Apple IPad Mini review

[canav8]

One more time: There are multiple methods and equipment lists which allow IFR operations without TSO'd equipment. This is especially true when considering comm radios.

Commercial operators (such as airlines and airtaxi operators) which operate with electronic flight bags (EFB's) or IPads, etc.., are allowed to do so because they carry multiple units onboard for backup (i.e. each pilot will have an IPad or EFB.) This is also considered appropriate and prudent for Pt 91 operators to have a "backup" of some format, even if also electronic.

As for emergencies...I once made the ILS to minimums when I "diverted" to Goose Bay without the approach chart, the procedure having been described to me via radio. Not the recommended, normal modus operandi ....but sufficed in the case of an exigency (such as when ferrying an unfamiliar aircraft which had only single-source of charts (paper) which was discovered while enroute to be deficient in charting...proving that even paper has limitations.)

George, you also want to add alternate battery source is the bases for approval. At American, the pilot must carry a separate independent battery source for back up.D

[hilltop170]

Foreflight will allow installation on two devices. I use the iPad as primary and have the same info on the iPhone for backup, but rely mostly on the Garmin 430/530 for actual inflight direction while IFR.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

I now have used my IPad Mini and a collection of RAM mount hardware and Wing X and Garmin Pilot software to navigate to and from convention and about while there totaling 13.8 hours on the tach.

The Ram mounting collection which I will use in the airplane as well as my motorcycle or could use in my car or anywhere I really wanted to mount something. So I can mount both my IPad Mini or my IPhone5 or both at the same time in the airplane. Here is my collection.

A Ram X Grip for my Mini and my IPhone. I like the X Grips because they are not custom made for any exact hardware and can hold anything they fit around. I also have three double socket B size (1" ball) arms in different lengths, 1 3/4", 3" and 6". One 1" ball on a stud and a suction cup mount RAP-B-224-2U. I choose this suction cup mount because it is only 3" in diameter and will just fit inside a '52 and earlier insturmement bezel and then suctioned on to the face of the instrument, an electric turn and slip in my case. The ball on a stud is mounted through an already existing hole in my instrument panel in the center above the piano keys.

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X Grip mounts

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Double socket B size arms

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Suction cup mount RAP-B-224-2U.

To power my Mini and the Dual XGPS170 GPS and ADS-B receiver I bought. I purchased this Belkin cigar to USB charger. It is a 20 watt 4.2 amp adapter.Each plug can supply 5v at 2.1 amps or 10 watts, sufficiant for the Mini, a IPhone and or anything else. Not all dual plug adapters provide 2 high output plugs. This one also came with a 4ft Lightning charge/sync cable which both the Mini and the IPhone5 use.

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Belkin 20 watt 2-port charger

So how did it all work. First lets get the Dual XGPS170 receiver out of the way. It was dead on arrival. The GPS worked fine but I watched it for 13 hours hoping to see anything out of the ADS-B receiver but not a peep. This past Saturday I confirmed it was dead flying in my friends Cardinal with his Garmin GDL-39 picking up 5 stations and showing traffic and weather while my Dual did nothing. It's going back to Sporty's tomorrow. But you might ask why I choose the XGPS170. It was an impulse buy really. But I did realize that if I bought the Garmin GDL-39 I could only use it with Garmin software and I didn't want to be locked into that. Unfortunately the Dual XGPS170 will not work with Garmin software either.

So off to Bardstown, KY from Quakertown, PA and I don't have a single current paper map on board. Very weird feeling. I have my Mini mounted in the X Grip suspended from the suction mount stuck to the side of the windshield by the 1 3/4" arm. It fit neatly to the left of the yoke in front of the mag switch key. I though I'd like this location. It wasn't bad traveling west with a morning sun behind and being blocked by the cabin rood. Glare was very tolerable but it started to bug me that I couldn't see out the left side bottom corner of my windshield without looking around the Mini. As visibility was a terrible 4 to 5 miles I ended up looking at my heading a lot in order to keep flying in the right direction. I started favoring looking just out the left side of the plane. I was using Wing X getting more comfortable with it's features as time went on.

After about 2.2 hours we landed and before leaving I used my 6" RAM arm attached to the ball in the center of the instrument panel and the smaller X-Grip to hold my IPhone in the center of the cockpit. I opened Garmin Pilot on it and we started our second leg. Now I could scan both left and right and always have a display showing my heading. This is how we finished our 5.5 hours to Bardstown and subsequent trips about while there.

Then we started for home. We where traveling north east looking right into the morning sun. The glare of the Mini made it impossible to see no matter what I did. I soon took it out of the RAM mount and laid it on my knee. It was only slightly better to see there. I soon put the Mini in a side pocket and used my IPhone5 with Garmin Pilot software to navigate. The smaller IPhone5 was small enough to angle so glare wasn't the same problem as the Mini. We used the IPhone alone for navigating the reat of about 4 hours home. We only pulled out the Mini when we needed to see something bigger.

