How to find your iPad model number
iPad Pilot News

If you’re shopping for a mount or kneeboard you’ll quickly have to answer the question, “which iPad do I have?” It’s not always as simple as it might sound, so if you’re not sure which model you have, you’re not alone. Please note that we loathe the naming convention Apple has chosen for the iPads as much as you do. It’s difficult to be sure which iPad you have but if you need to look that information up here’s how to do so.

Find your Model Name or Number

The easiest way to determine your iPad model is to go to the Settings app > General > About. You’ll see the friendly name (eg, iPad mini 6, iPad Pro (11-inch)) on the line labeled Model Name. This is a recent addition to iOS, so if you don’t see this option you may be on an older version of iOS.

If your Model name isn’t showing, or if you want to know exactly which iPad you have (beyond just the name), go down a line to the Model Number line. You’ll probably see something like MTFL2LL/A at first, which doesn’t help much. This is the Part Number, but what you really want is the Model Number (no, we aren’t joking, it really is this complicated). To see that, simply tap on the line:

Find your iPad Model Name

Once you’ve found your 5-digit iPad Model Mumber, reference this chart to find out which one it is.

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ForeFlight adds Airspace Alerts in latest update
iPad Pilot News

ForeFlight released its first big update for 2023 and it includes a new in-flight airspace alerting feature that pilots of all experience levels will appreciate. The update also includes a few new power-user features, including NOTAM filters, plate/chart binder printing, airport rescue and firefighting information, Honeywell ADG integration and new Runway Analysis aircraft support.

Here’s a quick summary of what’s new in each based on subscription type, with full details included below:

Basic – Airspace alerts, NOTAM filters, plate/binder Printing, and airport rescue and firefighting information

Pro Plus – n/a

Performance Plus – Honeywell ADG Integration, Runway Analysis Support for Hawker Beechcraft 400A and 400XP and Learjet 45 (Code E) and 40 (Code B & C)

Airspace Alerts

One of ForeFlight’s standout features over other aviation EFB apps is its robust alerting system. ForeFlight includes over 15 unique alerts designed to make single pilot flying safer, ranging from terrain/obstacle alerts to calling out nearby traffic when connected to an ADS-B receiver. The latest addition includes new airspace alerts that will provide visual and aural warnings as you approach and enter Class A, B, C or D airspace (Restricted, Prohibited and MOAs are not currently supported).

By default, you’ll receive an alert when 3 minutes away and within 500 feet vertically of one of these sectors of airspace. You can change these criteria though based on your personal preference from the Map screen settings, from 2 to 5 minutes or 1 to 10 NM laterally, and 500 – 5,000′ vertically.  You can also enable or disable alerts for individual classes of airspace.

The pop-up alert includes detailed information based on your location, including your distance from the airspace and its vertical dimensions, and the relevant airspace sector will be highlighted in green on the map.

When entering and exiting controlled airspace, ForeFlight will show a smaller alert at the top of the screen:

Here’s one last tip related to alerts. If your headset supports Bluetooth audio, make sure to pair it to your iPad in the cockpit before starting up. This will make sure you never miss an alert during busy times (here’s how to do it).

NOTAM Filters

Another one of ForeFlight’s strengths is making the most of the antiquated NOTAM system for pilots (when it’s operational). Our favorite feature here is the display of NOTAMs on airport diagrams and instrument approach charts, making them hard to overlook. NOTAMs are also prominently displayed in chronological order on the Airports page, but this can often result in a very long list. The latest update adds a new filter option, allowing you to type in a keyword and search the NOTAMs list for specific words or acronyms. For example type in “ILS” to quickly review all the NOTAMs related to ILS approaches, or type in the planned runway number or taxiways to narrow the results down further:

Plate/Chart Binder Printing

The Plates section of ForeFlight organizes all the charts needed for a planned flight in one convenient location, from airport diagrams to departure and instrument procedures. If you prefer to have printed backups of your charts onboard, you’ll find a new Print Binder option that will print all the charts in the current binder with one tap.

When viewing any chart in a binder, simply press the Send To button at the top right of the screen, select Print Binder, and all the selected plates for the departure and destination will be queued up for wireless printing.

Airport Rescue and Firefighting Information

ForeFlight now publishes airport-specific emergency service information in the Details section of the Airports screen:

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iOS Update Green Light program: iOS and iPadOS 16.3
iPad Pilot News

Apple recently released iOS and iPadOS 16.3, which includes several security updates and the addition of a few new features. These include the introduction of Security Keys for Apple ID (physical two-factor authentication), support for the 2nd gen HomePod, advanced data protection for iCloud accounts and improvements to the Emergency SOS feature to prevent accidental emergency calls.

As with any iOS release, we recommend holding off on updating your app or accessory until the developers have had time to fully test compatibility with the new version.

Here’s the complete list of what’s new iOS 16.3 from Apple:

• New Unity wallpaper honors Black history and culture in celebration of Black History Month
• Security Keys for Apple ID allow users to strengthen the security of their account by requiring a physical security key as part of the two factor authentication sign in process on new devices
• Support for HomePod (2nd generation)
• Emergency SOS calls now require holding the side button with the up or down volume button and then releasing in order to prevent inadvertent emergency calls
• Fixes an issue in Freeform where some drawing strokes created with Apple Pencil or your finger may not appear on shared boards
• Addresses an issue where the wallpaper may appear black on the Lock Screen
• Fixes an issue where horizontal lines may temporarily appear while waking up iPhone 14 Pro Max
• Fixes an issue where the Home Lock Screen widget does not accurately display Home app status
• Addresses an issue where Siri may not respond properly to music requests
• Resolves issues where Siri requests in CarPlay may not be understood correctly

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The top 20 apps for pilots – 2023 edition
iPad Pilot News

There are thousands of apps that are useful for pilots, from flight training and weather briefings to calculators and games. With that in mind, compiling a list of the top apps may seem foolish, but once again we’re going to try—after all, a brand-new iPad pilot needs to start somewhere. The list below isn’t necessarily our 20 favorite apps, but rather the ones we see in use most often, and are worth considering for any pilot’s tablet:

ForeFlight has grown into a cross-platform planning tool, used by everyone from student pilots to corporate flight departments.

