IPad Mini

[aerobat95]

So is anyone else excited about the IPad Mini? I think this might be the perfect device for the cockpit. I am looking foward to seeing one in person. I am wondering how Foreflight and Garmin Pilot will operate on this device.....

[M016576]

(Shrug).

I like my aera 560 w/ xm. No crashes, easy to read in the cockpit, excellent gps track, fits nicely on the yoke. I like it more so than ever now that "maps" isn't as solid for driving once I get to my destination. The aera automotive mode is great (IMHO).

I had an iPad 1, but it died about a month ago. I won't be replacing it, as my iPhone 4 fills the role of portable device/phone for me better and fits in my pocket.

Call me old fashioned, but I still carry paper charts / plates....

[mulro767]

I already have an iPad mini. It's called an iPhone 4S. I've become more and more comfortable with just using it when flying VFR or VMC on an IFR flight plan. However, when flying IMC I feel more comfortable with my large screen iPad on my lap. But by the looks of the new mini, a Ram mount on the yoke might fit perfectly. I'll have to wait a while to justify the price.

[Piloto]

(Shrug).

I like my aera 560 w/ xm. No crashes, easy to read in the cockpit, excellent gps track, fits nicely on the yoke. I like it more so than ever now that "maps" isn't as solid for driving once I get to my destination. The aera automotive mode is great (IMHO).

I had an iPad 1, but it died about a month ago. I won't be replacing it, as my iPhone 4 fills the role of portable device/phone for me better and fits in my pocket.

Call me old fashioned, but I still carry paper charts / plates....

+1 I have my 560 on the yoke and I am very happy with the visibility and accessibility. It works flawlessly and veeery fast when compared with the iPads.

José

[aviatoreb]

So is anyone else excited about the IPad Mini? I think this might be the perfect device for the cockpit. I am looking foward to seeing one in person. I am wondering how Foreflight and Garmin Pilot will operate on this device.....

I am excited for sure. I have an iPad 1 which is an excellent device. I have been using fore flight. But I have been annoyed for years that it is too big for the cockpit. I skipped the iPad 2 and 3 each time wishing for a smaller iPad to fit into my yoke. And it is here! Finally!

I have been playing with wingman since Sunday by the way - it is really super and may become the new item on my iPad - three things that it beats over foreflight- it has a really excellent remote view SVT for situational awareness, it allows spit screens and it has a really excellent flat menu structure where nothing is more than one click away. Coming soon to the iPad mini to be mounted finally in my yoke.

BTW - I too have a Garmin 510 - mounted on my panel and hard wired for cross fills to my gns430w. I think it is super but it is not an EFB replacement - no charts no plates.

[David Mazer]

I've been playing with a 796 that is to be installed in another airplane. I have been very pleasantly surprised by how well it works and how easy it is to see and manage. I have used my wife's iPad 1 a couple times and always find the screen hard to read. Of course, the iPad mini costs almost $400 and the 796 cost about $2,500!

[aviatoreb]

I've been playing with a 796 that is to be installed in another airplane. I have been very pleasantly surprised by how well it works and how easy it is to see and manage. I have used my wife's iPad 1 a couple times and always find the screen hard to read. Of course, the iPad mini costs almost $400 and the 796 cost about $2,500!

Aren't data updates on the order of $500/year for a 796?

[David Mazer]

Probably. This is going in a local/VFR only airplane and updates won't be on a 28 day cycle. More like a 365.25 day cycle. That usually costs about $50 at one of the airshows on special.

Still, the 796 is really nice.

[aerobat95]

I wonder when RAM will have a yoke mount for it.....so for you guys utilizing a tablet what program are you running? Foreflight? Garmin Pilot? WingX Pro? WingX Pro's website IMO is horrible....I have such a hard time finding info. I have used both Foreflight and Garmin Pilot....for me its a toss up.

[carusoam]

Mini will be nice, low cost 3 even better...

Developments from WingX are coming out so often, they are sending weekly emails to introduce the feature and how to best use it.

Recent features include ground proximity in an easy to use format. Tremendous additional situational awareness for around $500. It's a great way to supplement the panel mounted equipment.

There will be a day where we all have multiple devices navigating, weather, traffic, ground proximity, an arrow pointing up.

All intended to support the panel mounted equipment, in a spectacular way.

Much better than the single ILS in my M20C.

Best regards,

-a-

[OR75]

the "standard" ipad fits nicely between the yoke ears. i didnot have aneed for a mini ipad.

glare is the issue. nothing else.

[M016576]

Aren't data updates on the order of $500/year for a 796?

Yeah, that's the big downside to a garmin for an EFB. I get paper charts for free at work, so I just use those. I did have a program I bought on my iPad 1 called AVcharts (I think) that was a one time 25 dollar fee, and could download all the charts and plates. Not a moving map display overlayed on the chart, but an even cheaper option than foreflight or wingx.

Still, I like my system I've got now as it works for me: g430w for NAV, aera as my MFD, paper plates/charts and VOR/dme/ils for backup. I don't know if my 160kt cockpit could handle much more digital automation!

The one thing I really like about my paper plates is I write on them (clearances, freqs, etc) and can throw them back into the cargobay without worrying about breaking something!

