Electronic Flight Bag

[Eclipse]

As an MO I use a kneeboard setup vs. the yoke mount.

I don't want anything near that yoke on my side.

I am the most ginger radio button presser in all of CAP.

[planenut767]

I'm in the same boat as you in that I'm exploring options for Android based flight programs. Right now I'm using a trial version of Garmin Pilot and so far seems pretty good. Some other ones out there that I know of are Avilution, Naviator, Avare, and Wing X. I also have PDF copies of the gridded sectionals loaded on there as well.

[blackrain]

If you are going to buy one of these, recommend you consider size. I have flown with guys using IPads and Androids. Size matters. I have observed the 10" are almost too big for our small cockpits. Those that have the 7 or 8" tablets spend less time chasing it around the cockpit. The small ones will fit on a knee board and you can get mounts for yoke, etc. Something to consider before purchase.

Should I go VHS or Beta.......decisions...decisions.... this all sounds familiar

After trying a fellow CAP pilot's Ipad with Foreflight (he flies part 135) and for the reasons stated above.....

I'm looking at the Ipad mini ......with Foreflight. I was sold when I realized how much easier it is to read, especially in a dark cockpit. Flipping through a paper chart under the hood can be a real pain too...along with whole lot of other advantages.

Another thing is I see is eventually a dominant system will rise to the top and support for competing systems will fall off.......and I think the Ipad will dominate in the end whether I like it or not.

[Garibaldi]

If you are going to buy one of these, recommend you consider size. I have flown with guys using IPads and Androids. Size matters. I have observed the 10" are almost too big for our small cockpits. Those that have the 7 or 8" tablets spend less time chasing it around the cockpit. The small ones will fit on a knee board and you can get mounts for yoke, etc. Something to consider before purchase.

Should I go VHS or Beta.......decisions...decisions.... this all sounds familiar

Beta is the up and coming thing. I also forsee a company called Microsoft creating a portable music player that can hold more than 2000 songs that will be all the rage.
Datsun will be an industry leader in cars.
MCI will supplant AT&T in the telecom industry.
And the WB and UPN will be better than CBS, NBC and ABC.

[Cliff_Chambliss]

On the subject of mounts for the full size Ipad (or other tablet): 
First  let me say this is not an endorsement for any specific brand or source.

A problem I see with most yoke mounts is pilots tend to mount the tablet above the yoke which presents a set of challenges to seeing all the instruments, center stack, etc.  Also, having the tablet above the yoke has the effect of adding weight and arm to the yoke which adds to increased workload especially in the roll.

Solutions: 
Knee Board.  This works for some folks, but is not the answer for those who move the seat up and forward to the extent the knee board would conflict with control movement.

Floor (Seat Rail) Mount:  These mount on the seat rail and can be mounted in the center between the crew members, or on the outer seat rail next to the sidewall.  Generally more expensive and bulky when moving from airplane to airplane.

Yoke Mount (Version b):  Picking on RAM Mounts here as it's the one I use:  Get the extended 5inch arm and a double ball connector.  The mount can then be mounted under the yoke column and the tablet placed in front of the yoke with the top of the table at the same level as the top of the yoke.  Also, depending on the padding style of the yoke, the tablet may be tilted towards the horizontal.  No additional weight suspended over the yoke, instrument panel views are not blocked, entire mount can still be carried inside most flight bags.

[JeffDG]

I have the RAM mount, and the windscreen suction cup works fine, I can put it off to the side, regardless which seat I'm in, and it works pretty well.  Never had it drop off.

[Mustang]

Off topic but the Wing should also not be looking at device specific solutions.  To the best extent possible, solutions should be device agnostic.  Of course, such an approach would require a technology strategy....but I digress.

Unlike, oh, say, the Air Force--which supplies their crews with iPads and Foreflight now....

[Eclipse]

Unlike, oh, say, the Air Force--which supplies their crews with iPads and Foreflight now....

Yep.  Exactly.

An interesting conundrum - the American company charges 2-3 times what the product should cost,
and the major competitor is a foreign company.  Scylla and charybdis

Just like the camera issue with AP, when CAP is prepared to hand the crews the equipment,
they can choose whatever they want.   If the expectation is "BYO", then the solution needs to
be platform agnostic.

[blackrain]

Well I got to use my IPAD Mini with Foreflight in the clouds yesterday and I have to say it made things a whole lot easier during a busy approach. I will add that taking a couple of weeks beforehand playing with the IPAD and getting used to all it's features made things easier.

[Robborsari]

I have just started using the fltplan.com EFB app.  It is free for IOS and Android and it does include moving map and CAP grids.  It is good so far.

[Cliff_Chambliss]

meanwhile a small tidbit all but buried in the news is that Apple is abandoning the IPad Mini.  In fact they are bringing out an even larger 12" screen.  The 10" and the 9.7 inch screenswill be the IPad mainstays and the mini is being dropped due to the next IPhone size being increased and Apple would like to see the larger brick  oops I mean Iphone replace the mini.  The article I read also stated the next update will be the last for the "old" Ipad 2. 
Stay tuned Sports fans  a lot of pilots are going to be flying with a lot of orphaned IPads.  Isn't planned obsolescence a wonderful thing?

[Майор Хаткевич]

Source?


https://gigaom.com/2014/11/08/how-the-ipad-mini-became-apples-middle-child/

[Eclipse]

For pilots the mini is a good choice, but for the general populace probably not going to be flying off the shelves.

Devs, however, are stuck with it for the next 3-5 years depending on Apple's life cycle, and will have
to accommodate the anemic specs with all releases of their apps.

After nearly 3 years with my 10.1 inch Xoom, I passed it to my wife and upgraded to a Nexus 7. 
The performance and display are amazing, but I haven't decided yet if I'm 100% happy with the form factor,
though it's growing on me. 

[Майор Хаткевич]

Nexus 7 rocks, though I agree on the dimensions issue.