1. ForeFlight Mobile This is the app that has, probably more than any other, come to define the iPad era in aviation. The all-in-one pre-flight and in-flight product includes moving maps, approach charts, terrain awareness, weather graphics, weight and balance, flight plan filing, a digital logbook, flight playback, and a whole lot more. It has replaced paper charts and portable GPSs for a lot of pilots, especially as products like the Sentry and Stratus ADS-B receivers and the Garmin GDL 52 SiriusXM receiver have come onto the market.

2. Garmin Pilot Garmin practically invented portable navigation products for pilots, and while those aren’t as popular as they once were, the avionics giant hasn’t ceded the category. This impressive app has continued to evolve over the years and now includes many of the same features as ForeFlight, plus Garmin GTN-style menus, powerful split-screen options, and deep integration with Garmin panel-mount avionics. It’s also available on Android.

3. MyRadar. This free app is simple, but it’s fast and easy to use. MyRadar shows looping NEXRAD radar for the entire US that is easy to zoom in on – perfect for pre-flight weather briefings. It even includes some nice aviation features, like TFRs, AIR/SIGMET overlay and route overlays based on N-numbers. We’ve seen everyone from airline pilots to glider pilots use this app.

4. Sporty’s Pilot Training Flight training is hot right now, and fortunately, modern technology makes it much more convenient to learn at home than in a boring ground school. This all-in-one training app from Sporty’s includes 30 aviation video and test prep courses, including Private Pilot, Instrument Rating, Garmin G1000, Flight Review and other aircraft and avionics transition courses. It’s also available on Android.

StationWeather allows you to add large weather widgets on your iPad’s home screen.

5. StationWeather. This app is dedicated to a clean, graphical view of METARs, TAFs and NOTAMs and is perfect for a quick look at the latest text weather from your iPhone or iPad. Our favorite feature though is the ability to add extra-large weather widgets for METARs and TAFs to the iPad’s home screen. It also includes the most useful Apple Watch app that we’ve seen.

6. FlightAware The internet has made it easy to track airplanes in flight, both airline and general aviation, and there are plenty of good tracking apps available. FlightAware is one of the most popular, with a good mix of features and convenience. Want to see if your friend has landed? Want to see how big your weather diversion was? This free app makes it easy to do that and more. If you sign up for an account, you can even track your own airplane (if it’s ADS-B Out equipped) when it’s flying VFR.

7. X-Plane Laminar Research has offered a powerful desktop flight simulator for many years, but they’ve also been a leader in mobile simulation. While the X-Plane app may not allow you to log time, it’s a surprisingly realistic tool for training on procedures, with a variety of airplanes, cockpits and weather options.

8. ForeFlight Passenger This free app is a companion to the main ForeFlight EFB app, and it answers a common question: “when will we get there?” When connected to another device in the cockpit running ForeFlight, this simple app shows the route, airplane position, altitude and time remaining. Definitely worth trying out if you frequently fly with the same passengers.

9. Sporty’s E6B The good old-fashioned whiz wheel can rest in peace – the iPhone or iPad makes it much easier to do performance or weight and balance calculations. This $9.99 app does all that plus conversions, timer features and basic arithmetic. Just don’t try to take it to your FAA written exam. The iOS app works on iPad, iPhone and Apple Watch, and E6B is also available on Android.

CloudAhoy includes powerful postflight debriefing tools for both VFR and IFR flights.

10. CloudAhoy This app is a lot of fun and a useful tool for pilots of all levels to analyze and debrief their flights. Simply open the app and begin tracking (or use a Stratus or ForeFlight tracklog or G1000 flight data recorder). In addition to playing back your flight over a satellite map or an aviation chart, CloudAhoy will score the flight and its various segments to give you an objective analysis of your performance. It can even debrief your instrument flying, to analyze and help improve your ILS approaches.

11. FlyQ EFB In addition to serving as a full-featured aviation flight planning and navigation app, FlyQ offers unique features like 4D predictive weather and an exclusive augmented reality feature that overlays the location of airports on a live view of the outside world using your device’s camera.

12. Stratus Insight Formerly called Aerovie, this app started with a focus on soliciting PIREPs. It has since grown up a lot and last year was purchased by Appareo, the maker of Stratus devices. It now features complete charts, moving map navigation, in-flight weather, flight plan filing, and much more. It can also record, transcribe and playback ATC recordings when connected to your intercom.

13. LogTen Pro A logbook app makes it a lot faster and easier to keep track of currency, and it’s almost a requirement for aspiring airline pilots. LogTen Pro is one of the most powerful logbook apps we’ve seen, with a ton of customization options, airline schedule interfaces, and plenty of automated reports. It’s not cheap, but it’s worth it for an active pilot.

14. AOPA This all-in-one app from aviation’s largest pilot organization includes dozens of features, from articles to planning tools. But the Pilot Passport feature is particularly interesting for pilots. It offers a wide variety of events and activities, offering inspiration for your next flight, and helps you keep track of where you’ve been. You can use the badge system to set goals and celebrate new achievements.

