Very basic question here, but with Black Friday approaching I don’t want to make the wrong move. Is there a big preference over the iPad 9.7” and the iPad Pro 11”?? I was gonna go with the smaller cheaper one, but my laptop broke and I’m thinking of getting the 11” and turning it into my laptop as well… thoughts?
Wesley,
It depends on what you’re going to use your ipad for. If you’re going to be using it as an electronic flight bag in the airplane, go with the 9.7”. Space around the instrument panel and glare shield is already limited. An 11” ipad would limit flight control movement.
Tory
I went with the regular iPad and it gets in the way of flight controls at times if it is open and on the lap. Go the iPad mini route if able.
The new 11” ipad and the 9.7” are almost identical in size. The 11 is just a tad bit wider and taller but they weigh the same. I personally went with the 11 myself.
Are you able to mount the 9.7” and the 11” so that they do not get in the way of flight controls? I’ve seen some people doing this with the mini
After second look, it appears that the 11” is almost the same size. The edge to edge screen is what makes it 11”. Never used a mount in a GA airplane before. So, I can’t say if it will be a problem. A knee pad will work. Like Sergey, I’m personally a mini fan.
Tory
The size difference is minimal so the 11 in isn’t a bad idea. It makes it more practical for studying and shouldn’t be an issue in the plane. I’ve seen people use yoke mounts that keep it out of the way, or a suction cup mount - not a big fan of those as they tend to slightly block your view outside.
I would go with the mini as well. I have an iPad Pro 9.7 and it does get in the way of the instruments even with a yoke mount. The mini is the better choice for size in the 172 and the Seminole.
Thanks for the input. I’ll definitely take it into consideration. The mini would be an easy choice for me, if it weren’t for me also needing a new computer which my iPad could double as… but I may just buy a new PC and get the mini if it is that much better for flying!
I haven’t had in issue with the iPad 9.7” personally, I’m in the smaller side though. Only 5’6”. My instructor uses the mini
I haven’t seen anyone amongst my fellow students or CFIs use a mount yet. Most just have a knee board set up of some sort. I’m 6’0” and my regular iPad gets hit by the yoke sometimes when I have it open on my lap. I do sit pretty high up in the cockpit though… Mini was on sale at Best Buy today for $300 and up.
In one of the welcome emails from ATP when I enrolled in October stated that they recommend the iPad mini, 32 GB (WiFi+cellular). That’s different from the ATP website, but maybe they’ve recently changed their recommendations. That’s what I’m going to go with. Also, the lead instructor at my location uses a mini.
I use an iPad Mini and I started using a RAM yoke mount with it when I started instructing. The mount fits in both the Skyhawks and Seminoles that we have at my location. I can’t speak for the Archer, but I’m sure it would fit in that as well. It doesn’t get in the way of any controls or instruments, but I’m also sitting in the right seat, so it might be different on the left side. The great thing about a yoke mount, if you choose to go that route, is that it keeps my charts, instrument plates, and traffic right in front of my face at all times, so I don’t have to keep my head down as much if I’m looking at something on the screen. I know most of ATP’s planes have traffic included with the avionics, but I bought a Stratux ADS-B device that I keep in my backpack in the back seat, which gives me back-up traffic on my iPad via Foreflight, and I love having it.
What kind of iPad mini can I get? I wanted to get a smaller iPad but didn’t see mini as one of the options so I went with the 9.7 model. I literally bought it few minutes ago but maybe I can still have it changed.
Check ATP’s website, they recommend which one to purchase.
Michelle,
I would get series 2, 3 or 4 with 32GB or more with WiFi and cellular.
Tory
2 Likes
note that if you have a stratus or gps type device (you do not need the cellular)
Kyle, how is that Stratux working out for you? I’m considering buying one vs the Stratus 3.
I love it! In fact, I almost can’t remember what it was like flying before I had it! lol It enhances my situational awareness with traffic significantly. I know almost all of ATP’s planes have either TIS or ADS-B traffic built in to the avionics, but I usually find it easier to reference where exactly another plane is off my iPad screen. That’s especially true of a lot of the Seminoles where you have to reference traffic location/distance off the tiny Garmin G430 screen. Some Seminoles have the more advanced Lynx transponders with traffic that is slightly better, but I still prefer the iPad/Stratux combo. Also, in my experience, ADS-B traffic is a lot more reliable than TIS traffic. With the airplanes that use TIS, it can cut in and out several times during a flight.
The only “hassle” with the Stratux is that I have to sort of assemble and disassemble the thing before and after every flight, but it’s really not that bad. I’m usually able to do it pretty quickly while my student is finishing up the pre-flight inspection. The assembly just requires screwing in the two antennae and plugging it into a power source, and then I keep it in a side pocket of my backpack. In my opinion, that’s still worth saving several hundred dollars compared to the Stratus 3.
I did recently buy a new battery pack to power my Stratux. I believe it comes with a 6,000 mAh battery that I found to last somewhere between 4-5 hours, but I upgraded to an Anker 20,000 mAh pack that can last several days of heavy use.
The other features of the Stratux are ADS-B weather, which is mainly just METARs and TAFs, which I use occasionally on longer X/C flights; and the other built in AHRS, which I haven’t needed to use, nor do I ever hope that I NEED it, but it’s nice to know that it’s there in case an instrument ever breaks in IMC.
1 Like
Thanks Kyle! Good to get a review from an unbiased source. I think I need to get one purchased.
Any reception issues with it riding in your backpack in the back seat? I would like to just have it on the side of the bag. I think an Anker power bank is a good upgrade for it and can potentially save your bacon if you don’t carry a battery back up and your iPad battery goes out.