X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Sender: To: lml@lancaironline.net Date: Mon, 05 Jul 2010 21:04:59 -0400 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from qmta13.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net ([76.96.27.243] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.3.8) with ESMTP id 4381366 for lml@lancaironline.net; Mon, 05 Jul 2010 14:46:56 -0400 Received-SPF: pass receiver=logan.com; client-ip=76.96.27.243; envelope-from=j.hafen@comcast.net Received: from omta20.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net ([76.96.30.87]) by qmta13.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net with comcast id eFtA1e0021smiN4ADJmNkY; Mon, 05 Jul 2010 18:46:22 +0000 Received: from [10.0.1.4] ([24.17.111.171]) by omta20.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net with comcast id eJmL1e00P3hvfg88gJmMQb; Mon, 05 Jul 2010 18:46:22 +0000 Subject: Re: [LML] My Friend's iPad experience iin the Cockpit Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v1081) Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=Apple-Mail-1--599330090 From: John Hafen In-Reply-To: X-Original-Date: Mon, 5 Jul 2010 11:46:20 -0700 X-Original-Message-Id: <0F7662FA-214A-4E44-BA17-EDD630BB350F@comcast.net> References: X-Original-To: "Lancair Mailing List" X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.1081) --Apple-Mail-1--599330090 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii I second the iPad report below. =20 I got the iPad in hopes of having a great electronic approach plate = reader. In that alone, it is worth the investment, rather than having = to do paper updates to 4+ binders of Jeppesen plates every couple of = weeks. So I'm happy with the iPad and ForeFlight, just as a plate reader. The moving map capability is an added bonus. One can track present = position on a VFR Sectional or IFR enroute chart. If you take a second = to key in a route, a little blue plane flies down that purple route and = tracks progress with only GPS input (Wi-Fi and Cellular data in the iPad = "Settings" turned off before takeoff). In addition to a present = position and moving map (that you can pinch zoom and finger around), you = get Groundspeed, GPS altitude, and Track. AND, I still (at least for the time being) carry current PAPER approach = plates for key airports along the route of flight. Just in case. On the ground with Wi-Fi or Cell Data access, the weather charts = (Satellite, Radar, Flight Rules, Wind, Visibility, Ceiling, Sky = Coverage, Temperature, Dew point spread, and Lightening) provide a = pretty darn good real time supplement to the info you get from 1800 WX = BRIEF. John Hafen IVP 413AJ On Jul 5, 2010, at 5:51 AM, Jeffrey Liegner, MD wrote: > This is a report from a Malibu pilot friend... >=20 >=20 >=20 >> I got an iPAD about a week and a half ago. Yesterday was my first = experience to use it in the cockpit. I flew from MMU to Kendall Tamiami. = I downloaded the the latest Foreflight app V3.5.1 and all the = sectionals, approach plates, low altitude charts and high altitude = charts for the eastern seaboard. >> =20 >> I have to admit it was surprising how well the touch screen interface = works to make using the charts easy. The speed of changing screens also = helps as well as the pinch-touch zoom to allow scaling and moving around = the charts. The first electronic chart reader that actually makes them = easier to use than paper. I have all the same charts on my panel mount = Garmin GMX200. But they are much harder to use because of the smaller = screen(6.5" diag) and the lack of a easy user interface. >> The approach plates are almost the same size as paper so they are = easy to use. >> =20 >> I haven't used it to file flight plans yet but the couple of times I = tried to fill out the mandatory fields I flubbed it up because one of my = fingers touched the screen outside of the virtual keyboard area and the = pop up window causing the window to close without saving the data = already entered. Sometimes the touch screen is too sensitive. >> =20 >> The screen brightness is adequate even in direct sunlight. The auto = brightness stinks. I don't know how Apple would release a product with = auto brightness that works so poorly. >> =20 >> Some of the other short comings: I have used Jeppesen approach plates = for the last 20 years. They aren't available yet. I like them much more = than the government approach plates. That is why the pros use them. = Jepps says their iPad plates will be out soon but they will probably = cost an arm and a leg compared to the Foreflight subscription. >> =20 >> The biggest drawback is that the iPad is on the AT&T network. I = subscribed to their data service. The 3G is available at my house in NJ. = But so far only EDGE in Lake Placid and in Key Largo. I will probably = have the same problem in the Outerbanks and many other places I will go = to. So when traveling I connect it via WiFi to my Verizon 3G to WiFi = router which has my Verizon aircard as the back haul. Like the VISA = commercial, Verizon's 3G service is available everywhere you want to be. >> =20 >> AT&T's EDGE service I found is slower than dial up. Its painfully = slow. >> =20 >> The moving map works surprisingly well considering the single channel = GPS receiver in it. But in my airplane you have to hold the iPAD close = to the windshield or the side window to see enough satellites for it to = work. If you do place it to have good views of the >> satellites it position and altitude it agrees very well with my = Garmin 430W >> =20 >> Like any cellular device don't expect its 3G/Edge service to work = once you are more than a few thousand feet up. So you better have = everything you need downloaded into it and don't expect any weather = updates in flight. >> =20 >> An important little trick I found is not to turn airplane mode on. = Turning airplane mode on seems to turn off not only the WiFi and = cellular radios but also the GPS receiver. So I leave airplane mode off = and turn off the WiFi and Cellular receivers from the settings menu to = conserve battery life. >> =20 >> I'm not wetting my pants over it but the iPAD is a damn good EFB. = Beside that it does a number of things very well such as a book reader. = The electronic version of the WSJ is also surprisingly easy to read on = it, as well as many other apps. >> =20 >> The problem is what happens if it goes tits up on you. What are you = gonna have as a backup? All the same old paper stuff? >> It has already froze up twice on me twice while installing an app. = The equivalent 3 finger windows salute is to turn it off and reboot it = again. Fortunately it does that fairly quickly. >> =20 >> Feel free to share this report. >> =20 >> Greg --Apple-Mail-1--599330090 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii I second the iPad report below. =  