15. FltPlan Go The free FltPlan.com website continues to be a popular flight planning service for corporate aviation. This free companion app allows you to retrieve and store your navlogs and weather briefings and includes FAA charts, moving map navigation, checklists, weather imagery and more. It has slowly evolved into a complete Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) app. It’s our top pick for a free EFB app, and is also available on Android.

Live ATC allows you to listen to real-time feeds from around the world.

16. LiveATC Pilots use this app every day to improve their communication skills or just listen in on Air Traffic Control from around the world. It’s surprisingly fun and addictive, especially for big events like Oshkosh or the Super Bowl.

17. Plane English Aviation Radio Simulator This innovative training app goes beyond just static content to present dozens of interactive communication scenarios. You can practice receiving a taxi clearance or requesting flight following, complete with airport diagrams, audio prompts, and a graded review of your own transmissions. Perfect for helping with mic fright, and includes the option to upgrade to an IFR simulator.

18. SkyDemon This app is a pilot favorite in Europe and provides full flight planning, aeronautical chart and GPS navigation features. It also provides intelligent warnings to keep you clear of of approaching airspace, terrain and obstacles.

19. FlashPass eAPIS This app provides an alternative method for filing the required eAPIS passenger manifest to US Customs when flying internationally across the U.S. border. It includes time-saving features like passport scanning, aircraft and passenger profiles that you can save in the app for quick entry for future trips. If you fly to the Caribbean or Mexico a lot, this app is a major time-saver.

20. RadarScope For real weather geeks, this app is hard to beat. It goes far beyond a basic radar map, with a whole slew of options for viewing NEXRAD radar. You can compare base and composite reflectivity, look at individual radar sites, and overlay lightning data. For storm season, it’s a great tool.

So there’s our list of the top 20 apps for pilots. Some are free, some are paid, but all have something to offer for pilots. This list is far from complete – there are dozens of other great apps out there in addition to these. What’s your top 20? Add a comment below.

For a comprehensive list of aviation apps, check out our Pilot’s Aviation App Directory.

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Three cheers for the iPad—an aviation miracle
iPad Pilot News

The teenage years can be awkward, as any parent can tell you (and as some of us might remember). Something similar seems to be happening to the iPad, which turns 13 this year. Dramatic advances in tablet technology have slowed down, small companies have been snapped up by major industry players, and prices have crept up. Some pilots have noticed, and started to share their frustration. One relatively new private pilot recently told me, “maybe the iPad is just a rip-off after all.”

Hardly. The iPad and aviation apps are nothing short of a miracle for pilots. They manage to make flying safer, easier, and less expensive—a rare accomplishment for technology. With a few moments of reflection, this becomes obvious.

Consider a recent cross-country IFR flight we made using the iPad. Everything was planned with ForeFlight, from the route and altitude to the weather briefing and the fuel burn calculations. In flight, we used a Sentry Plus ADS-B Receiver to keep an eye on weather and traffic, making deviations as needed and updating our plan along the way. The end result was a routine flight and happy passengers.

A complete flight bag for well under $2000.

The tools required and the money spent to accomplish this trip were surprisingly small. In the flight bag:

• iPad mini 6 (essentially a screen with a battery here) – $649
• ForeFlight Pro Plus subscription (charts, airport directory, flight planning, navigation, checklists, and so much more) – $240
• Sentry Plus ADS-B Receiver (weather, traffic, GPS, AHRS, CO detector) – $799
• RAM iPad Mount – $74.95

Total cost for my digital flight bag: $1522.95 plus $240/year.

Consider that the iPad can also be used for a host of non-aviation applications, from email and work documents to family photos and games for the kids, and the value is even more impressive. This multi-function ability makes the iPad my everyday companion, and it does help with spousal approval in some cases—a tablet is probably more useful for the rest of the family that a panel-mount GPS.

Now let’s recreate this flight back in 2010, when the iPad came out—I did it hundreds of times myself and I can confirm that flying was indeed possible before ForeFlight. But I remember it being more difficult and more expensive. A quick browse through the Sporty’s Pilot Shop catalog archives provided some real numbers. Here is a comparable flight bag, pre-iPad.

Charts:

• Sectionals – $9.05 X 5 charts for this route (updated twice per year) = $90.50/year
• En route low altitude – $4.70 X 4 charts (updated six times per year) = $112.80/year
• Approach plates – $5.30 x 7 charts (updated six times per year) = $222.60/year
• Airport/facility directory – $4.80 x 3 charts (updated six times per year) = $86.40/year
• Chart plotters, binders, kneeboard – $95, one time.

That new low price was still $2999.

Navigation and weather:

• Garmin GPSMAP 696 (moving map, airport directory, terrain) – $2999
• XM Weather subscription (in-flight weather) – $50/month
• Zaon XRX (portable traffic system—limited, but the only real option in 2010) – $1495
• Electronic CO detector – $179

Paperwork and planning:

• Electronic E6B – $69.95
• Digital logbook program (for Windows) – $69.95
• Books and documents – it varies, but easily $100

Total cost for my non-iPad flight bag: $5007.90 plus $1112.30/year. 

So the pre-iPad equipment was more than three times as expensive, and the subscription was nearly five times as expensive. That $3500 in up-front savings would easily pay for an ADS-B Out upgrade or a Garmin G5 instrument. That annual savings of nearly $900 would pay for roughly 150 gallons of avgas, enough for 10-20 hours of flying in most piston airplanes. And of course none of those 2010 numbers take inflation into account (in 2022 dollars, the Garmin 696 would be over $4000).

