Flying Life: iPads as essential cockpit equipment

It was not a smartphone, or even a flip phone. But I remember thinking it was the coolest thing in the world, second only to that hand-me-down white Jeep Cherokee. “If you ever get into trouble with this car, I want you to call me,” Dad said. “But in case you can’t reach me, don’t forget that you will be fine all by yourself.” I remember stashing that phone in my purse and even using it on occasion, but it wasn’t something I depended on. After all, I knew how to change a tire.

Fast-forward 21 years and I can hardly imagine day-to-day driving without a cellphone. It has become my radio, address book, and GPS all in one. But as helpful as that thing is, we are all aware that cellphones cause as many problems on the road as they alleviate. Accident statistics continue to rise as distracted drivers text, make phone calls, and answer emails all while accelerating down the interstate at 70 miles per hour.

In aviation, iPads are to pilots what cellphones are to drivers. While many of us learned how to fly without an iPad, we now can’t imagine flying without it. It has become our source of weather data, our flight planner, our notam checker, our weight and balance calculator, and our map—all in one. While it has the power to make us radically more informed, organized, and safer, iPads, like cellphones, have considerable drawbacks when not used thoughtfully.

First of all, although iPads are high-tech devices capable of infinite applications, they are not without their limitations. Even if the iPad has a cellular data plan like mine or is linked to an ADS-B receiver, the information it gives us is not always up to date, and can be as much as 15 minutes old. So never use an iPad to navigate your way between thunderstorm cells. It is simply not as accurate as onboard radar and should only be used as a tool for situational awareness. Also, despite the fact that iPads can sometimes give us far more information than an onboard GPS, an iPad is not hardwired into the airplane and hence is not approved to navigate in IMC conditions.

Second, preparing your iPad needs to part of your regular preflight, along with checking yourself and the airplane. Make sure your maps and plates are downloaded and current and that you have a sufficient battery charge. I’ve seen iPads overheat or run out of battery more times than I can count. The last thing you want is to be in low IMC and realize you don’t have access to an approach plate.

Also, although the FAA does allow iPads to be used on checkrides, I find that many applicants do not know how to use them effectively. For example, have you downloaded the legends specific to any charts or maps you will be using? If you are an instrument-rated pilot, do you know where to find the specific alternate or takeoff minimums for your airport? Most of us know how to find these things in the old paper format, but when asked how to navigate the iPad, many are left scratching their heads, despite the fact that they no longer operate with a paper backup. Also, if you are using an app for flight planning, do you know what it is doing? Can you explain how it computes your heading, fuel burn, or time en route?

Perhaps the biggest issue with using the iPad in flight is where to put it. I once gave a checkride to an applicant who wanted to mount it in the front window in front of the co-pilot’s face. Besides the fact that it blocked my vision, it also blocked a large portion of his. I’ve seen other pilots mount it on the yoke and complain that it blocks their view of the engine instruments. I will say that the most successful applicants I’ve seen have an iPad mini that they keep clipped on their kneeboard. But given various cockpit configurations, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. You will have to decide what works best for you, keeping in mind both your ability to see traffic and fully deflect the control wheel.

While iPads can be an incredibly useful tool in giving pilots information quite literally at their fingertips, that particular double-edged sword comes with a host of potential problems. Unfortunately, the iPad can be just one more thing the busy pilot has to manage in the cockpit, even when we have it down to a science. Just like my first cellphone, I think we all need to ask ourselves the question: Would we be able to function without it?

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