The original Apple iPad was released over six years ago on April 3, 2010. Since then Apple has continuously improved the tablet, making upgrades to its storage capacity, screen resolution, processor, connectivity options and form factor. The iPad Pro is the latest and greatest model currently available for sale today, and represents an enormous leap in performance over the original model, like going from a Cherokee to a Learjet. Even with this improvement, the base model iPad Pro starts at $599 – just $100 more than the original iPad sold for 6 years ago.
While this model would suit most pilots’ needs in the cockpit, there are some other options and features worth considering when purchasing an iPad for use in aviation. Here we’ll break down each option, and give some insight for those looking to buy a used or refurbished iPad, which is a great way to save some money.
iPad or iPad Mini?
The first question has to do with screen size. Apple currently offers 5 new models of iPad, essentially in three screen sizes: the largest is the 12.9″ iPad Pro, then the 9.7″ iPad Pro and iPad Air 2, and finally the smaller iPad Mini 4 and iPad Mini 2. The 9.7″ iPad Pro and Air 2 are so-called “10-inch class tablets,” which is the most popular size, and a good place to start for a new buyer. This a good compromise between a screen that’s large enough to read and a size that’s portable enough for the cockpit.
Pilots considering a new iPad should definitely steer towards the 9.7″ Pro. This new model significantly improves on previous full-size iPad designs by including a much faster processor and anti-reflective screen coating. While still not perfect, this new screen technology really cuts now on sun glare and you’ll appreciate the faster processor when working with charts and weather or synthetic vision. The 9.7″ iPad Pro also offers the option to upgrade the internal storage capacity up to 256GB, where the iPad Air 2 maxes out at 64GB. We’d stick with the Pro unless you’re really searching for a deal.
If you’re interested in an iPad with a smaller footprint, consider the iPad Mini. These versions measure roughly 8″ by 5.3″ and will be a better fit in cockpits with tighter constraints. There are 2 versions of the iPad Mini: the new iPad Mini 4 and two generation-old iPad Mini 2. Neither of the iPad Mini models include the anti-reflective screen featured on the iPad Pro, which is a significant drawback. The Mini 4 includes Apple’s A8 processor – not as good as the Pro’s A9X processor, but better than the A7 processor found on the Mini 2. For that reason, we like the Mini 4 if you’re looking for a smaller tablet. Having said that, the Mini 2 is a great value – starting at just $269. While it’s definitely getting older now, it’s still a reasonably good performer if you plan to use it mostly for aviation.
The last option is the 12.9″ iPad Pro, Apple’s largest tablet ever. It’s a great performer and has a huge screen, but it’s simply too big for most airplanes. Anything smaller than a business jet will preclude its use, so we don’t recommend it for most pilots.
If you’re currently flying with an early series iPad (the original 1-4), it’s time to consider an upgrade. There’s a noticeable decrease in performance when running the latest iOS software on these devices, and you’ll appreciate the lightning fast response when using advanced aviation features like synthetic vision and ADS-B weather on the newer iPad Pro models.
WiFi-only or WiFi + Cellular model?
After choosing a size, it’s on to the connectivity question. This is pretty simple, but there are some confusing terms thrown around, so let’s start basic.
Every iPad model ever built offers WiFi connectivity to the internet, so you can connect to your home network, your office network, a local coffee shop, etc. But you can also buy an upgraded cellular model – called LTE – that receives wireless data from AT&T or Verizon (for a monthly fee). The benefit to pilots with the cellular model is that it also contains an internal GPS receiver, which is useful for showing your aircraft’s position on aviation map applications (although it has some minor limitations). The cellular model also allows you to download weather and file flight plans on the go, but don’t count on this cellular data connection to work in the air. In our experience, it just isn’t reliable. It’s also technically illegal.
The internal GPS on an iPad with cellular data is completely independent from the cellular antenna, and does not require that you activate a data plan from AT&T or Verizon to work properly. You could buy a cellular-model iPad and use the GPS without ever activating your service.
So which is the right choice for pilots? Either one, really. The GPS that comes with the LTE model is nice, but for the price of this upgrade, you could buy an external iPad GPS that is more reliable in some ways. We’d advise you choose the cellular model iPad only if you think you’ll use that mobile data connection a lot.
Storage capacity
Apple offers 3 internal memory options for the 9.7″ iPad Pro: 32GB, 128GB and 256GB. Previous-generation iPads and the iPad Mini max out at 64GB. Downloading all the VFR & IFR charts in ForeFlight for the entire United States takes up about 8GB of storage. And then you have to consider that you might also want to store high-resolution terrain data, synthetic vision, charts for the Canada, Mexico and Caribbean, and PDF documents. That makes the older iPad models with only 16GB of storage barely adequate.
Another thing to keep in mind is that many apps like ForeFlight allow you to download the next cycle’s charts approximately 4 days in advance. If you plan to keep charts for the entire U.S. on your iPad, you’ll need and additional 8GB of free space during this transition period each month.
Finally consider that you may use the iPad for more than just aviation (e.g., pictures, videos, other apps), so you’ll want to leave open some free space for those items. The iPad’s memory is not upgradeable, so you have to commit to a size up front. For all these reasons we recommend you go with the mid-range 128GB iPad, which is a $150 upgrade over the base model. The 32GB model can work, especially if the iPad is mostly used for aviation, but we’ve found that 128GB is a lot more comfortable for most pilots. 256GB is overkill for all but the most dedicated gamers or video producers.
Conclusion
The good news is that any iPad model will work for pilots, so there’s not a bad choice here. But some are definitely better than others. So which model do we recommend? Based on our experiences flying with each model of iPad, we think the 9.7″ iPad Pro, WiFi-only, 128GB is the ideal choice for use in the cockpit. The high-performance processor runs all apps at lightning speeds, and the new antireflective screen is a welcome addition to the cockpit that enhances readability on sunny days. We’ve found the reliability and performance of external GPS receivers to be far superior to the internal option, and they’re available for under $100 – less than the upgrade to the cellular model. For the ultimate setup, we recommend adding a wireless ADS-B receiver, Stratus ADS-B receiver, which provides subscription-free in-flight weather and WAAS GPS position data.
To compare all 5 models, or to purchase, visit Apple’s website.
Source: Ipad appsWhat’s the best iPad for pilots?