What tablets are you using for RW VFR flight and Simming?

[JimD737 0]

Hi All,

 

I've been pondering the purchase of a tablet for a number of reasons. I thought I'd start here becuase the use of a tablet would be for aviation.

 

The iPad is expensive but both my wife and I are familiar with the iPhones. It would not be too much of a learning curve plus I like the zoom factor (bigger letters)

 

For real-world flight, although not certified for it, I'd use the tablet for secondary reference to GPS, charts, airport / taxi diagrams and WX. On the ground, I'd use it for Aviation videos, like Sporty's training vids.

 

For Simming, I'd use it for airport / taxi diagrams, SIDs/DPs, Arrivals, and IAP's.

 

What tablet are you running?

 

Regards,

 

Jim

PPL-ASEL

[Airbus Commander 563]

We're supposed to be getting iPads soon to run our ALPS software and LIDO charts, we've had a few in to sample and check out and I found them quite intuitive, I'd say they're the way to go, but then again, I'm not paying for it, so that side of the argument I wasn't all that concerned about.

 

Regards,

Ró.

[NoahBryant 26]

Mini iPads are probably coming in a month or two if cost is a big factor for you. Make sure you research what apps are available to do what you want before you choose one too. A lot of people buy a good Android tablet only to discover the apps they were hoping for aren't available.

[bluepilot76 0]

I use my iphone which has a mounting where the aritficial horizon used to be. I sometimes also take my IPAD which I use as sort of a kneepad. On both I am running the App "Air Nav Pro" and AeroWeather. I was thinking about getting a Samsung Galaxy, the screen is a bit bigger than the iphone. Battery life is important though, not sure how long the Samsungs lasts but I knew the iPhones would.

Yeah I take a map as well. Usually shoved into the back of the seat. My compass and stopwatch days are over, I fly for fun now!

[Ps762 0]

Hi!

 

I'm only a simmer but I definitely prefer the old fashioned way with paper charts and maps for my simming. I don't even like to use Flightsim's GPS! For airline flying I'm happy to use a FMC but that's it pretty much. Regarding tablets though my only experience is playing Angry Birds on an IPad. The game was good but the IPad screen and stuff looked really good and clear too. I think they're quite expensive and am not sure about battery life.

 

Sorry for the lack of info.

 

Hope it might help!

 

P.

[Anthony1968 19]

I can only speak for simming but I find my Sony Android tablet limited to downloading and/or reading .pdf charts from Airnav.com etc. The choice of aviation apps for android is severely lacking compared to the ipod/ipad/ itunes..............whatever it is.

 

I still wouldn't switch to Apple though because I'm not a fan of their closed ecosystem.

 

Even though I'm a huge fan of modern technology I'm a bit surprised at the amount of real world GA pilots that are fully kitted out with the ipad. I was at a fly-in in Sywell Aerodrome (UK) over the weekend and a lot of cockpits appear to be using the ipad for navigation. Apart from the obvious need for a backup ( they have been known to hang at the worst possible moment) it often looked too big and clumsy when mounted.

[Cessnaflyer 56]

For real-world flight, although not certified for it, I'd use the tablet for secondary reference to GPS, charts, airport / taxi diagrams and WX. On the ground, I'd use it for Aviation videos, like Sporty's training vids.

 

You are flying Part 91, it doesn't have to be certified for anything unless you are using it for the GPS on instrument approaches, which then would need to be a certified panel mount.

[ZachLW 37]

For real-world flight, although not certified for it, I'd use the tablet for secondary reference to GPS, charts, airport / taxi diagrams and WX. On the ground, I'd use it for Aviation videos, like Sporty's training vids.

 

How are you planning on getting weather, Jim? 3G will be useless at altitude and XM subscriptions can be pretty expensive if you don't use it often.

[JimD737 0]

Thanks All.

 

For Real World, I'm old school and like the "steam" guages. I'd still do my flightplan and charting by hand and WX by DUAT. As far as WX enroute, that would still be by radio and by cellphone on the ground. The GPS and charts would be loaded to back me up.

 

Regards,

 

Jim

[Cessnaflyer 56]

For a very accurate flight planning site I use fltplan.com

 

The design is horrendous but once you can decipher the input and output it is amazingly accurate. I used this for all of my King Air flights and it was spot on.

[msalo 1]

For real world flight, I am using an iPad2, and iPhone4 (backup) with Foreflight. I have pretty much stopped buying paper charts and AFD's at this point.

 

-m@

[LAdamson 240]

Garmin 696 with another GPS backup for actual flight. I use XM Satellite weather, which is constantly updated...........without worrying about a cell connection. Have bought a Nexus 7 tablet, and am checking out the free 30 day Garmin Pilot app. Excellent graphics, and GPS works in flight, but all charts need to be pre-loaded, and the weather won't update without a subscription to a satellite based uplink. However, the Nexus 7 & Ipads wash out in a lot of sunlight conditions, where the Garmin is easily readable all of the time.

 

I started flying before GPS was ever thought of. But I've used moving map aviation GPS since 1993........and would never return to the old school ways, except for the fact that I pre-plan all long distance mountain flights on current paper charts, in addition to internet based flight planners. I think the Nexus would be great for pre-flights, as long as there is an internet connection..........even if it's linked to a cell phone to do so.

 

L.Adamson