iPads
 

Something to think about. We go flying with our iPads fully charged and OzRunways doing its thing.

Last weekend the ground temperature was around 15 degrees and around 10 degrees at the level I was flying. iPad strapped to my right leg and the sun streaming through the window when a message appeared that the iPad was shutting off to cool down. Not the sort of thing you'd expect.

I am not sure it is that unusual.
Happened to me on a flight last year on a not too warm day in Southern state. At cruise height was maybe low 20's C. IPad strapped to my thigh and in sun.
I held back of it up to air vent for a couple of minutes and it was ok again. After that just shaded it from direct sun.
Still, I also have a hand held Garmin that is not running but can be up and running rapidly as back up.
Interesting that yours was about 10c ambient.

What model of iPads were you all using?

Might help if we could get an idea if which ones in particular are more likely to overheat.

Remember, iPads are built primarily for domestic use, otherwise it would be much more expensive than it already is.

The iPad may very well be consumer orientated, and priced accordingly, but it is approved by the FAA, EASA, CASA, CAA and just about every regulatory body you can name for use as an Electronic Flight Bag in Airline Operations.

Failures would be more likely from ones use of the item, rather than the device itself.

However, good advice regarding what happens when it is left to bask in the sun.

Mine is an iPad Air.

IPad Mini 2.
I think the problem is sun plus iPad attached to thigh so little/less air circulating around the metal back, which is what you can feel gets very warm if unit about to shut down due overheating. Less likely if in a cradle such as suction mounted someother way rather than on thigh mount. This is my theory - no proof, but iPad in my case felt warm to hot at metal rear case.

Not long ago, I was using my iPad to play a game. I was in an air conditioned room at the time. After about 15mins, the iPad informed me it was shutting down due to being too hot.
It must have been using a lot of processing power.
That has never happened before, nor has it happened again!

To get iPads approved as an EFB for our operation I had to outline a system of response if the iPad overheated and a subsequent fire started. It was recommended by my FOI that we carry "Lipo-safe" bags and leather gloves in each aircraft to handle and stow the iPad should this occur.

Airlines around the world use the iPad, in this region QANTAS, amongst others, use the product.

CASA Published CAAP 233-1(1) regarding using the iPad as an EFB.

IMO that document is one of the easiest publications to read on the subject. The one by NZ CAA is equally as good.

The product is excellent, just follow the advice issued by the regulator.

I just love FOI's that make "recommendations".

They have no basis in regulation most of the time, just the opinion of one or two people, or worse still the product of group think where they sit around in the district office dreaming up ****.

Yet they hold the AOC holder to ransom with ncn's or whatever they call them these days and play silly games.

There are some good FOI's but there are also a good number of not so good ones.

Part 61 is littered with group think stupidity.

Got nothing to do with iPads but I can just see a FOI cracking the sads because you didn't take up their "suggestion". Lids on cups springs to mind....those that know will understand that particular reference.

True but they ensure that there are three up to date iPads onboard so that there is redundancy ( and three times the risk of one having a problem :) )

iPads in the sun suffer from two related heat issues. Firstly, and most obviously, they heat up from the radiant heat. Secondly, and less obviously, the iPad automatically turns its screen brightness up to the max, requiring a lot more power, which heats them up from the inside. Add to that something which requires a lot of processing power and things are always going to end badly, or at least pause temporarily.

True, but it's not what you think. The FAA did a three month trial in a big jet's cockpit environment, then EASA, CASA and the CAA followed like lemmings after the report was published.

There is also some merit to the rumour of choosing Apple over other players in that it was to the benefit of the US economy.

iPads are consumer grade items, being an Apple product they are generally a cut above the rest but they are still consumer grade nonetheless.

Little (or maybe a lot) off topic but an article about iPhones, it may have been version 6, were squawking "too hot" during day time temperatures in Texas, USA last year. Temps were mid 30s°C+ which sort of indicates that the iPads will have a similar temp sensor in them as well. Direct sunlight will cause the little suckers to heat up quite quickly and trip the sensor. Direct sunlight can also be an issue on a CAVU day during winter.

A bracket mount that can shade the device and still locate it in an easy to view position could solve the shut down heat issue. I am surprised there isn't such a bracket specifically for bug smashers of various shapes and sizes.

I would be interested to know if anyone, particularly any GA charter operators in Australia have gone pretty much paperless and are now using iPads as EFBs.

If so, what challenges have you identified from a functional standpoint and what kind of view do CASA have on the use of the EFBs when they do audits and ramp checks?

Noting that CAAP 233 is only advisory and not legislation.

prior to having 2 ipads on board, i took screen shots of route, then printed them off. Casa approved this method at a ramp check.
Running ozrun......drags a lot of power, hence heat. One can help reduce power usage by clearing any background apps lingering in the background.
Have seen a "mod" that creates an air space between thigh and ipad, chap said it helped as well.

Re heat I have had them shut down due this.
I am now using a portable power bank under the thigh strap of my Ipad knee mount as it raises ipad off thigh, and also gives a secondary power supply for longer days going somewhere. Not ideal and not tested yet in hot weather, but may help.

To answer Duck,

We had to produce EFB policy & procedures manual for CASA acceptance and subsequently received a letter of approval.

The aircraft has an EO for the fitting of an Ipad on each side of the cockpit with a dual USB power port on each side of the cockpit.

Each Ipad is 4G and has software for flight planning, W&B, naips, etc. Crew can lodge and re-file flightplans on the go, can download latest WX & notam, more importantly email the digital copy of the W&B back to our ops desk before departure. Included is access to AOM, AFM, MEL etc.

This has allowed us to rid the aircraft of paper and is a god send. In addition to this we also carry an ipad mini in the cockpit that has all company documents and aircraft approvals digital, COA, COR, Insurances, everything including the EFB approval.

CASA have accepted that we can maintain document control in this manner and meet the requirements. We have yet to have a SAFA ramp check and I think this will be interesting as in some places outside of Oz authorities have requested "Certified Originals".:ok:

The challenge was dealing with an FOI who understood the concept, it really came down to a "chicken & egg" scenario, cant use the EFB until you have the approval, cant get the approval until everything is in place. Eventually we ran with paper and EFB for about 6 months and proved no issues until we ditched the paper jepps.

We hung onto paper enroutes for about another 3 months but they have gone too now. We have not had any overheating issues re sunlight at all.

In my company we use iPads as display screens for other equipment, this requires it to be in an easy to view position which means on the dash and subsequently means they get a lot of heat from the sun causing the warning message to display, easy fix is just to stick a sun reflector on the top of it to stop direct sunlight and no heating issues whatsoever.

My personal tablet is an Android and attaches to my kneepad, when in direct sunlight it gets extremely warm, I've have it refuse to recharge once and subsequently have been more conscious about using our aircrafts Sun Visors to keep the direct sunlight off it and have since had no problems at all.