iPad + Foreflight Review

[Dane Spearing[_3_]]

A few months back, I bought an iPad with the intent of using it in
flight for maps, approach plates, and as a supplemental nav. to my GNS
430. I finally got the opportunity to play with it today while doing
some hood work to see how well it performs in-flight, and I must say, I
am very impressed.

I spent yesterday installing a mounting bracket for it on the panel of
my Cherokee 6: a Proclip with a swivel mount:

http://www.proclipusa.com/brodit-device-holder/apple-ipad/holder-with-tilt-swivel-511139-18173.aspx

The Cherokee 6 has plenty of panel space, so I was able to mount it
without it interfering with anything else, and the swivel mount allows
me to rotate it and angle it so that I've always got a good view of it
from the left seat. The screen was bright enough to see clearly even in
direct sunlight, and the glare was minimal.

As for the software, I'm using Foreflight HD ($75/yr for all US maps,
sectionals, IFR low and high altitude, and approach plates). Both the
iPad and the software performed flawlessly. The iPad's GPS agreed
exactly with my Garmin GNS 430. In many ways, it's even easier to use
the iPad for maps and plates than having the paper in your lap. Pulling
up the appropriate map, plate, or airport info is a snap, even in a
bumpy cockpit. My only complaint is that the Foreflight software doesn't
seem to have an option to orient the maps in the direction of travel;
North is always up.

I'm going to be flying from New Mexico to California next week to visit
relatives, and look forward to using the iPad and Foreflight in some
real IMC for my charts and plates. After today's test under the hood, I
am very favorably impressed.

-- Dane

[[email protected]]

On Aug 1, 1:33*pm, Dane Spearing > wrote:

> I'm going to be flying from New Mexico to California next week to visit
> relatives, and look forward to using the iPad and Foreflight in some
> real IMC for my charts and plates. *After today's test under the hood, I
> am very favorably impressed.
>
> -- Dane

Hey Dane,

I have several videos of this program in use in the cockpit if you are
interested.

http://www.youtube.com/user/BeechSundowner is my You Tube channel.

Your experiences mirror mine though since I am using rental planes
(used to own a Sundowner) kinda hard to mount things on a permanent
basis

My biggest beef and something you need heads up on is not the
foreflight program but the iPad itself. My last flight (in a video as
well) the ipad overheated! I had the unit on my lap and the ambient
temperature outside was 63 so the absolute last thing I thought was
happening was the unit being in direct sun and making the unit exceed
it's operational temperatures. So, just be sure the iPad is not
placed in direct sunlight. The glare was annoying for a period of
time when I could not find shade to place the iPad.

3G works great below 3000 so you have weather if you fly low. GPS is
dead on as you say and in fact, the signal holds better then my Garmin
296. One word of caution though, if you use 3G and turn it on for
weather, the GPS assist overrides the GPS chip. So, if you lose 3G,
you lose GPS tracking UNLESS you turn off the 3G network in settings.

Just be sure to download ALL sectionals and IFR enroute maps before
departure. If you don't do this, you can't track yourself offline.

[Scholten]

On Aug 1, 1:33*pm, Dane Spearing wrote:

ipad 2 leather (http://www.ebelow.com/ipad-2-cases-leather.html)

-- Dane

Hey Dane,

I have several videos of this program in use in the cockpit if you are
interested.

ipad 2 cases (http://www.ebelow.com/ipad-2-case-iPad2case-iPad-2-cases.html) is my You Tube channel.

Your experiences mirror mine though since I am using rental planes
(used to own a Sundowner) kinda hard to mount things on a permanent
basis

My biggest beef and something you need heads up on is not the
foreflight program but the iPad itself. My last flight (in a video as
well) the ipad overheated! I had the unit on my lap and the ambient
temperature outside was 63 so the absolute last thing I thought was
happening was the unit being in direct sun and making the unit exceed
it's operational temperatures. So, just be sure the iPad is not
placed in direct sunlight. The glare was annoying for a period of
time when I could not find shade to place the iPad.

3G works great below 3000 so you have weather if you fly low. GPS is
dead on as you say and in fact, the signal holds better then my Garmin
296. One word of caution though, if you use 3G and turn it on for
weather, the GPS assist overrides the GPS chip. So, if you lose 3G,
you lose GPS tracking UNLESS youiPad2 cases (http://www.ebelow.com/iPad2-cases-cheap-iPad2-cases-iPad2-case.html) turn off the 3G network in settings.

Just be sure to download ALL sectionals and IFR enroute maps before
departure. If you don't do this, you can't track yourself offline.


I'm going to be flying from New Mexico to California next week to visit
relatives, and look forward to using the iPad and Foreflight in some
real IMC for my charts and plates. After today's test under the hood, I
am very favorably impressed.