Best GPS/Tablet for helicopter use.
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Best GPS/Tablet for helicopter use.
Hello to all
I´m flying in a helicopter that has one very basic GPS, and i´m thinking of getting a tablet (ipad) to use for GPS, routing and planing.
Does anyone use a tablet as GPS for flight ?
If so what tablet do you guys use and what apps you use?
I was looking at the apple ipad 5, but would like to have some feedback.
Thank you
Regards
I´m flying in a helicopter that has one very basic GPS, and i´m thinking of getting a tablet (ipad) to use for GPS, routing and planing.
Does anyone use a tablet as GPS for flight ?
If so what tablet do you guys use and what apps you use?
I was looking at the apple ipad 5, but would like to have some feedback.
Thank you
Regards
Hi,
I have an iPad mini 4 with 128 GB and important, cellular (otherwise it won’t have an inbuild GPS chip).
Its attached to my kneeboard with a case, so I can still use paper and pencil (I get my missions on paper anyway).
Tested Garmin, which runs, but using AirNavigation (cheaper subscription) and starts very fast.
Added a proper pdf Editor/Viewer for storing all the checklists (with search functionality through the documents)
With a data sim installed I have access to weather, notams, can file a flightplan, all while on the go ��
We have USB ports in our helicopter but I also have a smal powerbank in my bag, but really didn’t needed it.
I added the „assistive touch point“ to the screen, which enables me to switch of the screen easily, when not needed, to extend battery use.
I have an iPad mini 4 with 128 GB and important, cellular (otherwise it won’t have an inbuild GPS chip).
Its attached to my kneeboard with a case, so I can still use paper and pencil (I get my missions on paper anyway).
Tested Garmin, which runs, but using AirNavigation (cheaper subscription) and starts very fast.
Added a proper pdf Editor/Viewer for storing all the checklists (with search functionality through the documents)
With a data sim installed I have access to weather, notams, can file a flightplan, all while on the go ��
We have USB ports in our helicopter but I also have a smal powerbank in my bag, but really didn’t needed it.
I added the „assistive touch point“ to the screen, which enables me to switch of the screen easily, when not needed, to extend battery use.
iPad (with an X-naut cooling mount) + SkyDemon + Helipaddy
I suggest also an Aera 660 in case iPad fails - depends what is in the heli now and whether you like to have printed charts with you. FLARM Portable is nice to have but adds £2k.
I suggest also an Aera 660 in case iPad fails - depends what is in the heli now and whether you like to have printed charts with you. FLARM Portable is nice to have but adds £2k.
I use an ipad mini 4 (ipad 5 mini recently released), non cellular with FlightAWARE for GPS and adsb feeds. I also have a Garmin Go gps portable unit as a backup to the pilotaware.
I use skydemon but have used runwayhd. both very good, I prefer RunwayHD for the CAA chart overlay. Skydemon will submit a flightplan for you if required.
At work I use the ipad mini 5 in the machine which is considerably faster with good battery life but you could pickup a cheaper used ipad4 mini and have the battery replaced for less. You could also pickup an android tablet for considerably less brand new, skydemon has the same functionality on android as it does apple ios.
I use an ANKER power core 20100 for external power and a RAM Mount to stick the ipad on the screen, single sucker never fallen off. The anker has never run out of power on me yet, even on long flights, its a beast but quite portable.
I use skydemon but have used runwayhd. both very good, I prefer RunwayHD for the CAA chart overlay. Skydemon will submit a flightplan for you if required.
At work I use the ipad mini 5 in the machine which is considerably faster with good battery life but you could pickup a cheaper used ipad4 mini and have the battery replaced for less. You could also pickup an android tablet for considerably less brand new, skydemon has the same functionality on android as it does apple ios.
I use an ANKER power core 20100 for external power and a RAM Mount to stick the ipad on the screen, single sucker never fallen off. The anker has never run out of power on me yet, even on long flights, its a beast but quite portable.
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My thoughts exactly: where are you? As Mike points out, Foreflight is the king in the US, but Garmin Pilot is a very close second. If you are an Android person instead of an iOS person then Garmin Pilot is by far the best (and most expensive 
) choice. Pilot has come a long way in the last couple of years on the Android platform (which is what I use) and now has logging, weight & balance, and a bunch of other stuff that was only available on iOS for a long time.
) choice. Pilot has come a long way in the last couple of years on the Android platform (which is what I use) and now has logging, weight & balance, and a bunch of other stuff that was only available on iOS for a long time.
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Basically just collecting info about options. I´m not a Android or IOS gruppy. I can work ...or learn to work with both.
Just has to be a reliable tablet and GPS software.
I´ve been looking at the new IPAD 5 mini, i think its a good size for a cockpit, although the price is high, i´m considering the investment.