I got the iPad in hopes of having a great = electronic approach plate reader.  In that alone, it is worth the = investment, rather than having to do paper updates to 4+ binders of = Jeppesen plates every couple of weeks.

So I'm = happy with the iPad and ForeFlight, just as a plate = reader.

The moving map capability is an added = bonus.  One can track present position on a VFR Sectional or IFR = enroute chart.  If you take a second to key in a route, a little = blue plane flies down that purple route and tracks progress with only = GPS input (Wi-Fi and Cellular data in the iPad "Settings" turned off = before takeoff).  In addition to a present position and moving map = (that you can pinch zoom and finger around), you get Groundspeed, GPS = altitude, and Track.

AND, I still (at least for = the time being) carry current PAPER approach plates for key airports = along the route of flight.  Just in = case.

On the ground with Wi-Fi or Cell Data = access, the weather charts (Satellite, Radar, Flight Rules, Wind, = Visibility, Ceiling, Sky Coverage, Temperature, Dew point spread, and = Lightening) provide a pretty darn good real time supplement to the info = you get from 1800 WX BRIEF.

John = Hafen
IVP 413AJ


On Jul = 5, 2010, at 5:51 AM, Jeffrey Liegner, MD wrote:

I have to admit it = was surprising how well the touch screen interface works to make using = the charts easy.  The speed of changing screens also helps as well = as the pinch-touch zoom to allow scaling and moving around the charts. = The first electronic chart reader that actually makes them easier = to use than paper. I have all the same charts on my panel mount Garmin = GMX200. But they are much harder to use because of the smaller = screen(6.5" diag) and the lack of a easy user = interface.
The approach plates = are almost the same size as paper so they are easy to = use.
I haven't used = it to file flight plans yet but the couple of times I tried to fill out = the mandatory fields I flubbed it up because one of my fingers touched = the screen outside of the virtual keyboard area and the pop up window = causing the window to close without saving the data already entered. = Sometimes the touch screen is too sensitive.
The screen = brightness is adequate even in direct sunlight. The auto brightness = stinks. I don't know how Apple would release a product with auto = brightness that works so poorly.
Some of the other = short comings: I have used Jeppesen approach plates for the last 20 = years. They aren't available yet. I like them much more than the = government approach plates. That is why the pros use them. Jepps says = their iPad plates will be out soon but they will probably cost an arm = and a leg compared to the Foreflight = subscription.
The biggest = drawback is that the iPad is on the AT&T network. I subscribed to = their data service. The 3G is available at my house in NJ. But so far = only EDGE in Lake Placid and in Key Largo. I will probably have the same = problem in the Outerbanks and many other places I will go to. So when = traveling I connect it via WiFi to my Verizon 3G to WiFi router = which has my Verizon aircard as the back haul. Like the VISA commercial, = Verizon's 3G service is available everywhere you want to = be.
AT&T's EDGE = service I found is slower than dial up. Its painfully = slow.
The moving map = works surprisingly well considering the single channel GPS receiver in = it. But in my airplane you have to hold the iPAD close to the windshield = or the side window to see enough satellites for it to work. If you do = place it to have good views of the
Like any cellular = device don't expect its 3G/Edge service to work once you are more than a = few thousand feet up. So you better have everything you need downloaded = into it and don't expect any weather updates in = flight.
An important = little trick I found is not to turn airplane mode on. Turning = airplane mode on seems to turn off not only the WiFi and cellular radios = but also the GPS receiver. So I leave airplane mode off and turn off the = WiFi and Cellular receivers from the settings menu to conserve battery = life.
I'm not wetting my = pants over it but the iPAD is a damn good EFB. Beside that it does a = number of things very well such as a book reader. The electronic version = of the WSJ is also surprisingly easy to read on it, as well as many = other apps.
The problem is what = happens if it goes tits up on you. What are you gonna have as a backup? = All the same old paper stuff?
It has = already froze up twice on me twice while installing an app. The = equivalent 3 finger windows salute is to turn it off and reboot it = again. Fortunately it does that fairly = quickly.
Feel free to share = this report.