Perhaps more importantly, the new equipment is not only cheaper but better: there was no backup attitude display on the Garmin, no seamless chart planning, no synthetic vision, no flight data recorder, no automatic winds aloft planning tool before flight. My iPad lasts over five hours and recharges off a standard USB port; my old 696 lasted maybe three hours and used a proprietary cable. ADS-B traffic in ForeFlight shows other airplanes’ speed, track, and relative altitude (complete with audio alerts); my old Zaon only showed which quadrant to look for an airplane, and even that wasn’t too accurate. ForeFlight updates every chart in America in about 10 minutes; doing Jepp updates used to take half a day.

The iPad and electronic flight bag apps are not perfect. Just last week Garmin Pilot crashed the first two times I tried to open the app, ForeFlight has raised their prices recently, and Fltplan Go occasionally has maddening user interface choices. That means pilots should continue to voice their displeasure when they believe companies aren’t holding up their end of the deal (as I have and will continue to do). But we should also maintain some perspective, and recognize what amazing technology we get to fly with in 2023. In terms of cockpit technology, the good old days are right now.

Or as a famous comedian once said in a slightly off-color way, “everything is amazing right now and nobody is happy.”

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How to improve your iPad’s battery life
iPad Pilot News

The iPad is basically a big screen and a big battery.

One of the most under-appreciated features of the iPad is its fantastic battery life. Even with a high-resolution screen and a powerful processor, Apple’s tablet offers a battery life of 4 to 6 (or more) hours in the air—better than almost every other competing tablet. This is a huge advantage in the cockpit, as it’ll last for the duration of all but the longest flights.

But there are a number of things you can do to improve the performance of your iPad battery and keep it in top working condition. First, it’s important to know what type of battery the iPad (and the iPhone, for that matter) uses, and how it works. Like most consumer electronics, the iPad uses a lithium-ion polymer battery, often called a LiPo battery. These are the standard in portable devices now because they have a high power density but are very lightweight. When you think about it, it’s quite impressive how large a battery Apple manages to put into such a slim device. The latest generation iPad Pro 12.9″ for example, has a 40.88 watt-hour battery, but it weights just 1.5 lbs.

Another major advantage of LiPo batteries is the way they are charged. There is no “memory effect” like older Nickel Cadmium batteries, so you can charge your iPad anytime you want and even leave it on a charger overnight. The battery will also charge very rapidly, to about 80% in a few hours, while the last 20% is more of a trickle charge and takes longer. The latest models support fast charging, which can charge an iPad to 50% in just 30 minutes. This charging pattern is very handy for pilots, especially in the cockpit. LiPo batteries also hold their charge for a long time, so a fully charged iPad that is stored for a month will still have most of its charge.

So far we’ve talked about the “battery life,” meaning how long the iPad will run on a single charge. But Apple also specifies a “battery lifespan,” which is the number of times you can charge and discharge the battery before it starts to lose capacity. The iPad was designed so that, after 1000 charge/discharge cycles, it will still have 80% of its battery capacity. Note that it’s not considered a “charge cycle” every time you plug in your iPad. If you used 20% of your iPad’s battery life every day for five days, and recharged it each day to 100%, that would be one charge cycle. So 1000 charge cycles is actually quite a long time (probably years of use for most people).

With that background in mind, here are some tips for getting the most out of your iPad’s battery:

• Heat can permanently reduce battery life, especially if you use your iPad at temperatures higher than 95º F. The cockpit certainly can get that hot, so the best advice is to never leave your iPad in the airplane when you’re not there and never place it in the sun. Also, charging the device when it’s over 95 is even worse, so try to do your charging at home if you often fly in hot conditions. Finally, airflow does help so remove your iPad from its case if it’s getting hot and charge it with the case off if possible.
• Cold conditions (below 32º F) can also affect battery performance, but this is a temporary issue. Again, you shouldn’t store your iPad in the airplane on a cold night, but once it warms up the battery should give you normal life.
• Use your iPad regularly. Lithium-ion batteries are meant to be used hard, so don’t be afraid to use and recharge your iPad often. In fact, if you don’t regularly use your iPad, you should perform a complete charge cycle once a month (where you fully discharge the battery, then charge it up to 100%).
• If you don’t plan to use your iPad for a long time (say, a few months), store it with about a 50% charge for best performance. Storing it at 100% isn’t ideal, and storing it completely dead is even worse. The best advice is to charge it to 50%, then turn the iPad completely off and store it in a cool area.
• Keep your iPad updated to the latest version of iOS. In addition to the many new features Apple adds when they update their operating system, they often include fixes and performance enhancements for the battery. It’s a good idea to always have the latest version of iOS.
• Adjust screen brightness and wireless radio settings for maximum battery life. If you don’t need the screen at max brightness, turn it down—this has the most impact on battery drain so if you can stand lower brightness, do it. Likewise, if you don’t need the LTE data service or Bluetooth in flight, turn these services off (here’s how). Everything else is fairly modest in impact compared to these two.
• Limit background app refresh. Some apps can be data hogs even while they aren’t running, and this is especially power-hungry if you’re using LTE. Check which apps are enabled by going to Settings > General > Background App Refresh.
• If you suspect sub-par battery performance, the best tip is to use the battery utility in the Settings app to monitor what apps are using battery life. iOS is pretty good about shutting down background apps before they become real parasites, but it’s worth looking at this once in awhile. We have seen instances where aviation apps almost completely drained an iPad even after the flight was over and the screen was off. Check to see which apps are using the most battery, and whether they match your usage patterns.

One option that’s available on iPhone is Low Power Mode. This is a one-touch way to reduce screen brightness, animations, and background app usage. It’s a great option in a pinch, and your phone will prompt you about this when you reach 20%. Someday this might come to iPad, but it’s not available at this time.

After two or three years, lithium-ion batteries eventually lose some of their capacity. A full charge just won’t last as long as it used to. One downside to the iPad battery is that there is no (easy) way to replace it in the field. If your battery needs service or replacement, it must be sent back to Apple or taken to an Apple service provider. This can be done through Apple, for about $100. Details on their site.

