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Date: Thu, 08 Jul 2010 06:25:08 -0400
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Subject: Re: [LML] Re: My Friend's iPad experience iin the Cockpit
From: "John Schroeder" <jschroeder@perigee.net>
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Jeff -

I don't think so at this time. But wi/ a Blue Tooth receiver available  
 from XM Weather, I'm sure they, or someone else, will get an app out to do  
this. I use the XM software to display the wx. It is simple and easy to  
use. It is geo referenced to the map wi/ a separate feed from my  
multi-channel GPS bug. The only problem is that entering your flight plan  
into the software is a PITA. Pretty rudimentary. If Seattle Avionics ports  
Voyager to the iPad, they may also do it.

Cheers,

John


On Wed, 07 Jul 2010 09:32:19 -0400, Jeffrey Liegner, MD  
<liegner@embarqmail.com> wrote:

> Can one display realtime XM weather (specifically NEXRAD summary) on
> the iPad in flight? I currently do this on AnyWhere Map.
>
> Jeff
>
>
>> For no additional cost ForeFlight allows you to load the program on
>> your iPhone too. With those two plus the 696, I'm finally paperless.
>>
>> Ron
>>
>> On Jul 5, 2010, at 8:04 PM, John Hafen
>> <<mailto:j.hafen@comcast.net>j.hafen@comcast.net> wrote:
>>
>>> 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:
>>>
>>>> This is a report from a Malibu pilot friend...
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> 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.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> 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
>>>>>
>>>>> satellites it position and altitude it agrees very well with my  
>>>>> Garmin 430W
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> 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.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Greg