Guide to iPad Seminars at Sun ‘n Fun

The flying season's unofficial kick-off is next week, as the gates open for the 2016 edition of the Sun 'n Fun Fly-in. Here are a few of the most popular iPad sessions to consider.

Free 2016 Sun ‘n Fun app now available

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The 42nd Annual SUN 'n FUN fly-in and aviation show kicks off next week in Lakeland, Florida. To help you navigate the airport grounds and keep track of all the events, the organizers again released an updated app for your iPhone and iPad.

wx24 app makes METARs visual

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Improving pilot weather briefings has been a focus of aviation apps since the iPhone was first introduced. With the variety of sources and the often unreadable ALL CAP text formats, some good data visualization can have a powerful impact. The latest example of this trend is the wx24Pilot app, which aims to make text weather a thing of the past.

6 hidden tricks in the Garmin Pilot app

Like all electronic flight bag apps, Garmin Pilot has a lot of powerful features built in. But if you haven’t spent the time to tap every button and try every menu, you probably haven’t had a chance to use them all yet. Here are 6 hidden tricks to check out the next time you use the Garmin Pilot app.

Quit worrying: there is no such thing as an “official weather briefing”

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Sometimes it seems like pilots specialize in old wives' tales, like: "Well, that fancy iPad app doesn't count as an official weather briefing. You have to call Flight Service or the FAA will nail you." It makes a great story, and it plays to pilots' innate paranoia, but it's completely false. It's time to bury this old wives' tale once and for all.

Is the new iPad Pro the best pilot tablet yet?

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In Apple's latest new product update, a relatively modest event, the company introduced a number of product revisions. While there was a lot of news about a lower cost iPhone and some Apple Watch updates, the biggest news for pilots is the new 9.7" iPad model. It might be the best tablet for flying yet.

Creating your own iPad proficiency review

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As the old saying goes, "train like you fly, fly like you train." If you fly with an iPad, don't hide it during your training flights. Better to make it an integral part of your proficiency program, whether you're on your own or with an instructor, including what to do if it fails. Here's a suggested list of topics to cover.

New app updates focus on hardware connectivity

Aviation app companies continue to release new updates at a moderate pace, with a big focus on both portable and panel-mount hardware compatibility. Today we're going to look at what's new in the popular ForeFlight app, along with 2 other rapidly growing apps in the EFB app market, Aerovie Reports and FltPlan Go.

How much space do charts take on my iPad?

A common question we hear from pilots is what size iPad should I buy? Here we'll show you how much space it takes to store different chart options in ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot and WingX Pro to help you decide.

Flight Outfitters introduces new iPad kneeboard

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Flight Outfitters made quite a splash last year when it introduced two new flight bags specifically designed for the iPad. Now the company has added an iPad kneeboard to the mix. Here's why it's different from the others we've flown with.

Quiz: Are you an ADS-B weather expert?

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The free datalink weather component of the ADS-B network has been a big hit with iPad pilots flying with portable ADS-B receivers. But how well do you really know the system? Test your knowledge here in our latest quiz.

How to file ICAO flight plans on your iPad

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There's a lot of confusion surrounding the ICAO flight plan form and the FAA's move to stop accepting the FAA/domestic form. Here we'll break it down in plain English and help you make the transition to filing ICAO flight plans from your favorite app on your iPad.