Want to learn more? Check out a good backup battery option in this article or our complete advice on charging your iPad in this article. Also note that the iPad battery does meet the standards required by Advisory Circular 120-76D for use as an EFB.

The post How to improve your iPad’s battery life appeared first on iPad Pilot News.

How to use Apple’s new Freeform app for for flight planning
iPad Pilot News

If you’ve updated your iPad to iPadOS version 16.2, you may have noticed a new app on your Home Screen, called Freeform. It’s included free with the update and is essentially a brainstorming app: you can sketch, save photos, and share your canvas with others. If you’ve ever used Microsoft OneNote, it will look familiar. Here’s how you can use it to plan and organize a flying adventure.

Freeform is a free app with iPadOS 16.2

If you can’t find the Freeform app on your iPad (its icon is a circle, square, and squiggle), pull down from the middle of the screen and type “Freeform” to search for it. When you first open the app, you’ll see a blank document with a dotted background. This is essentially an infinite canvas—you add dozens of items to this page, in any direction. It’s much freer than a traditional Word document or Excel spreadsheet. Just keep panning around with your finger, or use the traditional iOS pinch zoom to get a big picture view.

This board can accommodate a wide variety of assets, including:

• Website links
• Images, including scans and screenshots
• Sticky notes
• Drawings
• Shapes and icons
• Text boxes

To add something to the board, tap one of the icons at the top of the page. The pen icon is for drawing directly on the screen; the text box icon is for adding a sticky note; the circle/square opens a menu of shapes; the A in a box is for adding a text box; and the picture icon is for adding an image, document, or website link. Once you’ve added it to the canvas, you can tap and drag the asset around to place it in just the right place.

While this app is clearly aimed at artists, graphic designers, and other creators (it works flawlessly with the Apple Pencil), we’ve found it useful as a brainstorming tool for planning flights. For example, we started a new board to plan our flight to Sun ‘n Fun this year. We added a screenshot of the Google Maps view of the local area around LAL, a sticky note for our airplane packing list, links to the airshow schedule and aircraft parking tips, plus the fly-in document from Sun ‘n Fun.

You can share a Freeform board with a collaborator, or send it via text or email. These are all done with the familiar share arrow at the top right corner. There’s also an option for exporting a board to PDF format. Tap the small down arrow next to the board name at the top left corner, then choose Export as PDF.

Once it’s a PDF, it’s easy to send this file to your favorite EFB app for easy reference in flight. In the example below, we sent the PDF to our Documents tab in ForeFlight.

If you’re planning multiple trips, you can make separate boards for each flight; just rename the board for your route or destination. Overall, Freeform is a great way to keep all the details organized but available in one place. Since it’s free, it’s definitely worth experimenting with before your next trip.

The post How to use Apple’s new Freeform app for for flight planning appeared first on iPad Pilot News.

App troubleshooting: how to close, delete and restart
iPad Pilot News

Everyone knows how to open an app on the iPad–just tap the icon and it’s off to the races. This is one of the things pilots love about the iPad. But what about closing apps–do you know the difference between sleeping an app, shutting down an app and deleting an app? It’s an important distinction that comes into play when an app starts misbehaving.

How to close an app

Say you’re planning a flight on your iPad, and you open up ForeFlight. When you’re finished with the app, you’ll most likely swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or press the home button if your model has one). This takes you back to the home screen and you can open another app. Did you close ForeFlight? Sort of. What you’ve actually done is put the app in sleep mode. The app is paused, and no longer running front and center, but it’s not fully shut down. You can open the app back up and you’ll pick up right where you left off. It’s great for switching back and forth between multiple apps.

To completely close out an app, swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or double-tap the home button) to bring up preview windows of apps you’ve recently had open. This shows your most recently used apps, and you can swipe from left to right to view additional apps. To reopen one of these simply tap the preview window. If you want to completely close the app, swipe the preview window towards the top and then off the screen. You can do this to some or all of the apps in your lineup of recently used apps.

Why would you want to do this? If the app you’re using is acting strangely or you think you might have a bug, closing the app completely and restarting it can sometimes fix the problem. For example, we recently used a weather radar app numerous times in the same day. After multiple uses, the app had trouble updating the radar picture–it just seemed stuck. Closing the app and restarting it fixed the problem. We’ve even had issues with some Apple apps recently, like Messages, on a brand-new iPhone 14 Pro, where the only fix was to restart the app using this technique.

Deleting an app

Note that shutting down an app is not the same as deleting it. When you shut down an app (as shown above), it is still installed and fully functional. To completely erase an app from your iPad, tap and hold the icon on the main home screen until a small menu appears. Next, select the option for Remove app, which will then bring up another confirmation box with two options: Delete App and Remove from Home Screen. The “Delete App” function will fully remove it from your device, while “Remove from Home Screen” will keep the app installed and only remove the icon from your home screen (you can still access the app by searching for it or going to the App Library).

Sometimes this is the only way to fix a serious app problem, by deleting it from your iPad and downloading it again from the App Store. You won’t have to pay again: when you go to the App Store, the icon for all purchased apps has a cloud download symbol so you can just tap to re-download.

There’s one other way to delete an app, one that can come in handy if your iPad is acting strangely. We’ve seen instances where tapping and holding an app icon to delete it won’t work – the app stubbornly stays on your home screen. In this case, you can go to the Settings app –> General –> iPad Storage. From here, you can see which apps are taking up the most storage space. You can also tap on an app to delete it, bypassing the home screen method.

