ipad revolution
 

Forgive me if there is/was an active thread, I did a search prior to posting, but here it goes. The first time I was exposed to the ipad was about a year or so ago when a gentleman showed me an electronic version of sectional charts, a GPS etc. From the get go I was against the use of and the reliance of something "electronic" in the cockpit. I was then an owner of the iphone and knowing that it freezes sometimes, I stayed away from the ipad. Perhaps during the last six months or so, the pilot populace at the local FBO have been increasingly using ipads. From aircraft checklists, and GPS, to IFR charts, the ipad in the airplane is in full swing. Loaded with a miriard of cases and fancy kneepads, keyboards, the ipad has applications such as Foreflight, Wing X pro, Synthetic vision, and weather. The conversation as you all know is "wow this is really awesome, I never have to buy a sectional anymore." Even some airlines are catching up with the hype and from talking to a corporate pilot who uses an ipad, it undoubtedly does seem to be a very capable tool. Yes the ipad is great, it has sectionals, and very good for situational awareness with tools such as weather, moving maps etc. It has to be pointed out that the ipad will undoubtedly take away time spent outside the aircraft. Case in point. One of the CFIs checked if his ipad carrying student was looking outside while practicing maneuvers in the practice area. He flew about 500 ft. above the student's airplane and said "hello" to him on the CTAF. The student did not see him.

1. Does this cost (less time spent outside) outweigh the great benefits that the ipad offers?
2. Do student pilots still need to learn pilotage, dead reckoning, and the use of paper charts? After all VORs are becoming a rarity as we are moving towards an all GPS world.
3. Given the extreme rarity of a malfunction, is it OK to use such a tool as a primary means? (for the use of checklists, charts etc.)

I am not sure if I am a proponent of the ipad. I enjoy using VORs to navigate, folding maps, and to triangulate my position. The satisfaction I get from using my beat up plastic plotter to actually see how far away from a certain point etc. is amazing. With the ipad all one has to do is to touch that point and voilà there's your distance! Am I too old fashioned or is it about time I jump in with the ipad in the airplane bandwagon, is a decision I have yet to make...

On a side note, I was listening to NPR a few weeks ago about a broadcast on the touchscreen revolution. The thesis was that we as human beings receive an instant satisfaction by touching something and seeing an instantaneous result. It is very much similar to a satisfaction received by an infant. In addition, the program also talked about how constantly being able to keep in touch by the use of e-mail and facebook makes us addicted to the "touch".

I just got one for Christmas so I will hold my opinion for now.

As a side note, where are VOR's becoming a rarity?

My apologies, the word "rarity" was not a good choice. I fly in the East Coast and VORs are everywhere working in fine order. My point was that it seems we are increasingly moving towards a GPS world. In 20 years, I would imagine VORs would be a rarity just like NDBs are today. Again not saying it's a bad thing. Times are a changing, it is great to be a part of an ever evolving world in aviation. Do I sound sarcastic? I am 26 and I sound like a grandpa, perhaps being a CFI really makes me "old" :)


http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/te...tion-vors.html

PP -

What I doing it wrong or did I not have to look inside to read my sectional or approach plates before the new fangled IPad with charts came along? ;)

Matter of fact - I remember looking like I was trying to wallpaper the inside of the cockpit with my sectionals!

It is all how you use the tools given to you. Somebody can be just as heads down looking at an iPad as they can be with charts. People get their head's buried in the cockpit programming the FMS but you don't want to go back in time with that capability do you? Matter of fact - taking a scenario where I have a flight plan in my OLD style Trimble and the same flight plan on my ForeFlight program - I can receive, or chose a new routing myself, program and display that new navigational information much quicker on the iPad therefore actually spending LESS head's down time.

Btw - I'll pass on you compliments to the ACY and ATL offices and let them know that a user states that the VORs are working great on the east coast. We never get any GOOD feedback :D Don't worry. VORs are going to be around for quite some time!

USMCFLYR

USMCFLYER thanks, your comments makes absolute sense and I agree with you 100%. Heads down time can range from simply being inattentive, to burying your head in an electronic gizmo in the cockpit. The ipad has so many applications from free books to a plethora of help in situational awareness in the cockpit. To carry an AFD, charts, and plates and to use them in the cockpit can be quite a process and the ipad solves this problem. I might as well go ahead and make the purchase! My only fear is that the week after I get one they will come out with the ipad 3!

iPad 3 in March!!!

If you can learn how to use the technology then it can certainly be a help in cockpit organization. My neighbor is very good as using it and his crew recently did nearly a month of overseas flying (all three had tablets with ForeFlight) and they went completely paperless in the cockpit to include all of the paperwork associated with the job! I'm nowhere near that proficient and still like some paper up front, but I especially like to use the moving map to track position especially if operating around certain SUAS/heavy traffic areas/ or even a larger airport with a lot of runway/taxiway construction (recent example). I still carry all of the paper charts up front that I need for the particular day and a whole set of charts/pubs for the entire area that I have to cover.

USMCFLYR

I will never go back to paper. 10lbs of hard to search information, or the complete US(and more) right at your fingertips. That's only the tip of the iceberg in the aviation scheme of things. I have a few W&B stuff etc... Then there's the fact you don't need to drag an additional laptop to take care of things while on the ground.

I wasn't much of an apple fan until I got one of these(which I'm typing this from also). For me though, I can justify the cost because of my contract flying, otherwise I wouldn't own it.

That has absolutely nothing to do with the iPad and everything to do with the pilot.

What? You don't think that has the capacity to take your head out of the cockpit and into the kneeboard, charts and plotter in your or her lap any less than an iPad?

(Sorry! I didn't read USMC's post before typing)

I love it! I use it almost exclusively and I wish I had more flights for which to employ it further. My current students came to me with iPads and I have incorporated some iPad instruction into my curriculum. What helped me understand it's full potential was a "webinar" on AOPA's website a few months ago. You can look it up. Of course, I still rely on paper pubs for primary instruction, but once the basics are covered, I get into the operation of the electronics.

One particular disadvantage to the iPad is that there is no legend on any of the charts. I keep a TAP, low altitude en route chart and VFR sectional legend on my kneeboard. Beyond that, I think the iPad is invaluable. Once you learn all of the features and functions, organizing your cockpit is totally intuitive. Just don't drop it! keep your information updated and be sure to thoroughly pre-flight it just like the aircraft.