Thanks all for your inputs
Safe landings
https://www.apple.com/ipad-mini/specs/
I second the positive comments from those before me on:
- RAM single sucker (would have never thought how well it works)
- Anker 20100 mAh
- SkyDemon
- RunwayHD
For portable (non-certified) traffic awareness the combination of PilotAware receiver (for peer-to-peer ADS-B In, TPX C/S, Flarm and its own PAW), filtered for relevance by and displayed in SkyDemon (including verbal traffic and airspace alerts) is the best. This should work anywhere in the world.
Please note that while a TCAS screen can run as a sub-window in the nav software on your tablet, you'd really want to try running the traffic alerts on a separate tablet in line of sight (could be a mini tablet).
And reserving your main tablet computer for GPS moving map/route planning, etc. As the latter requires frequent touch input (panning, zooming, look-up, etc.) you may want to strap it to your leg. MyClip is the lightest, and least bulky 'knee strap' that I would use for that purpose.
- RAM single sucker (would have never thought how well it works)
- Anker 20100 mAh
- SkyDemon
- RunwayHD
For portable (non-certified) traffic awareness the combination of PilotAware receiver (for peer-to-peer ADS-B In, TPX C/S, Flarm and its own PAW), filtered for relevance by and displayed in SkyDemon (including verbal traffic and airspace alerts) is the best. This should work anywhere in the world.
Please note that while a TCAS screen can run as a sub-window in the nav software on your tablet, you'd really want to try running the traffic alerts on a separate tablet in line of sight (could be a mini tablet).
And reserving your main tablet computer for GPS moving map/route planning, etc. As the latter requires frequent touch input (panning, zooming, look-up, etc.) you may want to strap it to your leg. MyClip is the lightest, and least bulky 'knee strap' that I would use for that purpose.
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I use Garmin Pilot on an iPad Mini 5 with a Verizon SIM with a MyClip and it is adequate for planning and VFR flight in the North East. I do pay the extra subscription for the IFR charts but not really sure why. It connects wirelessly to the GDL39B 3D for traffic and weather (though often too low for the latter). The AHARS allows for an interesting panel or synthetic vision display but I never use it (perhaps because it involves looking down at my thigh too much, and not sure if I would want to if IIMC).
I mainly use it for automated flight logging and recording GPS track (with flight detection thresholds at all their minimums) but irritatingly it always fails to log the last few minutes of the last approach, landing and taxi in. Some alerts are super annoying and require clicking or swiping to get rid of (e.g., low battery, safe taxi) and autozoom is useless. Not really a UI that's much good when two hands are needed for flying.
I much preferred the old 696 I used in the fixed wing, but that is really too heavy for knee board use (though you can get one).
David
I mainly use it for automated flight logging and recording GPS track (with flight detection thresholds at all their minimums) but irritatingly it always fails to log the last few minutes of the last approach, landing and taxi in. Some alerts are super annoying and require clicking or swiping to get rid of (e.g., low battery, safe taxi) and autozoom is useless. Not really a UI that's much good when two hands are needed for flying.
I much preferred the old 696 I used in the fixed wing, but that is really too heavy for knee board use (though you can get one).
David
Europe: I use an iPad Mini 5 (as mentioned before, cellular model is required for standalone GPS receiving) and wear it in a kneeboard - Skydemon is definitely the quickest and most intuitive VFR application, however I know that AirNavigationPro is another option although it isn't the most "polished" application. RunwayHD is also popular but I haven't used it much so cannot comment specifically on it.
Just looking at Skydemon's charts page; it covers the following African areas: Bostwana, DR Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe. If that suits you, I'd say go for it.
Just looking at Skydemon's charts page; it covers the following African areas: Bostwana, DR Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe. If that suits you, I'd say go for it.
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I mainly use it for automated flight logging and recording GPS track (with flight detection thresholds at all their minimums) but irritatingly it always fails to log the last few minutes of the last approach, landing and taxi in. Some alerts are super annoying and require clicking or swiping to get rid of (e.g., low battery, safe taxi) and autozoom is useless. Not really a UI that's much good when two hands are needed for flying.
Auto zoom only works under a very specific set of circumstances. You must put in a full route, i.e. depart from A and fly to B, have the unit in Garmin map mode (not Sectional or some other raster product), and have clicked the "zoom to aircraft" icon. I have to agree that is a bit annoying. However, it does work if you do those steps. Finally, I don't have "automatic safe-taxi" turned on. It's dopey and doesn't show things in a good way, and again it doesn't work when in raster map mode, only Garmin vector map mode. And in vector mode the auto-zoom (or manual zoom) gets you to the level of SafeTaxi detail anyway.