Here’s one last tip on how to delete an app if you’re interested in doing some additional housekeeping. When reviewing app updates in the App Store, you may occasionally come across a new update for an installed app that no longer interests you. You can delete that app right on the spot, by swiping from right to left and pressing the red Delete button.

Restarting your iPad

If your iPad just isn’t working properly, an app seems to be hanging up, or you’re having trouble connecting to a wireless accessory in the cockpit, the old advice to reboot and try again is worth trying. Just like with apps, there’s a difference between sleeping your iPad and turning off your iPad. If you tap the iPad’s power button, the screen turns off, but the iPad stays on. This is fine for everyday use and saves a lot of battery. But to completely shut down the iPad, you need to hold down the power button and either of the volume buttons (or just the power button if your device has a home button at the bottom) and swipe the on-screen slider to power it off.

If for some reason that doesn’t work (or you’ve lost access to the side buttons) the last resort is to go to the General section of the iPad Settings app and select the Shut Down option at the bottom of the menu.

The post App troubleshooting: how to close, delete and restart appeared first on iPad Pilot News.

Quiz: ForeFlight badges, labels and alerts
iPad Pilot News

ForeFlight is much more than just an airport directory and moving map on your iPad. It’s smart, always analyzing each piece of data you input and calling out errors or abnormalities you may have overlooked. Our latest quiz takes a look at some of these to help you better understand what is going on under the hood.

What is the meaning of the red badge with an exclamation mark on the FPL button on the home Maps screen?

One of the airports in your active flight plan is NOTAM’d closed.

The forecast for one of the planned airports includes severe weather elements.

There are charts, databases or weather data for the planned route not saved for offline viewing in the air.

Correct! Wrong!

What does the PDC badge next to a Clearance Delivery Frequency indicate?

An alert that the Clearance Delivery frequency may be the same as Ground Control.

This stands for Pilot Demand Clearance, which means ATC will only issue full route clearances from this airport.

The FAA’s electronic Pre-Departure Clearance service is available at the selected airport.

Correct! Wrong!

What does the red badge and number indicate on the ForeFlight home screen icon?

The number of chart and aviation databases that are ready for download.

There are runway closure NOTAMs for the departure or destination airport.

There is a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) along your planned route.

Correct! Wrong!

What does a red badge with an exclamation mark indicate on the ID bubble for one of the planned airports in your flight plan?

The air traffic control tower is closed

There is an airport or runway closure for the airport.

A wind shear PIREP was recently reported by an arriving aircraft.

Correct! Wrong!

What does the red badge and number indicate at the top of the logbook screen?

How many days you’re out of landing currency.

The number of flights flown in the current year.

The number of automatic draft logbook entries created which are ready for approval.

Correct! Wrong!

While viewing PIREPs on the map, you notice a red badge on one of the PIREP symbols. What does this mean?

A high-altitude pilot report

An urgent pilot report

A pilot report of a UFO sighting

Correct! Wrong!

What does the "Error" message mean at the bottom left of the Route Editor window?

One of the performance variables, like the planned altitude or planned fuel, is not accurate for the aircraft model selected.

The altitude selected, e.g. odd or even, is incorrect for the direction of flight.

The route selected includes a VOR or NDB which has been decommissioned.

Correct! Wrong!

What does the mountain symbol indicate near the name of certain airports on the Airports page?

There is high terrain within 5 miles of the airport.

One end of the runway is obstructed by rapidly rising terrain.

There is high terrain within 10 miles of the airport.

Correct! Wrong!

What does the red box with the white triangle and exclamation mark mean at the top of the Checklist page?

There are checklists that have not been completed yet.

This is a quick-access button to load the emergency checklists.

This alert indicates that there is new checklist data available to download.

Correct! Wrong!

What does this red banner on the Maps screen mean from a practical standpoint?

The Sectional Chart shown at the current zoom level will be available for offline viewing in the airplane.

This alert can be ignored since ForeFlight automatically downloads charts in the background.

The Sectional Chart shown on the map was temporarily loaded from an internet connection and will not be available in the air when offline.

Correct! Wrong!

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How to make sure your ICAO flight plan doesn’t get rejected by ATC
iPad Pilot News

The ICAO flight plan form requires you to identify each part of your avionics configuration.

Mobile apps and online flight planning services have made filing IFR flight plans nearly effortless, thanks to intuitive interfaces and the availability of ATC previously cleared routes between airports in the U.S. There’s no question that this technology eased the required transition for pilots from the domestic to ICAO flight plan format a few years back.

That’s not to say the system is perfect though, and there are some limitations to keep in mind when filing an IFR route, regardless of which app or third-party filing service you use. Fortunately, ForeFlight developed a helpful ICAO Quick Reference Guide which includes a series of tips for preventing common filing errors. Here are some highlights:

Flight Service ICAO Flight Plan Validation (starts on page 69)

The post How to make sure your ICAO flight plan doesn’t get rejected by ATC appeared first on iPad Pilot News.

Flight Outfitters updates popular iPad kneeboard
iPad Pilot News

Flight Outfitters has been making iPad accessories for close to a decade now, and we’ve always been impressed with their thoughtful design details and rugged construction. This month they introduced the latest generation of their flagship iPad kneeboard, now called the Centerline Kneeboard, with some smart updates.

The Centerline is available in two sizes to fit iPads from the mini all the way up to the iPad Pro. It includes a main section to hold your iPad securely in place, a left side pocket that’s perfect for charging cables or cleaning cloths, a right side pocket that accommodates a stylus or pen, plus a fold-down ledge that’s ideal for either your phone or a note pad. We love this detail—brought back from an older model—because you can easily use another app (like an E6B or music app) or you can scribble notes if you like the reliability of pen and paper.

