There’s finally a new iPad mini. Two and a half years after introducing the iPad mini 5, Apple unveiled the sixth generation 8″ tablet at their “California Streaming” event this week. Some had worried that the smallest iPad model, long the most popular option for pilots, might be going away but this update should ensure its survival for at least a few more years. Here’s a look at what’s new.
Screenshots are still one of those hidden iOS superpowers, useful for saving airport maps, passenger information, or aircraft data. On an iPad it’s fairly easy to take a screenshot and share it to your favorite aviation app, as we’ve described before. But sometimes all you have is your phone, and getting all the information on a smaller screen is simply impossible. That’s where the Tailor app comes in.
Most pilots are weather geeks, either by disposition or training, and that means a good weather app can be particularly helpful or even fun. The big electronic flight bag apps like ForeFlight and Garmin Pilot do a great job of consolidating the key weather maps and forecasts, but there is a role for non-aviation apps. A great example is Ventusky, a $3.99 app that beautifully displays maps of wind, clouds, and more.
More and more pilots are going completely paperless in the cockpit, but that requires some paper documents to be scanned first. Fortunately, Apple includes some hidden capabilities in the Notes app, including the addition of a powerful scanner utility. This can be used to scan just about any type of physical document.
The iPad Pro 11″ has proven to be the top choice for pilots interested in peak tablet performance. But once you have your fancy new iPad, the question naturally comes up: what mount or kneeboard works with it? We are big fans of the Robust Mounts, since their universal design accepts many different size tablets, but the story with kneeboards is more complicated. Let’s examine the options.
At the 2021 EAA AirVenture show, FlightAware introduced a new paid service, called Aviator, which offers premium tracking features specifically targeted at piston airplanes. We’ve been using it for a week now and while we wouldn’t call it a must-have, there are some nice features for active pilots and fleet managers.
Sometimes the real magic of technology is when multiple features come together to make 2 + 2 = 5. So it is with electronic flight bag apps and datalink weather—both are useful, but when used together pilots can make smarter decisions and easily avoid bad weather. This was demonstrated on a recent trip with Garmin Pilot, where the app’s Freehand feature came in handy.
CloudAhoy, the flight logging and debrief app that has found a loyal following over the past eight years, continues to roll out new features. The latest version, out this month, adds a few notable improvements that should make it easier for pilots and flight instructors to improve their flying performance.
Flying a general aviation airplane usually means being disconnected, unless you’re willing to spend over $50,000 on hardware and at least $1000/month for data. That doesn’t mean pilots are totally cut off, though. Two products, Garmin’s inReach portable communicators and AirText’s semi-permanent boxes, offer reasonably affordable services for sending text messages or retrieving text weather. Here’s a long term test report.
IFR pilots have some new toys to play with in the latest version of ForeFlight, version 13.5, which is available now. In particular, the long-awaited holding pattern tool has arrived, plus full instrument approach minima and some new runway analysis tools for jets.
The iPad is decidedly middle-aged now, at least for consumer technology, which means there is a busy used market for older tablets. An original iPad, which came out in 2010, can be purchased on eBay for under $50—a great deal, right? Not so fast. Most aviation apps have specific requirements that eliminate some older tablets from consideration, so before you buy that used iPad, read on.
As any student or rusty pilot will tell you, staying sharp on communications is not easy. It’s not enough to read a book; by definition, talking to ATC requires a back-and-forth dynamic. That’s why ARSim (previously called Plane English) has proven to be such a helpful app over the last few years. More than just static text, this colorful and interactive app offers step-by-step lessons and practice sessions that allow you to speak to your mobile device and get feedback.
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