iPad as an Electronic Flight Bag - My Recommendations
Last updated November 10, 2014
Minimum specifications:
iPad 2, Cellular model, 32 GB, Black bezel or:
iPad Mini, Cellular model, 32 GB, Black bezel.
Anti-Glare Screen Protector.
Leg Strap
EFB app such as Foreflight, Garmin Pilot, etc.
Preferred specifications:
iPad Air Second Generation (iPad Air 2), Cellular model with AppleSIM set to T-Mobile, 64 GB, Black bezel or:
iPad Air, Cellular model with T-Mobile SIM card, 64 GB, Black bezel or:
iPad Mini w/Retina Display, Cellular model with T-Mobile SIM card, 64 GB, Black bezel.
Anti-Glare Screen Protector, Green Onion Supply Anti-Glare or NuShield DayVue Anti-reflective
Preferred EFB app: Foreflight Mobile Pro.
Leg Strap, MyClip for iPad or MyClip Mini for iPad Mini
ADS-B receiver: Appareo Stratus 2 has ADS-B, GPS, AHRS, dual frequency traffic receiver built-in.
12 to 24 volt DC Cigar Lighter (Power Outlet) adapter w/2.4 amp rating. This is the MyGoFlight DualMicro charger ($30 + shipping) http://www.mygoflight.com/dualmicro/
Why?
Is this a legal substitute for paper charts? For FAR 91 operations, this is already FAA Approved. No further approval is needed. Get the equipment and apps described here, and you are good to go! If you are operating under a FAR 135 or other Air Carrier Operating Certificate, you need to get a specific FAA Approval. Since this discussion is about FAR 91 operations, this document will not address Air Carrier operations.
Why get one with the Cellular option? Because it will have a built-in GPS. My experience with the iPad GPS is that it works in just about any cockpit. These EFB apps work best with a GPS input.
What
happens it I don't have the built-in GPS that comes with the Cellular
equipped iPad? Do you
want the ability to show your current position on the charts? Do you want
the charts to stay centered on your position? Do you want the charts to
auto-rotate to keep your ground track up? If any of these questions is yes,
you will want the GPS feature. This will require a external GPS, these
connect to the iPad by Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, depending on the brand of GPS.
The built-in GPS that
comes in the cellular models of the iPad adds about $100 to the cost of the
iPad, and this is about what it would cost to purchase a external GPS that
is compatible with the iPad. There are only a few external GPS models that
work with the iPad. Additionally, being able to turn off the Bluetooth radio
and/or Wi-Fi radio in the iPad helps extend the battery charge.
Why 32 GB? Because while the 16 GB model will work, it won't hold the current cycle navigation charts and the upcoming cycle. If you only have the 16 GB model, you will end up having to delete the current database before you download the upcoming cycle. And since the upcoming cycle can't be used until it is effective, you would be forced to download on the effective date, not in the days beforehand. This can be inconvenient. The 32GB models hold both the current and the upcoming, so when you download the upcoming cycle several days before it is effective, the EFB software will automatically switch to the new cycle and delete the last cycle automatically. This can be very helpful when on a trip during the time the database cycle changes.
Why the black bezel over white? Because in my experience the black bezel helps the readability of the screen in bright sunlight . At night or on cloudy days it probably makes no difference at all.
Why use an
Anti-Glare screen protector? It
has nothing to do with protecting the screen. The screen is durable. I
believe it is called gorilla glass. The purpose for the protector is to
reduce glare. Glare is the biggest weakness when using a glossy screen in
the cockpit. When you look at the screen, you don't want to see yourself,
the headliner or your right seat passenger. The Anti-glare screen makes the
screen easier to read in bright sunlight. In my experience, without the
Anti-Glare screen Protector, the display is almost unreadable in the cockpit
on a sunny day.
My preference is the
ones made by Green Onion Supply or NuShield. The Green Onion Supply
protector does a little better job with reflections, but the NuShield DayVue
protector does a little better job at brightness in the sun, it's just a
little less good at hiding reflections.
For the iPad Air 2, there is already an anti-glare screen coating, no
additional screen protectors are needed for reducing glare.
Which EFB software to use? I like ForeFlight Mobile Pro. It currently costs $150 per year. It is extremely easy to learn to use and it just keeps getting more features added to it. The charts are FAA/NACO, not Jeppesen. If you feel like using Jeppesen charts, then you will need to use the Jeppesen Mobile Flightdeck product. If there are others using Jeppesen charts, I am not aware of it. Most of the iPad EFB apps use FAA/NACO charts.
What if I
want to use ADS-B for in flight weather and traffic on my iPad? If
you are using ForeFlight, you will need the Appareo Stratus II ADS-B
receiver. It also has a WAAS GPS built-in. If using some other AFB app.
there is usually just one brand of ADS-B receiver that works with it. As of
now it appears that the ADS-B receivers are tied to the EFB app, with little
no interoperability. The Appareo Stratus II acts as a Wi-Fi hotspot in the
airplane and several iPads can simultaneously access the ADS-B data at once.
I have tested it with 3 at once.
The Appareo ADS-B
Receiver is currently the only one that works with ForeFlight. Most EFB
programs that can display ADS-B information are tied to one brand/model of
ADS-B Receiver. If you decide to use some other EFB program, you will need
to see which ADS-B receiver works with that program.
What if you want to use a Stratus II with a iPad that doesn't have a GPS built-in, a.k.a. "Wi-Fi only" iPad? That will work just fine, but if you are going to need GPS, the Stratus needs to come along with you everywhere you go.
Which iPad model with Cellular should I get? It isn't critical, but if you want 200 MB of free data per month you should get one that is made for T-Mobile. You can get an iPad Air made for AT&T and put a T-Mobile SIM card in it and it will work just fine on T-Mobile. If you get an iPad 2 made for AT&T and put the T-Mobile SIM in it, it will work most places at 3G speed, some places it will only work at 2G speed. Since the reception of ADS-B data usually requires being airborne, the ability to receive cellular data means you can receive weather data while still out on the ramp and while on the taxiways, prior to takeoff. For the iPad Air 2, the cellular model comes with a "AppleSim" which allows you to pick the data carrier of your choice. The Apple setup up for this is built into the iPad Air 2 and is simple to set up right from the iPad.
Why the iPad Air or iPad Mini with Retina Display over the older iPad models? Because the new models have a faster processor and higher resolution. The faster processor makes the charts load faster and the charts rotate, scroll and resize very smooth.
Why not use one of the original iPad 1's? Too slow. These are not supported in Foreflight any longer.
Why not an iPhone instead? Yes, the apps will work on the iPhone, but the screen is too small. ForeFlight will allow you to load the app on 2 iPads plus one iPhone, and you could make you second device an iPhone, but it wouldn't be very useful in the cockpit. It would, at most, be a sort of emergency backup in case the iPad battery went dead and you had no other choice.
Why a 64 GB over a 32 GB model? Because it allows so much more to be loaded. Music, apps, more. I use my iPad for lots of things besides aviation.
Why the preference for the MyClip products for a Leg Strap? It is very light weight, comfortable and it handles both portrait and landscape mode equally well on your leg.
Why get a 12 to 24 volt power adapter with 2.4 amp rating? Because you may want to charge the iPad in the aircraft. a dual voltage rated charger works in all aircraft. The 2.4 amp rating means the iPad will charge reasonably quickly. Keep in mind that the iPad won't charge very fast when ForeFlight is open and the screen brightness is at 100%.