The iPad attaches to the kneeboard with a new silicon holder. This stretches to fit different size iPads, including those with a thin case (larger cases like an Otterbox are a little too thick). This is a lower profile method of holding the iPad that blocks less of the screen, and a nice upgrade. Also notice that the drop-down ledge can be zipped up when not in use.

The iPad holder also rotates, so it’s simple to change from landscape to portrait orientation. The rotating mechanism has enough friction that the iPad doesn’t slide around in turbulence.

The Flight Outfitters Centerline Kneeboard includes a thick elastic leg strap and a non-slip underside to keep it securely in place, and comes in a carrying case. It is available for $69.95 for the iPad mini and $74.95 for the iPad/iPad Air/iPad Pro.

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ADS-B Traffic Quiz: How does it work?
iPad Pilot News

The FAA has managed to make the traffic component of ADS-B both easy and hard. There’s a new set of acronyms, like UAT, TIS-B, 1090ES, ADS-B Out, ADS-R, FIS-B, but do they really matter at the end of the day? The short answer is yes and you should know what they mean, but the good news is once you’re properly equipped and up in the air, the system “just works” and will provide a complete traffic picture on your iPad or panel in most parts of the U.S.

Portable ADS-B receivers for the iPad, like Sentry, have made traffic in the cockpit accessible to all pilots flying any type of aircraft. Take our latest quiz to learn more about ADS-B traffic nuances, so you’ll be confident in knowing when you’re receiving a complete traffic picture on your iPad, and when you’re not.

1. As part of the FAA's NextGen ADS-B air traffic system, what is the service that provides the altitude, ground track, speed and distance of aircraft flying in radar contact to other aircraft equipped with ADS-B Out transponders.

Flight Information Service - Broadcast (FIS-B)

Traffic Information Service - Broadcast (TIS-B)

Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Rebroadcast (ADS-R)

Correct! Wrong!

2. In order to receive a custom traffic data package from the ADS-B network of ground stations, you must first do what?

Register your aircraft N number with the Air Traffic Management control office.

Install a certified ADS-B out transponder in your aircraft.

Actively use a portable ADS-B receiver during the flight.

Correct! Wrong!

3. If you are not ADS-B Out equipped but flying near another aircraft that is, then you will see all Mode C traffic.

True.

False.

Correct! Wrong!

4. What is the update rate for TIS-B traffic sent to your ADS-B equipped airplane from ADS-B ground towers?

3 to 13 seconds

1 to 5 seconds

1 second

Correct! Wrong!

5. When flying with ForeFlight, what is the significance of a potential traffic conflict depicted in red?

Red targets are within 0.5 NM and 500 ft, or will be within 15 seconds

Red targets are within 1.2 NM and 1,200 ft, or will be within 25 seconds

Red targets are within 2 NM and 2,000 ft, or will be within 45 seconds

Correct! Wrong!

6. What size is the traffic "hockey puck" that ground stations transmit to participating ADS-B out equipped aircraft?

30 mile diameter and +/- 3,500 feet.

30 mile diameter and +/- 5,000 feet.

30 mile radius and +/- 5,000 feet.

Correct! Wrong!

7. How should you maneuver your airplane when receiving a traffic alert for another airplane at your altitude, without having the other airplane in sight?

Begin an evasive turning maneuver to avoid a potential collision.

Turn away from the other airplane and then try to acquire it visually.

You should not make any avoidance maneuvers until visually acquiring the other airplane.

Correct! Wrong!

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Top 10 articles of 2022 at iPad Pilot News
iPad Pilot News

This was a big year for iPad Pilot News, as we celebrated our 10th birthday—practically a lifetime for an online publication. Back in 2012 the iPad mini was brand new, the iPod shuffle was still being made, and ForeFlight had just released their Documents feature. Today pilots are flying with portable supercomputers, datalink weather receivers, and maybe even satellite communicators. To track these trends in electronic flight bags, we published over 100 articles this year, many of them in response to reader questions. Here were the 10 most popular in 2022.

10. Which ForeFlight subscription plan is right for me? If you’re trying to decide between Basic Plus, Pro Plus, and Performance Plus, this article can help. It compares the key features and offers some suggestions depending on the type of flying you do.

9. Tips for using aviation apps with home flight simulators. In addition to being a lot of fun, flight simulators are an increasingly popular option for training. This article explains how to bring your iPad along on your next virtual flight and practice your app skills.

8. ForeFlight quiz: advanced map challenge. Always popular, our interactive quizzes offer you the opportunity to test your knowledge of aviation apps. This one covers the Maps tab and all the different features found there. Do you know all of them?

7. Top 20 apps for pilots—2022 edition. Every year we update our list of the most popular, most interesting, and most useful aviation apps. This year’s list includes plenty of well-known names, but also some smaller apps that have found a following.

6. Five quick ForeFlight tips. You know how to file a flight plan and navigate direct to an airport, but do you know how to find clearance delivery phone numbers or get a local weather forecast just by tapping on the map? You’ll learn those and more in this quick review article.

5. Top 10 aviation weather apps. Weather is a constant challenge for pilots, no matter how many hours you’ve logged. This top 10 list should offer some fresh ideas for improving your weather briefing and staying safe.

4. Top Apple Watch features and apps for pilots. The Apple Watch has come a long way since the early days; the latest models feature a built-in GPS, pulse oximeter, heart rate monitor, and much more. We explore what you can do with one in the air, and suggest some powerful aviation apps with dedicated Watch versions.

3. Maximize iPad battery life—charging, temperature, and storage. Keeping your battery charged and in good condition is the best thing you can do to improve the reliability of your EFB. This article reviews all the details and suggests some new habits for maximizing performance.

