iPad Mini

[alland2012]

Used to fly with the regular iPad but changed to the iPad mini as soon as it was available purely for space saving.
Foreflight is my chosen app.

My flying is mainly in Florida never had any iPad overheating issues even in the middle of the very hot summer

[ChickenHouse]

Just to share some actual experience - I had my first flight with a GNS2000 and iPhone 6 Plus. As a result my old combo iPhone + iPad Mini will go away (and the Jeppesen subscriptions as well, without iPhone support they will be useless). For me, the 5.5 screen of the 6 Plus is an even better match in my small cockpit and performance was just awesome.

[FlyingOfficerKite]

I would love to hear from anybody who has used an iPad Mini when flying - especially in a PA28. Sky Demon will work on an iPad Mini, but I would like to know how usable the device is in the aircraft.

I've used it for a year now in a PA28 with no problems whatsoever.

Battery seems to last (exactly) 5 hours when navigating, from a full charge.

Only caught out once with the battery - but simply switched to my iPhone 5 to complete the trip.

[thing]

There aren't any problems as such with the mini but the iPhone 5 is so much more convenient. You look at all the fiddly stuff on Skydemon and think 'well I might want to change route midway and see what the fuel price is in Iceland' but truth be told, 99% of the time you just need the purple string to glance at now and again. I'm not knocking the functionality of SD, it's an amazing bit of kit but having had the mini stuck in front of me and the iPhone I know which I prefer. But each to their own preference.

[FlyingOfficerKite]

There aren't any problems as such with the mini but the iPhone 5 is so much more convenient.

No there aren't, but you do lose some functionality with the iPhone 5 - and the screen can be a bit small for some.

I've used an iPhone 5, iPad Mini and seen a normal iPad in use and all users have been happy with those products coupled with Skydemon.

[sascha410]

Legality behind using electronic flight bag

can anyone tell me what does it take to legally use iPad for navigation/IFR.
thanks a lot in advance.

[robin]

Duh

It isn't illegal to use them, so therefore it is legal.

But take a chart along as well and you've covered all the bases

[sascha410]

Thank you for your answer. I would love to have the old fashion paper charts but my operator chose not to have them, we just got the mini iPad and I am trying to see are we legal or not.

[Johnm]

The regulations state that you must have all the navigation and other information reasonably required for the safe execution of the flight. It does not specify the medium on which it is to be delivered. Many people now dispense with paper, me included.

[Cusco]

I use the full-size iPad but when this croaks I'm switching to the iPad mini.

Call me old-fashioned if you like but I wouldn't leave the ground (including IFR) without paper charts covering the full the route I'm planning.

There is nothing like a paper chart to give an instant overview of a route and any potential complications

Our a/c was ramp checked at Texel last year and the Dutch Feds were most insistent to see a current chart (which was present in the a/c).

Cusco

[BackPacker]

Our a/c was ramp checked at Texel last year and the Dutch Feds were most insistent to see a current chart (which was present in the a/c).

The Accepted Means of Compliance (AMCs) to EASA-NCO (or something like that) specifically states that electronic solutions (for charts, maps, approach plates and whatnot) are acceptable, as long as availability is assured. In other words: You have to have a backup if your primary device packs up.

As an aside: If you have the 2015 Dutch ICAO paper map, now is a good time to annotate it. Late last June, all Military CTRs changed to 8.33 channel spacing and as a consequence, their frequencies changed. This means the 2015 paper map is now technically outdated already, unless it's annotated with the new frequencies. So in this particular case, a paper map that's only updated once a year is a worse solution than electronic maps.

[M-ONGO]

can anyone tell me what does it take to legally use iPad for navigation/IFR.
thanks a lot in advance.

It is not legal to use an iPad for IFR navigation.. It's at best just for improved SA.

[A and C]

Multi Action Paper

While I am using the iPad I also carry a paper device that can be used to shied the avionics from the sun when parked, swat insects, contain vomit, and block drafts. it also has navigational information on it.

No pilot should fly without a Multi Action Paper device........ batterys are not needed !

[Johnm]

For IFR you need an approved RNAV compliant device such as Garmin GTN x50, but there's nothing to stop you using Skydemon on an ipad alongside it, I do that all the time.