Entries by John Zimmerman

Pilot Training app grows to 27 courses with new aerobatics training

Sporty’s Pilot Training app (available for both iOS and Android devices) has grown dramatically over the last few years to become a comprehensive aviation library for any pilot interested in improving their flying skills. The latest addition is a new aerobatics course from well-known airshow pilot Patty Wagstaff, which dives into the exciting world of loops, rolls, and spins.

Sporty’s and ForeFlight launch “virtual poker run” with track logs

As part of its Virtual Airshow this month, an online celebration of aviation to help ease the pain of a cancelled 2020 AirVenture Oshkosh, Sporty’s has partnered with ForeFlight to offer a virtual poker run contest. The goal is to encourage pilots to fly this summer, whether it’s a local flight or a long cross-country, and then share it with others. One winner will be awarded a Sentry ADS-B receiver.

What to expect from iOS 14 and iPadOS 14

Apple kicked off its annual developer conference Monday with a traditional keynote presentation to show off the latest features coming to iOS 14 and iPadOS 14. The latest operating system introduces a new app home screen layout for iPhone, dynamic widgets and hundreds of other new features which will debut in the fall.

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.

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.

Updated Aithre app adds voice-activated nearest airport lookup

We’ve flown with (and previously reviewed) the Aithre Connect app and its companion line of pilot monitoring devices. This free app connects to the company’s carbon monoxide detector, pulse oximeter, and oxygen tank monitor, then provides real time status information and audio alerts. The latest version of this app adds new features that go beyond health monitoring, including voice commands.

Latest Garmin Pilot update adds night mode, document sync

The heavyweight fight between ForeFlight and Garmin continues. The same week ForeFlight released its biggest update in recent memory, Garmin unveiled their own app update, version 10.1. This is hardly the big overhaul that ForeFlight delivered, but it does offer some nice additions and thoughtful modifications to popular features.