Foreflight for GA flying

[TwinOtterFan]

Since I am still just renting and not always the same plane I actually invested in a couple bricks, lithium and aircraft approved, and I originally had a full size IPad but found it cumbersome in the small cockpit so I gave that to my wife and she bought me the mini.

[Colonel]

Glad you like the new mini. Eric was DRI on the SoC and my buddy in Texas did the target.

[TwinOtterFan]

I think it is the perfect size for just about anything, I have the RAM yoke mount and a suction mount so can put it just about anywhere. Perfect in the ambulance as well, I have all my drug algorithms and protocols on it as well.

Man somtimes I wish I stayed in the programming / tech world......

[Squaretail]

I use an iPad mini with the company ForeFlight subscription on it. Working I primarily use it for flight planning and making estimates for quotes. Work flying I use it primarily as my chart library, I refer to it only when I need to, though marvellously, it will run ForeFlight all day (when I have accidentally left it on, because I don’t look at it all the time) without expending the battery. I think on 10 hours, several hops it was down to 55%? So I haven’t felt the need for extra charging cables to tangle up the cockpit.

Flying privately, I use it similarly. I despise yoke mounts and other crap cluttering up my panel, and even more so a tangle of charging cables. I look to make sure I’m pointed in the right direction, and maybe a frequency I forgot. Sometimes to see how slow I’m grounding or the name of a lake or mountain. It lasts for days without charging if I use it sporadically like that.

I will never understand the guys who need multiple ones on mounts in the cockpit, with several different instances of ForeFlight running continuously and congruently. Is that a word? Hey even after a day of flying it lets me rant and rave here at the end of the day. I digress. I prefer to have the panel free so I can see important stuff like the oil pressure gauge or fuel gauges.

I know one guy who has at least 4 tablet mounts in his plane, big ones. Plus a holder on the dash so he can see his cel phone. And he has a pair of (yes two) G650s in the panel which he doesn’t use. WTF?! Stop looking at ForeFlight and look out the window!

Did I mention how much I despise yoke mounts? Show me a guy with a yoke mount and I will show you a guy who three points his nose dragger.

[Colonel]

I never understood how yoke mounts were even legal.

You’re connecting stuff with no paper to your flight controls.

Andy Philips learned a lesson about that. We had a very nice funeral for him.

[TwinOtterFan]

Dam Square that made me laugh this morning, I guess I'm not going to like the mounts once I start using Foreflight more. I have only flown with it twice and just put the IPad on my knee board. It makes it easier to transition from ambulance to plane.

Are knee boards still okay? Asking for a friend....

[David MacRay]

I like knee boards, so they must be bad.

Grab one of these to provide GPS info for your tablet.

https://www.cabelas.ca/product/95329/ga ... CatId=2693

UPDATE: I went to browse GPS Central. The guy said the map is not upgradable and that you should buy a more expensive unit.

[Scudrunner]

Should have stated I use an Ipad Mini, the regular sized ones are cumberson even in my Jets cockpit.

My brothers operation uses the Garmin Inreach. They use it for tracking and messaging while flying around the NWT, seems like a good system just pair to your Iphone or ipad and text away.

That being said my last trip to Fort Simpson in the mix master I had cell coverage a lot futher north than I expected. I think it was somewhere north of Zama Lake Alberta that I was out of service.
I have a Spot tracker that I just fire up and I have it set to text a few trusted aviaiton types who could talk to SAR. works great tracks all my flight only thing is the monthly cost so I just subscribe during flying season.

[Squaretail]

Are knee boards still okay? Asking for a friend....

Use whatever you like. The important part is does it work for you. If you find your knee board the best thing since sliced bread, use it. If however you find it in your way more than helpful, then don’t use it, that’s ok too. As I went on in aviation I found I minimalized until I got where I had what I needed and nothing more. I think the most important thing I keep with me flying is my back scratcher. I mean I can improvise if I can’t find a chart or a map, or if I forgot a pen or pencil. But if you got an itch square in the middle of your back at hour one of a four hour hop, well you’re just going to go insane. Visions of Del Griffith with his arms stuck behind the seat and a firey mishap go through your mind in the struggle.

The point being that I see a lot of newer pilots struggling with bag loads of stuff they think they might need. If you find you are having a hard time with it, get rid of it. When I instruct and the student is spending time faffing with some gadget or gizmo that is supposed to be the “simple trick” to help them fly, I usually ask if I can try it, when they hand it to me, it gets pitched in the back. Alright, let’s get to flying a plane.

[TwinOtterFan]

Are knee boards still okay? Asking for a friend....

I see a lot of newer pilots struggling with bag loads of stuff they think they might need.

Truthfully I'm not a huge fan of the knee board either but when I was doing my PPL it was required kit, plus charts, E6Bs, notepads, and whatever else my instructor thought I "needed". I do find it somewhat handy to write on but I'm a lefty so even then it's barely a win.

Using the scratch pad on foreflight and tossing the IPad on the seat next to me worked quite well really.