Understanding latitude and longitude in aviation apps

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Even with all of our modern aviation databases, sometimes you just can't beat a lat/lon coordinate. Let's review the basics of latitude and longitude and the different types of coordinates. Which one works on your iPad?

10 ways to use your iPad to save money on fuel

In addition to weather, today's iPad apps can also provide you with a wealth of data to assist in fuel planning. There are a lot of variables that come into play here, including winds aloft, airplane performance, airport service availability, and of course fuel prices. Here we're going to look at series of tips to help you use your iPad to make the most of this decision-making process and reduce your fuel expenses.

Using chart annotations in your favorite aviation app

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Here we're going to show you how to use chart annotations in several apps and offer tips on how to make make the most of them during your flying. They can really come in handy.

How to use Garmin Pilot’s emergency mode

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There are certainly important differences in how features are implemented in different apps, but there haven't been many truly new app features over the last year. One exception is Garmin's Emergency Mode, which was released this summer. It's simple, but thoughtfully designed and very useful. Here's how to use it.

Are you legal to fly with the iPad? Use this flow chart to help decide

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The number one question we get on using an iPad for charts is whether it is “legal” for aviation use. The definition of “legal” depends on what type of flying you do and what you’re using your iPad for, so there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. To shed some light on the topic we've created a flow chart to help guide you through the process based on your flight operation.

Important iPad preflight considerations for iOS 11

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The most recent iOS 11 software update for iPad and iPhone has been a success by all standards, with no major bugs reported since the public release. With that being said, there a few caveats pilots should be aware of after updating to iOS 11, related to GPS and the wireless controls in the new Control Center.

How to use ForeFlight’s weight and balance tool

ForeFlight's helpful weight and balance tool allows you to quickly analyze last minute loading changes and will alert you if any parameters are outside your airplane's envelope. To help you get going we'll show you how to use this feature to create a custom aircraft profile and work through a typical calculation.

Garmin Pilot video tips show how to use app’s unique features

The Garmin Pilot app has become so feature-rich that it can be tough to keep up with all of its capabilities. A few of our lesser-known favorites are the Freehand™ route planning tool, personal minimums, minimum weather requirement warnings and the Nearest map utility. Here is a series of video tips showing how to use each one on your next flight.

Take control of your iPad’s location services settings

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The iPad's software settings allows 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.

The ForeFlight edit box – your mobile FMS

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ForeFlight offers one of the most comprehensive set of flight management features among EFB apps today, accessed right from the Edit section of the Route Editor on the Maps page. Here we'll show how to use each function over the course of a typical IFR flight.

3 tips for checking ADS-B Out performance

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While ADS-B Out avionics are pretty simple to operate (they're basically just upgraded transponders), it is important to ensure your system is working properly. Simply choosing the wrong setting during installation can lead to significant errors, and we've heard a number of stories where this has happened. Fortunately, it's free and easy to check.

iPad quick tip: visually check TFRs during preflight

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Learn how to use the TFR overlay feature during preflight on the ForeFlight Mobile, Garmin Pilot and WingX Pro aviation apps and how to update the TFR data while in-flight.