[Cabanaboy]

I am very excited about the new mini. The larger Ipad is just a little to big to mount and I do not like it sitting on my leg. I also have a Garmin 696 on right seat yoke using ram mount. I am sure Ram Mount will have a cradle for the mini very soon.

[Seth]

I have an iPad2 that I specifically purchased for sectionals/charts/plates because I was spending close to $300 to $350 per year on charts (you throw in a few long cross countries toward different areas and it gets expensive each year). In two years, even with a Foreflight subscription, the iPad paid for itself - plus I got an ipad!

I have been waiting for the iPad Mini as the original iPad is not as convenient size wise to mount in the Mooney cockpit. I'm a full convert however - I waited until the iPad2 to make a move into aviation and the iPad, and I admit, I love it. My guess is that Ram or some other company will come out with a mounting solution for the new iPad mini and it will work perfectly on the yoke. I will still keep my iPad2 as a backup, as well as my 3GS phone (which should but updated to the iPhone5 this week - it shipped a few days ago) - that's what I use now. I admit, to have an iPad Mini mounted on the yoke, an iPhone in my pocket, and the iPad2 I use in the cockpit for a passenger to use - it's amazing how passengers really love tracking where you are visually using the sectional on the iPad, that would be a nice setup. Also, I have not yet purchased a GPS device to bluetooth to the iPad/iPhone - I have no georeferancing on my device yet. I have a Garmin 430w and Aera 560 in the panel that are interconnected and take care of positioning, though I admit I should get some pereifial device sooner rather than later.

The fact that in turbulance or when I have someone else in the aircraft with me, to hand them the iPad or have it just sitting in the seat next to me - I don't like not having it mounted for some reason. The iPad Mini should be perfect for that. However, I'll probably wait until the next iPad Mini - once it gets the better display and faster chip. Until then - I'm fine with my iPad2 and iPhone backup. I do still keep a local sectional since most of many of my flights are near my home aiport - I also keep close to updated (sometimes they are out of date) printouts of the apprachs into KGAI, KFDK, and KBWI in the airplane in case I have an issue, lose the iPad, iPhone, and just need to get down, again locally.

So, I'll get the GPS bluetooth device first for georeferancing on the iPad2 and iPhone and probably get the iPad Mini when the next one comes out.

Very excited about it.

-Seth

[M016576]

I have an iPad2 that I specifically purchased for sectionals/charts/plates because I was spending close to $300 to $350 per year on charts (you throw in a few long cross countries toward different areas and it gets expensive each year). In two years, even with a Foreflight subscription, the iPad paid for itself - plus I got an ipad!

I have been waiting for the iPad Mini as the original iPad is not as convenient size wise to mount in the Mooney cockpit. I'm a full convert however - I waited until the iPad2 to make a move into aviation and the iPad, and I admit, I love it. My guess is that Ram or some other company will come out with a mounting solution for the new iPad mini and it will work perfectly on the yoke. I will still keep my iPad2 as a backup, as well as my 3GS phone (which should but updated to the iPhone5 this week - it shipped a few days ago) - that's what I use now. I admit, to have an iPad Mini mounted on the yoke, an iPhone in my pocket, and the iPad2 I use in the cockpit for a passenger to use - it's amazing how passengers really love tracking where you are visually using the sectional on the iPad, that would be a nice setup. Also, I have not yet purchased a GPS device to bluetooth to the iPad/iPhone - I have no georeferancing on my device yet. I have a Garmin 430w and Aera 560 in the panel that are interconnected and take care of positioning, though I admit I should get some pereifial device sooner rather than later.

The fact that in turbulance or when I have someone else in the aircraft with me, to hand them the iPad or have it just sitting in the seat next to me - I don't like not having it mounted for some reason. The iPad Mini should be perfect for that. However, I'll probably wait until the next iPad Mini - once it gets the better display and faster chip. Until then - I'm fine with my iPad2 and iPhone backup. I do still keep a local sectional since most of many of my flights are near my home aiport - I also keep close to updated (sometimes they are out of date) printouts of the apprachs into KGAI, KFDK, and KBWI in the airplane in case I have an issue, lose the iPad, iPhone, and just need to get down, again locally.

So, I'll get the GPS bluetooth device first for georeferancing on the iPad2 and iPhone and probably get the iPad Mini when the next one comes out.

Very excited about it.

-Seth

That sounds like quite the iMooney (iMissile?)!

[Bennett]

Pesonally I am disappointed that Apple chose not to use the Retina display for the mini. I would assume that they will on the next itteration, and for what it is worth, the newest iPad (4?) comes very quickly (too quickly?) after the iPad 3. I would expect that one of the aviation software companies like ForeFlight will optimize a version to take advantage of the iPad 4's faster processor, or at least I would hope so. At this time I will wait to see if the iPad 4 really has a significant advantage over the iPad 3 before spending any money for new Apple products, and wait out the time untill the Mini has the Retina screen. I have both the orignial iPad and the iPad 3, and they serve my purposes well (at least for now). While the Garmin 796 is expensive, it is a wonderful tool, and quite a few pilots are using the yoke mount arrangement. I have mine in an AirGizmo panel mount, and while I have to lean over just a bit to the right to best read the screen, I think it is far superior as a dedicated aircraft tool than iPads, iPhones, and most likely the Mini. Just my opinion, of course, but I have had iPads switch apps in mid flight, go blank, and oterwise surprise me when I want to obtain data. Foreflight is good, as is the Jeppesen program, but I just use them for planning, and as a back up to the panel avionics.

