Entries by John Zimmerman

Pilot’s guide to the iPad – how to get started

Over the past several years we have written hundreds of articles here at iPad Pilot News with tips for pilots, app and accessory reviews, the latest news and of course the famous iPad app debates. To make things easier, we’ve collected our most popular educational articles and videos designed to help get pilots off to the right start with the iPad in the cockpit.

The hidden value of ForeFlight’s Imagery tab

Most ForeFlight pilots use the Airports and Maps tabs most often. That makes sense, because these two sections of the app have an incredible number of features that are useful for everyday flying. But that doesn’t mean the rest of the app can be ignored. In particular, the Imagery tab deserves more attention than most pilots give it – after some recent changes, it’s more valuable than ever.

9 trends in aviation apps and accessories

As 2016 winds down, we’re taking a look back at the busy year in tablets, phones, watches, apps and accessories. There were dozens of interesting stories this year, plenty of hype and a few surprises. With the benefit of hindsight, it’s clear that there are some trends worth tracking.

Top 12 tips for flying with Stratus

The Stratus ADS-B receiver has become the most popular weather receiver for the iPad. While the basics of operation are pretty simple, there are a few tips that can help you get the most out of your investment. Let’s review the top 12 most helpful things we’ve learned after a few hundred hours flying with Stratus.

5 Fltplan Go tips beyond the basics

Fltplan.com has been a popular flight planning website for over a decade, and their Fltplan Go app has steadily added features to become a powerful in-flight companion. Beyond the basics of moving maps and weather reports, there are quite a few features that make the app more powerful and easier to use. Here are five of our favorites.

Video: how to use SXAR1 and Stratus in the cockpit

There have never been more options for receiving and displaying in-flight weather on your iPad, including both SiriusXM (satellite-based and subscriptions) and ADS-B (ground-based and subscription-free). In a recent webinar, Sporty’s John Zimmerman and ForeFlight’s Scott Dennstaedt reviewed the most popular weather receivers for ForeFlight and shared dozens of tips for making safer in-flight weather decisions. The hour-long video also includes five real world scenarios that show datalink weather in action.

ForeFlight and SXAR1 – flight test report

About a month ago, ForeFlight introduced support for the SiriusXM Aviation Receiver, also called the SXAR1. We’ve had the chance to fly with it on numerous trips now, and overall we’ve found the SXAR1 to be reliable and useful. Here are some notes from a recent cross country flight.