iPhone 6+ or iPad?

[manlymatt83]

As a student pilot, I'm just getting introduced to things like Fore Flight, etc. However, it's time for a phone upgrade for me, and I'm trying to decide what I'd like to do. I'm either thinking that I'll get the iPhone 6+ and use that for everything (flight "iPad" plus my regular phone), or perhaps just get the normal iPhone 6 and grab an iPad Air for flying. Any suggestions/ideas? I don't really have use for an iPad outside flying.

Any recommendations would be helpful!

 

[NJP_MAN]

I use a note3. For flying. I'm sure the 6+ would be sufficient for a student but most flight schools and academies require Ipads now so that might be a better option.

 

[Shawn]

The Iphone app is slightly different and does not have the full functionality and interface that the Ipad app has. Phone works great as a backup and flight planning but if you are gonna use Foreflight for inflight use, I would want an Ipad without question.

The 6+ is too big for day to day use in my opinion. I use the 6 and Ipad Mini...and typically only use the Ipad for flying as well and it was well worth the investment.

 

[Bonchie]

The 6+ is big enough to be useful in the plane. But my wife had one and returned it. The thing is just so big to use as a phone.

 

[James331]

IPad mini retina with cellular (for the GPS chip).

My girl has a 6+, I'm not a fan! It's a little small to use it for flying and it's too large to carry as a cell phone. If she doesn't have her purse on her she carries it by hand as it won't fit in her jeans, translates to I wedge it into one of my pockets.


But as a student pilot I wouldn't buy one yet, or even fly with one.

Same logic as sending your elementary school kid to math class with a calculator.

 

[Brad Z]

Ipad Mini with retina display, along with an iPhone 6 is the combo that's worked well for me. Full size ipad is too big in the cockpit, and the 6+ is too big to be a functional phone.

 

[oilburner]

Using an iPad on a kneeboard/clipboard with an iPhone 6+ in my shirt pocket; both running foreflight with the occasional text message. Hope my Bad Elf Pro will become useful again next month sometime.
This works great for me!

 

[rk911]

As a student pilot, I'm just getting introduced to things like Fore Flight, etc. However, it's time for a phone upgrade for me, and I'm trying to decide what I'd like to do. I'm either thinking that I'll get the iPhone 6+ and use that for everything (flight "iPad" plus my regular phone), or perhaps just get the normal iPhone 6 and grab an iPad Air for flying. Any suggestions/ideas? I don't really have use for an iPad outside flying.

Any recommendations would be helpful!

personally, I think the 6 and 6+ are too small and the iPad too large. I chose to use mama bear...the iPad mini. it fits fine on my kneeboard when I'm in the Skycatcher and on a yoke mount when I'm in the Skyhawk. if you do choose the iPad or iPad mini be sure to get one with the cellular chip. you'll need that for the GPS functionality in ForeFlight.

 

[gitmo234]

personally, I think the 6 and 6+ are too small and the iPad too large. I chose to use mama bear...the iPad mini. it fits fine on my kneeboard when I'm in the Skycatcher and on a yoke mount when I'm in the Skyhawk. if you do choose the iPad or iPad mini be sure to get one with the cellular chip. you'll need that for the GPS functionality in ForeFlight.

This sums it up. The regular size ipad is too big, the ipad mini is perfect sized and its what I use. I have a 6+ and there's no way I would use it to try to look up stuff in flight.

I have an ipad mini dedicated only to flying. It has foreflight, cloudahoy, and a few other aviation apps installed and that's it. It stays in my flight bag and gets occasional charges and updates.

Drop the extra coin and get one with cellular antenna (and therefore GPS) or get a bad elf. If I were you, Id get a window mount as well.

 

[FastEddieB]

The 6+ is big enough to be useful in the plane.

It certainly is.

Compare it to the 496 below it.

I have been using an iPad Mini in my Sky Arrow. Last couple of flights I've just used the 6+, and so far so good.

Still wishing Hilton Software would find a way for WingX7Pro to run in the iPad mode on the phone, though - the phone interface is klunky, IMHO.

 

[NJP_MAN]

^ Great illustration. I think do most of the flight planning on the recliner and then the iPhone works best in the plane.

 

[flyingron]

Foreflight will not run in the iPAD format on the 6+ even though it has more resolution than some of the iPads. Mostly this is an IOS thing. Foreflight has cleaned up some of the things in the iPhone version to make it nicer on the 6+ but it's still not the same thing.

 

[murphey]

Be aware the iPad and iPad Mini (and probably the iPhone but I dunno about that one) have polarized screens. Which means if you are wearing polarized sun glasses, you need to turn the device landscape. On the Mini, the result is a really small screen.

 

[FastEddieB]

Be aware the iPad and iPad Mini (and probably the iPhone but I dunno about that one) have polarized screens. Which means if you are wearing polarized sun glasses, you need to turn the device landscape. On the Mini, the result is a really small screen.

I have polarized flip-ups and never noticed that.

I'll check later with some polarizing lenses I have and report back.

 

[Xscaliber]

if you do choose the iPad or iPad mini be sure to get one with the cellular chip. you'll need that for the GPS functionality in ForeFlight.

I usually fly an airplane with a G1000 panel, but soon I'm also going to be flying a airplane with a very basic panel, and no GPS on board, I have a wifi only iPad mini, to use in the air with foreflight what is my best bet to buy, a Stratus ?

