Fantastic but not infallible

Both AvPlan and OzRunways have been approved by CASA as suppliers of EFBs for use as a primary source of navigation data. While these firms say that you do not have to carry paper charts in the cockpit the CASA CAAP 233-1(0) advises you to carry a back-up system should your iPad fail in flight. That back-up can be another EFB on another iPad, an iPhone or paper charts. An iPad is easier to read than an iPhone.

The other aspect in the use of an iPad is to get adequate instruction on how to use the device and get the most out of it.

Being able to receive the forecast, check the weather radar and lodge a flight plan using Wi-Fi or stand alone is a great advantage when you are on a cross country flight. Then you can make the flight using the various charts applicable to your flight.

All of this is just magic to pilots but like all man-made devices the iPad can have its moments. Do you have the latest updates? Is your subscription up to date? Is the device fully charged? An iPad on a cross country flight uses a lot of power and a 3-4 hour flight can deplete the battery quicker than reading a few chapters in a book. Is the iPad balanced on your knee folder (with charts inside?) held in a knee board or mounted on or next to the panel? Falling on the floor can damage it.

“All of this is just magic to pilots.”

An iPad in the strong sunshine can overheat and shut down. That makes the pilot quickly hold it up against a cool air vent to bring it back to an operating temperature and then cover it up or limit the sunshine trying to shine on it. All lost time.

It can be a wise pilot who updates his iPad at home the night before the flight and not try and do it on the tarmac just before start up. That wise pilot would also check, as part of his pre-flight planning, to see that he had 100% power in the device. If full power was not in the device is there an accessible power supply in the aircraft, typically a cigarette lighter outlet, or does he carry a charged-up portable battery and power cable.

Two references worth reading are the CASA CAAP 233-1(0) Electronic Flight Bags and the CASA Out and Back series at >outnback.casa.gov.au.

THE IPAD IS A GREAT DEVICE BUT IT HAS LIMITS

Another thing to be careful of with an iPad is holding it close to the compass. The magnetic influence can change a compass reading. Ensure that the device is not held or mounted in a location where it can interfere with the control wheel or column. The basic iPad is a screen with an aluminium case. It is a good move to put the device in a protective cover and put a protective skin over the screen.

A further disadvantage of the iPad is that of the amount of time a pilot uses to focus on the screen and input commands. Having ones head down looking at an iPad resting on your knees has two disadvantages. One is the aspect of suddenly raising ones head and feeling disorientated. The other is simply to be looking down at the screen instead of looking outside for traffic in a VFR situation like the circuit pattern.

This writer has flown across the country from east to west and return and from south to north and back using an iPad. All with total success and confidence. Having said that I have typically held the device on a folder on my knees. That folder always held the back-up charts to use in case there was an issue with the iPad. The charts went unused. The charts were still used for flight planning. They gave the big picture.

A tip. If you need to charge up your iPad after a day’s cross-country flying and use then the very first thing you do when you get to your digs or your motel room is to plug the unit into a charger, and turn that charger on. Leave your car keys next to it. That way the keys will act as a reminder to take the unit with you next day.

iPads, EFBs, portable GPS receivers. Call them what you like. They are here to stay but beware, they have limits
Contact Dave by email: [email protected]