How do I mount my iPad in the airplane?
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Securing your iPad while you fly is important for safety (to prevent your tablet from flying around the cockpit), but also for convenience (to keep it close by and easy to use). There are plenty of different mounts to choose from, but they aren’t all universal. Which one is right for you? It depends a lot on the type of airplane you fly. Let’s look at some examples.
Cessna high-wing (C152, C172, C182, etc.)
Almost any mount will work in these popular airplanes, but our two favorites are the suction cup and the yoke mount.
The suction cup is easy to put up and remove, making it a good choice for renters. It keeps the iPad off the yoke, so it doesn’t block any instruments, but it’s still easily viewed. We like the side window, angled toward the pilot, especially for larger iPads (where the yoke may not work). Another option is to use the front windshield on the right side – if there is no co-pilot – so that it integrates into your avionics stack.
The yoke mount is also very popular, since it holds the iPad very securely right in your line of sight. This works best for the iPad Mini, but the full size iPad and iPad Air models are small enough to work well also. Most yoke mounts now use an improved claw design, which is easier to install and does a better job keeping the iPad in place on the yoke shaft. One other tip: you can mount the iPad on the co-pilot yoke to keep the primary instruments completely unobstructed.
The Robust series mounts have universal cradles to accommodate different size iPads, with or without cases.
If you want to mount your iPad with one of these options, but don’t want to remove your case each time, consider the Robust series mounts instead of the form-fitting RAM cradle. This provides the flexibility to secure your iPad with the case on while still using a yoke or suction mount. The universal cradle fits all iPad models, with adjustable feet to grab your tablet. These are increasingly popular because you don’t have to buy a new cradle every time you upgrade your iPad.
Robust Universal iPad Suction Cup Mount
Robust Universal iPad Yoke Mount
The PIVOT line of cases and mounts are popular option among airline pilots and those that need extra protection outside the cockpit. The latest line of PIVOT cases are more universal in sizing and are not limited to fitting specific iPad models. PIVOT cases use a suction cup option for easy mounting in the cockpit, or alternately, pilots can use the universal 1″ ball adapter to use the PIVOT with RAM Mounts.
PIVOT Omni 97X iPad Case with Suction Cup (9.7″ iPad models)
PIVOT Pro 10X iPad Case with Suction Mount (10.5″ iPad models)
PIVOT iPad Mini Case with Suction Mount (iPad mini 4-5)
Cirrus or Cessna Corvalis
With the side stick, one popular option is out the window for these airplanes (the yoke mount), but there are still some good choices. Again, the suction cup mount works well here, but be careful about where you mount it in the side window – the iPad can interfere with the side stick in some configurations.
For this reason, some pilots choose an iPad kneeboard instead, and with plenty of room in your lap this is a good setup. One final option we’ve seen work in some of these airplanes is to use the yoke mount, but attach it to a bar underneath the panel. Here, the iPad can be angled out towards the pilot, with the arm coming out from the bottom. This is convenient when installed on the co-pilot side, but we would be nervous about this in front of the pilot due to emergency egress issues.
Robust Universal iPad Suction Cup Mount
Robust Universal iPad Yoke Mount
The double suction cup mount is a good option for jets and turboprops.
Piper and Mooney
Like high-wing Cessnas, the suction cup mount and the yoke mount are two good options here. One thing to keep in mind for these airplanes is that kneeboards may not work very well. Oftentimes the yoke is very close to the pilot’s legs in these cockpits, so the yoke might hit a kneeboard on takeoff or landing.
Robust Universal iPad Suction Cup Mount
Robust Universal iPad Yoke Mount
Beechcraft
Most of these airplanes have a much larger control column than Cessnas and Pipers, so pilots of these airplanes need to use a different yoke mount. These attach to the large control column that parallels the panel.
MyGoFlight Beech Center Yoke Mount
MyGoFlight Beech Wide Yoke Mount
Small/Mid-Size Jets
There aren’t many great options for these airplanes, since the yoke design varies dramatically between models. The kneeboard option is our preferred choice, since it stays out of the way of floor-mounted yokes. The other mount we’ve had success with is the double suction cup mount from RAM. This holds firmly to the side window, and most jets have enough cockpit space to accommodate this mount without interfering with the instruments or the controls. This is the approach many airlines use.