 

[netsurfr]

With my panel I find the 6+ running Garmin Pilot just perfect. I use the ipad to preflight at home but once on the plane I simply upload my flight plan to the 430W from the iphone & find the 6+ works very well...

 

[woodchucker]

This is one of those things that will end up being a personal decision for you later on when you have some experience using the tech. For me, I have access to an iPad without the cellular chip (provided by my employer), so I use that combined with a Bad Elf in the cockpit. I have an iPhone5 which I keep for backup, and of course calling ahead for weather or opening a flight plan. Foreflight does have limited functionality on the iPhone. For example, no access to documents and no synthetic vision. Something else to consider, someday after you get your ticket you will probably be traveling places by plane. Not only is the iPad handy in the cockpit, it is also nice to have at the hotel room or whatever. Watching movies or browsing the Internet or flight planning for your next leg. I don't have any experience with the mini. For me, I figure if I'm going to cart something around that doesn't fit in my pocket, I might as well go with the larger screen real estate.

For the purpose of learning how to fly, you really don't need Foreflight except for maybe if you are learning in a class Bravo area where you have to deal with a more complicated airspace (unless your cfi/flight school require it of course). All of your planning will most likely be done by hand using an E6B and paper chart.

 

[frfly172]

I like the IPad Air full size on a ram mount,for back up I have an I phone 6+ with fore flight as a back up. Of course I'm older with tired eyes.

 

[FastEddieB]

Be aware the iPad and iPad Mini (and probably the iPhone but I dunno about that one) have polarized screens. Which means if you are wearing polarized sun glasses, you need to turn the device landscape. On the Mini, the result is a really small screen.

Just checked with two different polarizing filters.

On my iPad Mini, there's at most a 10% dimming at some angles. Not enough to make it unusable - it would at most be barely noticeable.

On my 6+ I see no dimming at all.

 

[Stewartb]

I have a 6+ and a mini. There's no question I prefer the mini for flight apps. I like the phone but not for that.

 

[ettsn]

I use an iPhone 6+ and an iPad mini for foreflight. I like the iPhone on a yoke mount, and the iPad on either a suction mount or a kneeboard. With a Stratus, they both can also do synthetic vision, if I ever needed it (getting caught in IMC, etc).

Rumor has it, Apple is going to intro an iPad Plus in the Fall, which is rumored to have a 13" screen. Should be great for doing the planning stuff.

 

[PilotRPI]

I have an iPhone 6+ for work. It is like talking into a pizza box. I like my standard iPad for charts and moving map (I use iFly). The 6+ would make a really nice backup though.

 

[Henning]

The 6+ is a nice and sufficient display for SVT or moving map, however when using the other pages where you have to do more selecting and inputting, you are much better off with the iPad. I use Garmin Pilot since the interface is the same as the Garmin GTN series radios, and also is what works with the Garmin Bluetooth control for the GNS series radios. GP displays the SVT on the 6+, and that clipped to the brow of the panel makes a nice display system that doesn't block either the forward or panel view, and allows you to use the iPad for more interactive pages. If you are still young with good eyes, the 6 would offer a sufficient display size to go along with the iPad, but the 6+ to me at least is worth it for more reasons than just this. So basically, I have both in the cockpit. As a student you will likely prefer an iPad or mini unless you are really adroit inputting on the phone.

 

[Sac Arrow]

I have no issues with a full size Ipad, I just put it on my lap. Would I mount it on the panel if that were an option? Probably not, one of the constraints of the Ipad (and the Iphone for that matter) is heat. They need to be kept out of direct sunlight.

 

[RudyP]

Ipad Mini with retina display, along with an iPhone 6 is the combo that's worked well for me. Full size ipad is too big in the cockpit, and the 6+ is too big to be a functional phone.

Same here. Works well for me too.

My GF has a 6+ and a full size iPad Air 2 and I have foreflight loaded on her iPad as backup and just to compare. Nice having the bigger screen sometimes but I'm perfectly happy with my mini. I wish it were as fast as the latest Air though - that thing is quick.

 

[deeruck]

Be aware the iPad and iPad Mini (and probably the iPhone but I dunno about that one) have polarized screens. Which means if you are wearing polarized sun glasses, you need to turn the device landscape. On the Mini, the result is a really small screen.

I believe this has been rectified. I get that effect on the iPad 2, but on an iPad Air, I can view it in both directions with polarized sunglasses.

 

[Kiddo's Driver]

I have an iPad 2 (16g), but got tired of not having enough room to store movies and all of my flight stuff. My new iPad Air 2 WiFi (128 GB ) arrived yesterday. That should solve the storage space issue!

I have a giant open area on the copilot's side. (See the photo.) I ordered a Targus keyboard case. (See the screen grab.) My plan is to put velcro on the bottom of the case and in the big open spot on the copilot's side.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PIMXV1U?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

I don't have a space issue WRT having room for a full sized iPad so I went for the iPad Air 2 with lots of storage. I have an iPhone 5 as a back up. I put velcro on the case and some on the yoke, so it fits nicely there if needed.

Jim

 

[rocketflyer84]

I use the iPhone for checking weather and some flight planning. In the cockpit it's just the iPad as even the 6+ is, in my opinion, too small for the cockpit.

With ForeFlight you can have it installed on multiple devices and things like saves flight plans will sync across devices so it's great for say plotting out a flight in the iPhone then gabbing the iPad for flight and having that plan available via the sync.