Entries by Bret Koebbe

Garmin Pilot adds visual NOTAMs in latest update

The latest update to the Garmin Pilot app adds a set of new smart features that highlight important information when planning a flight. This includes visual runway closures, contextual instrument approach NOTAMs, flight planning alerts, and TAF overlays on the map. Here’s a quick look at each.

iPad Proficiency Check – new webinar recording

Check out the recording of this fast-paced presentation, which covers a wide range of practical topics on flying with the iPad and the ForeFlight Mobile app. Led by Bret Koebbe, an active pilot and flight instructor at Sporty’s Pilot Shop and Editor of iPad Pilot News, this webinar recording explores topics applicable to pilots of all iPad experience levels

Quiz: Your iPad just quit on you in flight, now what?

The iPad is one of the most stable computing platforms available today, but it is still susceptible to external factors that can cause it to become unresponsive in flight. Test your iPad troubleshooting knowledge in our latest quiz and learn how to avoid potential pitfalls when using the iPad in the cockpit.

New FAA test prep features added to Sporty’s Pilot Training apps

The latest update to Sporty’s Pilot Training app brings Sporty’s signature FAA test preparation features to the Android version for the Private, Instrument and Commercial Pilot Courses. This includes the same advanced study modes and performance analysis features released for the iPhone, iPad and online versions of Sporty’s courses earlier this year.

Worried about battery life? Use Apple’s built-in utility

Pilots tend to focus more on optimizing the iPad’s battery life than the average iPad user, since this is critical to keeping the device functioning in the airplane over the course of a flight. Fortunately, there’s a dedicated utility in the main iPad settings to help shed some light on which apps are using the most power, possibly while running in the background.

New podcast episode discusses aviation apps, weather briefings and iPad safety

Has the iPad made flying safer? What counts as a legal weather briefing these days? And what are the latest trends in aviation apps? Join Bret Koebbe, Editor at iPad Pilot News, in Sporty’s new Fast Five podcast as he shares his tips for integrating an iPad into primary flight training, flying with datalink weather, and using flight simulators to learn a new app.

How do I mount my iPad in the airplane?

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.

Apple announces iPadOS 15: First look at the new features

Apple took the wraps off iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 during their annual developer conference today and showed off many of the new features that will be coming to Apple devices later this year. Here’s a quick overview of what’s new in the iPad version of the software and how pilots might be able to use some of these features in the cockpit.

iPad Apps for Turbine Pilots

There are a wide variety of iPad apps available designed for pilots flying turbine airplanes, including performance planning, support directories and international trip support. Check them out here in this comprehensive listing.