Next time I'd get the iPad mini and either a joke mount, or a suction mount for stick-equipped aircraft. Or maybe one of those integrated kneeboard thingies.
My current iPad 2 simply lives on my lap or on the coaming. I have changed the settings so that the little slide knob on the side locks the screen orientation (default setting of this knob is to mute the audio), and I have a Kensington Blackbelt plus a generic screen protector to make sure it doesn't get damaged easily.