How does ADS-B traffic work?

ADS-B has become a household word among pilots over the last decade, especially with the popularity of devices like the Sentry, Stratus, and Garmin GDL receivers. While ADS-B weather is fairly well understood, ADS-B traffic is more complicated and there has been a great deal of confusion about when and how pilots can view this traffic information. In this article, we'll try to explain in plain English what ADS-B traffic is, how to get it, and what the limitations are.

New iOS 15 feature alerts you when leaving your iPad behind

Apple included a new feature in iOS 15 that will send an alert to your iPhone if you accidentally leave your iPad behind. Here's how it works and how to set it up on your iPhone and iPad.

Eight iPad settings pilots should know

The Settings app was fairly basic when the iPad was first released in 2010, providing control of the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi wireless radios, screen brightness and email account settings. Ten years later it has evolved into a collection of hundreds of settings, with multi-tier menus that can make it difficult to find what you're looking for. Here are 8 that are worth knowing about.

How to scan documents into your favorite aviation app

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.

Should pilots buy an iPad with built-in GPS?

One of the most common questions we hear from pilots is whether it's worth upgrading to the iPad model with cellular data and GPS. Here we'll break down the options and help you decide which model is best for your type of flying.

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.
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Time to upgrade your iPad: how old is too old?

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.

Prevent iPad overheating issues in the airplane this summer

Based on iPad Pilot News reader surveys over the years, the majority of pilots have had the iPad shut down on them at least once in flight due to overheating. This is by far the most common problem reported by pilots when flying with an iPad, but it can be prevented with a little bit of planning and preparation.

Cleaning your iPad—practical tips for pilots

One positive thing to come from the pandemic is a renewed focus on cleanliness in common areas and frequently touched surfaces. Wiping down the yokes, avionics, and door handles after each flight has become standard practice at many flight schools,…

Electronic flight bag legal briefing for pilots—2021 edition

Each year we publish a plain-language review of the FARs and Advisory Circulars pertaining to the use of iPads and electronic flight bags in the cockpit. This is great information for pilots looking to make the transition from paper charts to an iPad, but should also be reviewed by experienced iPad pilots as well.

iPad essential tip: how to search your iPad for lost apps

Having trouble finding an installed app on your iPad? Use this tip to quickly locate and launch a lost app in a matter of seconds.

How to screenshot an entire web page in iOS 14

Screenshots are one of the most useful built-in tools in iOS, whether you’re ordering takeout or planning a flight. It’s particularly handy for saving web pages that won’t be accessible in flight, so we find ourselves using all the time it for radar images, flight plan routing, and fly-in procedures. A new option in Safari makes this tool even more powerful.