[aviatoreb]

That sounds like quite the iMooney (iMissile?)!

Ditto with the iRocket. iM20K.

iThink. Therefore iAm.

iKnow, iKnow! Help! iCan't Stop iT!

[Seth]

That sounds like quite the iMooney (iMissile?)!

Haha - My older brother Ivan when he got his iPhone a few years ago was driving the old family van - we called it the I-Van.

He now drives a 4Runner and we call it the i - Runner.

-Seth

[Seth]

Pesonally I am disappointed that Apple chose not to use the Retina display for the mini. I would assume that they will on the next itteration, and for what it is worth, the newest iPad (4?) comes very quickly (too quickly?) after the iPad 3. I would expect that one of the aviation software companies like ForeFlight will optimize a version to take advantage of the iPad 4's faster processor, or at least I would hope so. At this time I will wait to see if the iPad 4 really has a significant advantage over the iPad 3 before spending any money for new Apple products, and wait out the time untill the Mini has the Retina screen. I have both the orignial iPad and the iPad 3, and they serve my purposes well (at least for now). While the Garmin 796 is expensive, it is a wonderful tool, and quite a few pilots are using the yoke mount arrangement. I have mine in an AirGizmo panel mount, and while I have to lean over just a bit to the right to best read the screen, I think it is far superior as a dedicated aircraft tool than iPads, iPhones, and most likely the Mini. Just my opinion, of course, but I have had iPads switch apps in mid flight, go blank, and oterwise surprise me when I want to obtain data. Foreflight is good, as is the Jeppesen program, but I just use them for planning, and as a back up to the panel avionics.

I agree (not iAgree) - I'm waiting until the next iteration of the iPad Mini that I'm sure will have the renta display as well as a faster processer. At that point my iPad2 may be on the slower side - and it is great right now, even though it's now two generations old.

-Seth

[Piloto]

Aren't data updates on the order of $500/year for a 796?

I only update the DB once a year for my 560 and 530. As a pilot you can validate expired data on your navigator the same way it was done 30 years ago on the Delco Carousel http://www.simufly.com/ins/images.html which don't even has a data base. 90% of my flights are the same routes already programmed on the GPS and the data never changes. You can get current approach charts from different websites (airnav) for free and use them to validate the data on your GPS. In the early days of onboard databases in navigators (FMS/INS/Omega/Loran) it was required to validate the data since there was no internet for data updates.

José

[mooniac58]

I will likely pick up a mini just because the regular ipad is too big to yoke mount and RAM already has a mini mount available. However, I really wish ForeFlight/Aspen would get their act together and develop on the Android platform. I would MUCH rather just go with a Google Galaxy Nexus tablet which costs less and blows the mini away in every way imaginable. I am just soooo tired of Apple stuff. But now that I have connected panel it is pretty much a requirement to have an EFB that can push the flight plan into my GPS. I will keep nagging Aspen

[TonyPynes]

Like a lot of others, I like the idea of the Mini IPad because it will fit on the yoke and not block panel. I have am IPAD 3 and a Samsung 7.7

The IPAD ram mounted on copilots yoke and the 7.7 can ram most on the pilots yoke nicely....but I am not enthusiastic about Android Apps so I don't use it. Instead I put y IPhone on the pilot yoke for now.

The problem that would stop me from buying the mini though is the ability to read plates on it. As an IR student the full size IPAD is perfect for plates....not sure the mini would be. Of course in training I print plates out and if that continues this would not be a problem.

I think I will try and read plates on my android and see how that looks.

I also think the ram mount for the 7.7 will fit the mini fine.

As for software I have both WingX and Foreflight. The next renewal I will drop WingX. The only feature it has I use is the program charts that can be flipped easily from one time period to th next....that really helps to give me an idea what is happening. YMMV

Plus for my IPAD 3 the WingX app is too slow....again..my opinion only.

[yvesg]

I would really like to hear from new mini iPad owners how well they can read plates in flight on it. I am thinking of getting an iPAD (my first) and if the plates can be read OK, it will be the mini.

Yves

C-FQKM

[mooniac58]

For what it is worth I can use a plate pretty effectively on an Aspen MFD display so I think as long as your eyes are in good shape you should be able to read plates on a 7" tablet ok.

Foreflight does not allow it yet but one of the EFBs I was checking out had a great feature to let you scribble over plates. This allows you to do things like write the MDA for your category/etc at the top with a crayon or underline critical parts of the plates for easy reference. Pretty handy ;-) I think this might have been Garmin Pilot since I know I was looking at it on the Galaxy Nexus 7 tablet.

[carusoam]

WingX has added the feature to write on the plates. I used it to circle key info like I did on paper...

-a-