IPAD article

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An iPad in Every Student’s Flight Bag?
By Scott Spangler on August 7th, 2012
At every turn, it seemed that everyone at EAA AirVenture 2012 had an Apple iPad, except me and one or two others. Aviation apps were hot items this year, and several of them would make effective, essential tools for pilots in training.

First up is Jeppesen’s new e-book versions of its well-respected pilot and maintenance technician manuals. They are starting with the private pilot and mechanic texts, but in due time all will be available at the Apple iBookstore. The library weighs nothing and once downloaded, accessing each volume using the iPad full suite of features doesn’t require an Internet connection. When they begin instrument training, students should consider Jepp’s Mobile FliteDeck new Version 2.0. Among other features it provides a paperless cockpit, and its announcement coincided with new JeppView nav data subscriptions that offer greater flexibility and economy.

More important for students is Lightspeed’s FlightLink app for its new Zulu.2 ANR headset. Connected to the headset battery box by a cable, the free app is a cockpit voice recorder that records the entire flight (or other specified time) and gives instant recall of the last 2 minutes by touching the appropriate point on the narrow graphic audio display on the left side of the screen. The rest of the screen is a digital scratch pad, as Lightspeed’s Teresa De Mers demonstrates here.

Some may consider this app nice to have but not essential. If you’re a student at any level, think again. But back in the microcassette days I learned first hand that recording every flight lesson was an invaluable tool that made every flight more educationally productive. Let’s face it, like all students who are learning to fly a real, live, vibrating, noisy airplane in the air with other airplanes nearby, I was only half listening to the important things my CFI was telling me.

By listening to the tape after each lesson, I didn’t need to repeat the flight—and the mistakes—until I finally heard her. Once was enough. This app is way better than my old microcassette recorder, and the Zulu.2 ANR headset is not only light and effective, it comfortably fit my big ears and fat head. A cable connects the iPad to the Zulu.2’s battery box, and the audio quality is superb, complete with the headset’s ComPriority and Bluetooth connectivity for streaming stereo music or phone connections.

To answer the headline’s question, yes, an iPad should be in every student pilot’s flight bag, and from what I saw at AirVenture, that doesn’t mean students will have to buy one, they just need to bring it along. –Scott

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 7th, 2012 at 12:36 am and is filed under Airports, Aviation Marketing, aviation safety, Blogging, Flight Training, General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

5 Responses to “An iPad in Every Student’s Flight Bag?”
Tom Says:

August 7th, 2012 at 4:21 pm
I do not understand why the industry has such an extraordinary focus on iPad apps while disregarding Android based devices. More than 50% of consumers using Smartphones and tablets choose Android. The aviation focus on Apple is leaving more than 50% of potential users without similar tools.

Dennis Says:

August 7th, 2012 at 5:11 pm
Android functionality is much better than apples…. an Ipad is 40% made by samsung for example… and that includes the beutiful screen on the ipad.

Pierre Says:

August 8th, 2012 at 8:16 am
@Tom : here lies your answer :
http://ww1.jeppesen.com/company/newsroom/articles.jsp?newsURL=news/newsroom/2012/Oshkosh_Samsung_Galaxy_MobileTC_NR.jsp

there is so little standardisation amongst Android-using machines that an editor has to specify *two* models for which they developped the application….

It’s just the same with Windows /rest-of-the-world for PCS…

@williamAirways Says:

August 8th, 2012 at 10:44 am
Tom, it’s a matter of time before industry players catch on that there’s more than just the iPad fad that’s out there in the playing field. iPad entered the market first, so it made sense that they would be supported first. It’ll happen, no worries. Apple has been losing market share in the mobile devices space as Android is proving to be a more capable, desirable, and affordable platform.

Dean Says:

August 8th, 2012 at 10:51 am
Re: “I do not understand why the industry has such an extraordinary focus on iPad apps while disregarding Android based devices. More than 50% of consumers using Smartphones and tablets choose Android. The aviation focus on Apple is leaving more than 50% of potential users without similar tools.”

Many app developers have said that Android fragmentation, operating system versions, multiple screen sizes, etc. are reasons they concentrate on iPad and iPhone apps. Apparently, writing iOS apps is more profitable for developers, as well. I know several Android users who have recently switched to an iPad or iPhone, but I don’t know anyone who has done the opposite.

http://www.jetwhine.com/2012/08/an-ipad-in-every-students-flight-bag/

[RenBabcock]

I prefer foreflight and use a kneedock (google for this, about $30 from sporty's) for my ipad in flight.

I have used both Garmin Pilot and Foreflight. I dropped Garmin for one big reason - the lack of a 'scratchpad'. I use the kneedock (available from sporty's and other pilot shops for $30) and strap the ipad to my knee. With the scratchpad I have a complete kneeboard available for writing transponder codes, copying clearances etc... If you use garmin pilot, you'll need a separate clipboard or notepad to perform these functions.

One nice thing about the garmin is a simulated HSI which is useful for navigating in VFR aircraft like the 152's.