Apple IPad Mini review

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

What on earth do you need an iphone or ipad for on a Harley??
When I go out for a ride, I don't even want to wear a watch.

I don't answer the phone on the Harley either. But I do like to have a map program running because i like to take roads I've never traveled on. IE I rarily travel the same road to the same place twice. I currently use a Garmin Nuvi for this but my iPhone may replace that as I'm caring it anyway.

I'm not an IFR pilot so this is a serious question:
How dangerous is it to fly IFR without approach plates?

The reason I ask is because the iPad or any other personal device like it is not required to be fault tolerant to any level.
IE it's perfectly OK for it to reboot due to a code glitch / unhanded exception in third party software or to not come back up at all.

Their answer is "Take it to the Apple Store" or "Restore from backups" if things go bad. Not really an option while flying a plane. Has it happened? Sure but it's incredibly rare for an ipad to crap out like that....about as rare as a non TSO'd comm radio to crap out. I can't fly with the non-TSO'd radio but no one is demanding a TSO'd iPad to carry approach plates.

We've gotten used to these tablets always being there and they are pretty stable platforms. BUT they are NOT specifically designed to trust your life to. Sooner or later, someone is going to download the next AngryBirds app or some other such thing that destabilizes the OS just when they need it most.

First who said you can't use non-TSO radios? As for IFR and the IPad quitting and not having the approach plate. It would really depend on what other equipment you have. For instance if your flying with a Gamin 400/500 series it shouldn't be a problem as the enroute and approach data is in them. Of course I'm assuming you know how to get that info from the Garmin. But lets say your are flying IFR in your scantily equipped 170. Say you have one navigation device and it is a VOR receiver. Your IMC and your trusty IPad with your charts and plates stop working. Time to confess to ATC and ask them for what ever information you need. If your in the north east 99.99% of the time your in radar contact while flying at IFR altitudes and it would be a simple matter of being vectored to VMC or to and through an approach. It should not be a life threatening event.

In most aircraft flying IFR today, paper is a backup to electronics already installed in the aircraft. Having the IPad with the data instead of paper is the backup plan not the primary or sole source of info.

[bagarre]

In most aircraft flying IFR today, paper is a backup to electronics already installed in the aircraft. Having the IPad with the data instead of paper is the backup plan not the primary or sole source of info.

That's the piece I wasn't understanding. I thought the iPad could be used as the soul primary source.

Regarding the TSO comment, I thought that to fly in the system all your equipment had to be TSO'd (COM, NAV, gyros..) unless you were Experimental.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Regarding the TSO comment, I thought that to fly in the system all your equipment had to be TSO'd (COM, NAV, gyros..) unless you were Experimental.

This was my understanding too. Subscribed and interested!

No, if you have original instruments or older radios such as the KX 170B found in many older aircraft as well as their indicators, they don't meet any TSO. Think a handheld radio meets a TSO you'd be wrong and many of them are used in the system.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

That's the piece I wasn't understanding. I thought the iPad could be used as the soul primary source.

Yes they can be the sole source of information and the requirements to do so are different depending on what regulations you are flying under. Part 91 requires you to have all current information for the flight. It does not require you to have a chart. It is generally considered you have most if not all current info if you have a chart and that is why we generally carry charts. Guidance has come out in the form of ACs (I just read them somewhere) that basically says a chart is a chart whether it is on paper or electronic.

Part 135 and 121 is different. The regulations require charts specifically. In these cases Companies seek and are granted permission via their operatin procedures to substitute electronic documents over paper documents. It is not just charts and plates but AFMs, General Operations Manuals, MELs and other things currently required to be carried in paper form on the aircraft. Again these procedures are documented in ACs.

Now where did I see those links to the ACs. I found them. The first two covers just about everything needed to know including what constitutes a temporary installation of devices like IPads or handheld GPS units not requiring additional approvals.

http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guida ... 091_78.pdf
http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/medi ... 20-76B.pdf

This is the canceled AC which described temporary installations of non-essential electronic equipment. http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/medi ... 025-10.pdf

[LBPilot82]

To answer Bruce's question, I can't see any reason to use the double suction cup. As Arash said, the single cup will darn near pull out the windscreen before it lets go. I have had mine attached without removal for up to at least a month straight and haven't seen any signs of leakage. Although, I'll be taking in down after each flight now that I have been warned about warping the windscreen. Yikes! If I remember right, I am using the 3in double ball arm which tucks the Ipad away nicely in the corner of the windscreen level with the instruments.

At first I had the same concerns about whether or not to purchase and carry back up paper charts in case the tablet goes south in flight, but if Delta and American (I think they are the two) can let their planes fly with only electronic charts and documents, so will I. I started flying with the Ipad when I got back into IFR flying. The cost of Foreflight renewal is far cheaper than buying VFR and IFR charts and plates. Like Bruce says, anywhere I will be flying an approach to around here will be in a radar environment. I can always ask "mom" for approach info if it was necessary.

[LBPilot82]

For those who are concerned with the size of the regular Ipad, I thought I would post some pictures of my set up. As you can see, the Ipad doesn't really cover much of your view except out the side of the windscreen. I normally fly from the right seat so I attach it to the right side of the windscreen.

[cessna170bdriver]

Guess what I bought yesterday??

I like the yoke mount for my AnywhereMap tablet (Samsung Q1EX), so I ordered one of these also:

[GAHorn]

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.)

[n2582d]

I recently downloaded a free app on my iPad which allows the tablet to be used as an inclinometer and level. It's called iHandy Level. It should be handy for checking such things as control travel, wing twist, angle of incidence, etc. as it has a digital readout as well as the traditional bubble level.

[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.

X Grip mounts

Double socket B size arms

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.

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.

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