Now for the software. I've used Wing X and Garmin Pilot the most. I've also tried the AOPA FlyQ software on local trips. None of them are perfect and quite frankly neither of them stand out enough for me to buy. I was using Wing X because I could get another 30 day trial and it would work with the Dual XGPS170. I really like the Garmin Pilot software because unlike any other software you don't have to look at a sectional to get aeronautical information. You can set it up to look almost like a traditional GPS of the past we all know. But it is missing some simple stuff like vertical navigation and you can't change it to MPH. I actually liked the AOPA FlyQ over Wing X but FlyQ won't run on a IPhone. I've now decided even the Mini is to big to mount in the cockpit for me and my primary viewing screen with be my IPhone with the Mini as a secondary source but keeped out of the way. So FlyQ is out until they make a IPhone compatible version. BTW the IPhone is about the same size at a Garmin 430 but I think you can see a lot more because of the long orientation available with the IPhone

So the good news is we have lots of choices and the bad news is we have lots of choices. To me not one of them stands out better than the others. If I had to pick one piece of software right know I'd have to go with Garmin Pilot even without the features Wing X has. Only wish I didn't have to by the GDL-39 for ADS-B weather with the Garmin.

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My IPhone5 mounted from the center of my instrument panel on a 6" arm and held with the X Grip.

[juredd1]

Hey Bruce,

Can you get weather radar on the IPad through the GPS or do you have to activate the cellular and hope for a signal for radar updates?

Thanks,
Justin

[bagarre]

Weather and radar come via the cellular or wireless link. GPS only provides position, heading and speed.

So, if you're not in range of a cell tower or wifi link (And havent bought an ADSB IN receiver): no weather updates.

[juredd1]

So I can pay around $560 for a 32G ipad mini with wifi/cell put $700 or more for the ADSB (No subscription except for foreflight as I understand it) or $900+ for a handheld with XM weather plus maybe a $50 a month subscription......Am I any where on track? The $900 one I looked did have safe taxi options either.

Justin

[bagarre]

Don't forget $30 a month for the ipad cellular data plan, if you want to use it for that.

Also, the ipad is much more than a gps weather nav thingy.
You can also play Angry Birds on it

[juredd1]

Thanks for the update guys David.

Aryana,

I found the ifly 520 on the web yesterday, watched the demo and it looked pretty good. I contacted them about the weather and got a reply back to try the 720 model with the ADSB module but they didn't mention that it would also work with the 520 model. Very new to this as I have a Garmin 196 now so bare with me. What model ADSB do you use with your 720 and it is your understand that the 520 will work with the ADSB as well....correct? The one they are commending is the 720 with Vision-pro ADS-B Transceiver. There's a bundle for around $2k. I was looking at the new Stratus model for $899.

Any other advice would be welcomed. Trying to make a purchase pretty quick here.

Thanks,
Justin

[n2582d]

... so bare with me. ...

Heh! This is supposed to be a family-friendly website! Let's keep our drawers up, OK?

[juredd1]

Ha, Ha. Another English grammar expert in our mists I see...had to spell check the grammar by the way. Never liked English (Not the language, the subject) in school and I still don't. It ain't (I know "ain't" is widely disapproved as nonstandard and more common in the habitual speech of the less educated according to "merriam-webster.com") the first grammar mistake for me and won't be the last.

By the way, OK....I'll try to keep my pants on.

[n2582d]

Sorry Justin, I couldn't resist. I married an English major--Ms. Edit Queen. It's the cross I bear ... or bare?

[juredd1]

I didn't take as big of an offence as I might have let on. I just had to come up with something to hit back with. To (To or Too?) many words out there that don't add up to me. So I am for sure you will have more to poke fun at if ya take a notion. I think there is a fragmented sentence in here somewhere, if I could just find it.

Justin

[juredd1]

Not sure if this is considered a high jacking of Bruce's original thread, if so let me know and I'll get a new one started. Just trying to make a good decision on this as I can't afford to go one way and then it be wrong for me. I know 50 replies here with advice won't guarantee I won't do that anyway.

Been doing some reading and I am getting the goods and bads of the ADS-B system. Looks like there is a lot of area that doesn't have coverage yet. Just happens to be most of the route I need to take when I bring my 170 home in a couple weeks. Sounds like the ADS-B system is based off ground towers so I need to get AGL in most cases to get a look at weather through that system. Not the case with the XM option. I love the no subscription option with the ADS-B system.

Are there folks here that have switched from XM to the ADS-B options and are you happy with the switch?

I don't like the idea of the $55 a month as after 1 years use I could buy the Stratus 2 device to work with my yet to purchase ipad. Read an pilot report from back in February that said he took a cross country trip with both type devices and the when the ADS-B system had service it lagged behind the XM by up to 10 minutes. I know there are more towers now then in Feb. so it's likely better but any real world experience from you all would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Justin

[hilltop170]

Gee, I wonder how we ever made it to our destination before we had GPS, XM, and ADS-B?

But even now, as a fully addicted aviation electronics junkie, I'm going to wait a little while longer before I jump into an ADS-B receiver. Technology changes too fast and today's model will be obsolete tomorrow so I'm going to wait awhile until the dust settles a little.

[juredd1]

Richard,

Thank you for the comments. I understand what you are saying. My uncle that has been flying tail wheel planes for 40+ years still don't own a GPS. My first instructor when I started in 2003 didn't want me to use my GPS for cross country solo flights. He wanted me to do it the hard way, he said a GPS can fail.

I am not after the traffic I just want a good solution for weather but don't want to fork out the $55 a month. I've survived the first 10 years without it I am guessing I can the next 10.

Justin