I just read Jill Tallman’s article (“Around the Patch: Tough Love,” November 2015 Flight Training) concerning her ongoing battle with the iPad.
First off, two hours of battery life is just not right. I never have that issue. Make sure that the iPad is fully charged well before going
flying. Turn off the programs that may be running in the background.
How old is the iPad? Maybe you are due for a new one. Is the memory pretty much maxed out? When you buy a new one, take my advice and move up one level from what you think you need or what someone else says you need. Personally, the 128G is what I would go with. If you get a new one, remove all “stuff” from the old one and use it as a backup, keeping only ForeFlight on it. That is what I do.
Hot iPads sure do fail at the wrong time. Think about carrying an L.L.Bean mini soft-sided cooler. Drop a freezer pack in it, and you are good to go. When the temps start to climb, as they do in the mighty Piper Cherokee 140, slip the iPad into the cooler for a minute or two and the problem is solved before it becomes a problem.
I have not flown with paper in a long time. ForeFlight is so much better and easier to work with, especially if you are using the Pro version and have an internal GPS or a Bad Elf external GPS. That little blue airplane is your constant companion. Use their tutorials and get really familiar with all of the many features incorporated into ForeFlight.
MyGoFlight has some really nice knee boards that work very well. Call and talk to Charlie Schneider, CEO. He is a great guy. Tell him your situation and let him guide you.
Dick Druschel
Brighton, Michigan
I love “Around the Patch” and enjoyed this month’s article. I, too, found iPad and ForeFlight use daunting in the beginning. I jumped right into it from a 50-hour experience level, getting my private certificate completely old-school paper to a college load of classes and the instrument rating class. I spent a lot of time frustrated and had some of the same issues as you, although I only had the iPad overheat one time by fault of my own.
I purchased a Sporty’s kneeboard but really felt the already bulky iPad was tremendously bulky with the use of the board. I did use it through instrument training, but have since used it more as a protective cover. I also tried a RAM suction cup mount but also felt the iPad itself was too big and blocked the view. Sold it. I still have my old aluminum VFR kneeboard. It is slim and I use it, clipping my iPad into its paper clip. Works like a charm.
The next thing I would like to suggest is considering an iPhone for backup. I waited around and purchased the 6 Plus when it came out. ForeFlight works unbelievably well on this phone, and since as a phone it is fairly huge, you can see it well. It also costs you no more to have the phone hooked to ForeFlight. I always carry both in the airplane. I use the phone more than the iPad these days.
Battery is an issue. What I have learned is, I do not need to be hooked up to the Stratus for the entire flight. It is the Stratus that sucks battery life. I also purchased a protective cigarette lighter charger I can use in the airplane to charge on the go. For the phone I purchased a Mophie case, which adds 60-percent battery life to it with the built-in battery pack.
I am not giving up either and I am sure I will never learn it all on these assets to flight.
George Felix
Maple Grove, Minnesota
Wonders of Wonder Lake
I grew up in Wonder Lake (“Family Fliers,” November 2015 Flight Training). I currently reside in Iowa. Just earned my private pilot certificate in April 2015. On the weekend of August 16, I flew into Galt (10C) with my sons to visit their cousins, sons of my brother who passed away in September 2014 of mesothelioma. I was equally elated at the news of Galt’s resurrection.
Never have embraced sentimentality, but your articles make it impossible to reject it. Keep up the great work. I was shocked at the almost beehive-like activity going on at Galt. The folks at Galt were fantastic. They allowed the use of a hangar for two nights at no charge. If there is a general aviation utopia, 10C would be the template.
Robert Wagner
Des Moines, Iowa
Erratum
“Weather: Mastering Meteorology” (December 2015 Flight Training) incorrectly stated that extratropical storms do not form over land or cool water. Extratropical storms do form over land or cool water. Flight Training regrets the error.
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