Jep charts. I got used to looking down with my eyes years ago. Big size is very stable on the lap even in the worst of turbulence.
Not always the best choice. Will not work with a stick and some planes the yoke can get in the way. I'm a CFI so I hop in a lot of different planes.
I do like the big screen for my older eyes. I have a Stratus 3 and seeing traffic is easy.
I'll likely get a 2nd ipad for backup and it will be smaller and a yoke mount.
 
simtech said:
I use the ipad 9.7" in my Cherokee on the yoke. Works fine for me.
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You got a pic and any recommendations on the mount? I bought a mount that’s sitting on my hangar since it’s too bulky to get on the Cherokee yoke
 
Does the new Mini work with the last generation mounts? Last I heard before the release of the 5 is that it’s supposed to, but haven’t heard any field reports yet.
 
Doug Reid said:
I run a 9.7 inch ipad. When I run split screen, the extra size helps. If you are a youngster and have really good near vision, you might like the mini. The mini is easier to mount on the yoke in most aircraft. Be sure to purchase an ipad with cellular capability if you want an internal gps. I use a wifi only model and obtain waas gps fro Stratux, but if Stratux fails, I have to plug in my Bad Elf...I regret not buying the cellular version. BTW, you do not need to activate cellular service to use the gps.

New ipads are expensive. Check out refurbished units from Apple...cheaper and still have same warranty, one year, as a new one. Amazon has sellers with new old stock sometimes which is a bargain.
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I agree.
I use a 9.7 in my lap. But I find the larger screen easier to read with my older eyes.
I usually recommend my students get a mini. It easy to mount on a yoke mount, cheaper, and they usually have younger eyes than mine. I actually us a 7” tablet in my glider were space is limited.

9.7” mount ok on the yoke. Bigger ones I find problematic.
Also +1 about getting the cellar option. Used tablets are a good option also.

Brian
CFIIG/ASEL
 
WannFly said:
You got a pic and any recommendations on the mount? I bought a mount that’s sitting on my hangar since it’s too bulky to get on the Cherokee yoke
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I'll snap a pic for you tomorrow.
 
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WannFly said:
You got a pic and any recommendations on the mount? I bought a mount that’s sitting on my hangar since it’s too bulky to get on the Cherokee yoke
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This might help, although it's only a partial. It's my old iPad 2 (9.7) in a Mooney some years ago. Standard RAM yoke mount; Tab-Tite cradle. I've used it in Cessnas, Bonanzas, and Cherokees too. There's more room in a Cherokee than in the Mooney.

MooneyIpad.PNG
 
AB90D8F6-8880-47D2-85B7-C3A36E472FA8.jpeg Here is one in a Skyhawk with the Air 2 in landscape mode. I have been flying with the full size because I also use them as a personal laptop replacement. Combined with a keyboard case I hardly use a a PC anymore unless it is for work. The full size Air 2 is just a bit too big for the yoke. I tried the kneeboard but I don’t like looking down at plates and charts.

I am going to pick up a new iPad mini (Version 5) in the next few days. I am going to give it a try with these old eyes and see how it goes.
 
I picked up a little-used Mini 2 on eBay for under $90. Replacing one I misplaced. I had treated myself to a $700 iPad Pro for Christmas then promptly busted it. I bought a very nice Samsung tablet to replace that for under $300 only to find that FlyQ does not run on Android. I thought it did?? Hence the replacement Mini 2 and Avare on the Samsung.
 
I use the I Pad air with a ram mount on the windscreen, bigger is better.
 
alfadog said:
I picked up a little-used Mini 2 on eBay for under $90. Replacing one I misplaced. I had treated myself to a $700 iPad Pro for Christmas then promptly busted it. I bought a very nice Samsung tablet to replace that for under $300 only to find that FlyQ does not run on Android. I thought it did?? Hence the replacement Mini 2 and Avare on the Samsung.
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Never did. The free FlyQ Pocket (weather, charts, some flight planning) works on both. The only fairly well-known full EFB apps to work on both are Garmin Pilot and iFly GPS
 
flyer770 said:
Does the new Mini work with the last generation mounts? Last I heard before the release of the 5 is that it’s supposed to, but haven’t heard any field reports yet.
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Might depend on the mount. Mine, yes, but it's designed to fit a lot of tablets. Others, I don't know. There are some form-fitting ones which, in the past, only fit a single generation of a single size.
 
Mini will give you what you need but the larger you can get, the better.
IMG_6192.JPG
 
WannFly said:
You got a pic and any recommendations on the mount? I bought a mount that’s sitting on my hangar since it’s too bulky to get on the Cherokee yoke
Click to expand...
Here you go. It blocks some some engine gauges but I can still easily see them with a slight move of my head. Nothing that bothers me personally.20190505_175125.jpg 20190505_173042.jpg 20190505_173050.jpg
 
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