MyGoFlight offers a line of mounts that are almost infinitely adjustable.
Other Mounting Options
In addition to the Beech mounts, MyGoFlight also offers a complete line of iPad mounts, including a suction cup and a yoke mount. These have multi-piece arms with multiple joints, so they are almost infinitely adjustable. This makes it easy to position your iPad more precisely, either on a side window or on the yoke. The mounts cost a lot more than a typical RAM or Robust system, but they are well made and offer a lot of flexibility.
Another option from MyGoFlight is an adjustable cradle to hold your iPad in its case. This is compatible with both the suction cup and yoke flex mount systems mentioned above. The Universal iPad Cradle is compatible with any tablet from 7″ to 11″, while the Universal XL Tablet Cradle is designed for larger tablets like the 12.9″ iPad Pro.
If iPad overheating is an issue in the cockpit, there are also mounts available with built-in cooling fans from X-Naut. This system circulates cool air at around your iPad to ensure reliable operation in hot conditions. These work with all standard RAM Mount systems, and have built-in batteries to remain wire-free.
Finally, for experimental airplanes there is perhaps the ultimate mount – one built into the panel. The best option right now comes from Guardian Avionics, with their iFDR Panel Mount. This mounts flush against the panel and has cutouts for power and a cooling fan.
As you can see, the options are vast and sometimes confusing, but there is a setup that works in virtually any airplane. You can shop the complete iPad mount collection here. Or, check out a variety of iPad kneeboards here.
Want to see different size iPads mounted in a Cessna 172? Read this article.
Not sure which iPad model you have? Read this article.
I really like the suction cup mount – the iPad is out of the way – easy to view and looks good. BUT – my favorite feature of ForeFlight is the ability to write on it – take notes, clearances, weather, mark up charts etc. And mounting it vertically on the window – just doesn’t lead itself to a good writing surface.
I find the iPad to be a bi “in the way” when it’s yoke mounted – but you can’t beat it for a writing surface 🙂
Far and away the best solution I have found involves small strong magnets which mount on yoke or most anywhere, and thin steel plate on my ultrathin ipad case… all affixed with thin self adhesive tape supplied with them. I’ve tried most everything else for years and was resigning myself finally to a knee board… now I snap magnetically to my yoke in any orientation, it is just great. Or unsnap and throw in my flight bag, etc, etc. All the other mounts are awkward and get in the way, are distracting, big, bulky. Some can be made ‘just ok.’ I know many who love their mounting solutions, but it is only because (IMO) they have not tried the available inexpensive magnetic options. And no, they do not interfere with your compass or electronics! You can do the math from a simple physics text and see that there is no significant interference unless you mount them right next to your compass or flux detectors. I believe these should be covered as a great option too. This is an option that allowed my to finally totally replace paper in the cockpit. A couple ipads, Flightstream 510, Garmin GTN 725 in my legacy turboprop, and it changed the chart game for me finally, will never go back!
Hello John,
Do you have a favorite brand of magnet set-up? I’ve tried Pivot suction mounts and Ram mounts and they work, but I have to leave a passenger behind to use them; too heavy and in the way.
Thanks,
Steve
Honestly, I have not found a satisfactory solution for a renter pilot in a C172 and a larger iPad. Both windshield mount near the pilot and yoke mount get in the way, and as a renter I do not have the luxury of any type of permanent solution. I use a case that can be propped up on my lap, but it can only be oriented in landscape orientation which is not ideal for reading the approach charts.
I have a yoke mount on my Maule MX7-180 for the Apple mini4 and works fine. There are three other devices that I like to have available: an iPad 2, an iPhone 12 and a digital camera. I have tried suction mounts on the instrument panel and the side window for each of these items and constantly have a problem with them popping off as I gain attitude. This doesn’t make much sense as I would think the suction pressure differential would increase as I climb. I reverted to a bolt on solution for the camera.