Entries by John Zimmerman

How to wirelessly update panel avionics with Garmin Database Concierge

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Keeping your panel avionics updated with the latest databases is essential for both safe and legal flying, but that’s not always an easy task. If you have a glass cockpit, you might have up to five avionics to keep updated—that’s a lot of data cards and downloads. Garmin set out to solve this problem about six years ago when they introduced Database Concierge, a wireless update option that uses your iPad. Here’s how it works.

Video: ForeFlight advanced tips webinar

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ForeFlight, aviation’s most popular app, has come a long way from the days of basic weather maps and digital charts. In this fast-paced webinar, ForeFlight product expert Josh Berman shows off some of the latest enhancements to the app and shares some advanced tips for getting the most out of the app. You’ll learn about the new downloads view, enhanced weight and balance, terrain advisor changes, weather forecast tools, and much more.

Understanding pressure and GPS altitude in aviation apps

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Eight years ago, ForeFlight introduced synthetic vision and gave pilots a new way to view the world on their iPads. In addition to a 3D view of terrain and obstacles this shows glass cockpit-style tapes for speed and altitude, making it an excellent backup in case of panel failure. But if you’ve flown with synthetic vision for long, you’ve probably noticed that the speed and altitude don’t match the panel. What’s going on?

Read the print version of iPad Pilot News—online

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Each year we publish a print edition of iPad Pilot News, packed with our latest product reviews and our most popular tips. For those who didn’t receive an issue in the mail, we now have an online version so you can flip the pages. You can read about the new Sentry Plus ADS-B Receiver, how to use ForeFlight with your home simulator, the top 10 apps for pilots, and much more.

Optimize your iPad’s location services setting options

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The iPad’s software settings allow you to customize which apps can use your location to improve the user experience. While this is essential for moving map navigation apps in the airplane, you’ll find that it’s not necessarily important for all types of apps to be able to access this data. Here we’ll show you how to customize these settings to improve your iPad’s battery life.

Updated Flight Gear battery pack adds features, cuts size

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Keeping all your portable devices charged in the cockpit isn’t easy. Our favorite option for the last few years has been a sleek white battery brick from Flight Gear, and now an updated version is available. The Flight Gear Battery Pack is 20% smaller than the preceding generation and still just half an inch thick, but it packs 20,000 mAh of power. There’s even a new organizer case.

How to use CloudAhoy with Sentry Plus track logs

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While the Track Logs page in ForeFlight is a great way to get an overview of your flight, for detailed post-flight analysis we like to use CoudAhoy. This powerful app (available for iPad and in your web browser) adds some helpful tools and even automatic scoring. Here’s an example from a recent training flight.

Tips for flying to Canada with your iPad

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Canada is an easy flight for many pilots in the United States (especially now that most Covid restrictions have been lifted), and summer is the perfect time to visit. Fortunately, there are a number of iPad apps that make it easier than ever to plan and fly your flight to Canada. Here’s a review of the options.

Flying with datalink weather—webinar recording

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Datalink weather has the potential to make your flying safer and more comfortable – but only if you know how to use it properly. Join Air Facts editor John Zimmerman for an in-depth look at ADS-B, SiriusXM, and how to use them in flight. Topics include 5 key weather rules, the differences between ADS-B and SiriusXM, and real world weather flying scenarios.

New roll-up organizer contains your charging accessories

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The growing popularity of portable electronic devices means a growing stash of charging cables, cigarette lighter plugs, and battery packs. Before long, the bottom of your flight bag can look like a giant bowl of spaghetti. A new roll-up organizer is a simple but surprisingly helpful tool to combat this disorganization. 

Podcast: ForeFlight’s Tyson Weihs talks app development

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ForeFlight is one of aviation’s biggest success stories, growing from a hobby to an industry-leading business in less than a decade. Tyson Weihs was there at the beginning, and in this episode of Sporty’s Pilot’s Discretion podcast, he shares some early memories and some lessons learned about aviation and business. He also explains how he uses ForeFlight both for pre-flight planning and for in-flight navigation, plus tips for using datalink weather to stay safe.