2. What’s the best iPad for pilots—2022 buyer’s guide. Eventually old iPads get too slow or simply quit, but choosing a replacement can be quite confusing with all the choices from Apple. Here we break down all the options, compare specs, and pick our winner for the best in-airplane tablet.

1. How to free up storage space on your iPad. It’s happened to all of us—the dreaded message pops up warning you that your iPad is full, meaning your chart database update or new app download will fail. This helpful article includes eight tips for freeing up space without deleting important apps, plus an option from Apple.

The post Top 10 articles of 2022 at iPad Pilot News appeared first on iPad Pilot News.

Top 10 mistakes iPad pilots make
iPad Pilot News

Everyone was once a beginner with the iPad (even if some of us don’t like to admit it). And like most things in life, the way we move from beginner to expert is by trial and error. Along the way, many of us made some mistakes with the iPad and aviation apps. But don’t feel bad – most pilots make the same ones at least once.

Here’s our list of the 10 most common mistakes:

1. Not pairing the iPad to a Bluetooth headset. Many apps include audio-specific features that are difficult to hear from your iPad’s speakers in the noisy cockpit. For example, ForeFlight presents both visual pop-up and aural alerts for runway proximity, traffic, cabin altitude, destination weather, terrain, TFRs, final approach runway and low altitude, and Garmin Pilot plays audio alerts for potential traffic conflicts. Fortunately, most modern aviation headsets offer Bluetooth connectivity to allow you to hear these alerts clearly in your headet (or you can add that capability with this accessory). Connecting your iPad to your headset is easy — here’s how to do it to make sure never miss an alert.

2. Charging your iPad in a restrictive mount or case. The most likely reason your iPad could fail in flight is overheating, which can happen for several reasons. The most common scenario is direct sunlight aimed at your iPad’s screen in the cockpit, causing it to quickly reach the internal temperature limit and trigger the overheat protection mode. Another way to quickly spike the temperature and activate overheat protection mode is to try to charge your iPad in flight while it’s inside of a full protective cover or kneeboard. Combine this with a little sunlight or a hot day and you’ll be looking at the temperature warning screen in a hurry. Here are ways to avoid that and other tips to keep your iPad cool in flight.

3. Not using a GPS source for position data. Surely all Apple mobile devices contain a GPS these days, right? Surprisingly, no. The Wi-Fi only iPad model does not include a GPS, while the upgraded version with cellular data does (and it works really). So if you head up on a flight with your brand new Wi-Fi only model iPad, you’ll quickly realize that the little blue airplane that showed your position on the ground when connected to the internet is gone. To remedy this, you’ll need an external GPS like a Bad Elf or Sentry ADS-B receiver.

4. Not configuring engine-out glide performance for your airplane. Both ForeFlight and Garmin Pilot include a best glide feature to help you plan a descent in the right direction and possibly make it back to a nearby airport. These use terrain, GPS data, winds aloft (from ADS-B or SiriusXM), and your aircraft’s best glide speed and ratio to shape a glide range ring around your ownship icon on the moving map display. This feature will only provide accurate guidance, however, after you enter your airplane’s specific performance data. In ForeFlight this can be done using the Glide Advisor setting found on both the aircraft profile screen and the main map settings menu drop-down, and from the Aircraft profiles screen in Garmin Pilot.

5. Using the app-auto update feature. For some time now, Apple has offered a handy automatic update feature for apps. When your iPad is charged up and connected to WiFi, it will download and install free app updates without any interaction. This is really handy for most apps, but not always. Imagine you’re taking off at oh-dark-thirty for LAX tomorrow, and your iPad is all set to go: charts downloaded, route store, favorites set. Without you knowing it, your app happens to auto-update overnight and introduces a bug that dumps your databases. If you don’t check before takeoff, you could have an unpleasant surprise on climbout. For that reason, we recommend turning off the auto-update feature the night before a big trip and always running the app with an internet connection before takeoff.

6. Slow-charging your iPad. There’s a good chance you have 5 USB chargers laying around at any given time and you grab whatever is closest to charge your iPad. While the “U” in USB does indeed stand for Universal, not all USB chargers are created equal. Most iPads sold in the past few years support fast charging technology, which can charge your iPad up to 50% in just 30 minutes. Fast charging requires a USB power adapter with at least 18 to 20 watts of output, which should be printed somewhere on the charger. For the ultimate upgrade, we recommend the Flight Gear 65W USB charger, which has 3 USB ports and can fast-charge your iPhone and iPad simultaneously. Don’t forget to bring along some type of charging option for the airplane, most commonly in the form of a backup battery or 12/24V USB adapter.

7. Updating your iPadOS the day it is released. It may seem tempting to download new versions of iOS the day they’re released (or a public beta) to try out the new features, but this can lead to more problems than it’s worth. Over the last few years, several of the big iOS updates have caused unexpected issues with aviation EFB apps and GPS accessories. To help out with this, we post all the main aviation app and accessory developers’ recommendations on when it’s OK to update after each iOS update on our iOS Green Light Update page.

8. Forgetting to download chart databases. By far the most frequent question we receive from a pilot new to the iPad: “I was looking at charts in the FBO, but when I took off they disappeared. What happened?” The problem is that the charts were being downloaded on the fly as used the app on the ground – streamed if you like. But since they weren’t permanently saved to your iPad, and since there is no internet connection in the cockpit, the charts can’t be displayed in flight. The best course of action is to first use the Downloads function in ForeFlight to save charts and databases to your iPad’s internal memory, and then use the Pack function to confirm everything is downloaded for the planned route before each flight.

9. Flying with a cluttered ADS-B traffic view. Most apps support the display of ADS-B traffic when connected to a panel-mount or portable ADS-B receiver. When flying in congested airspace, however, the display can quickly fill up with numerous targets and make it challenging to visualize the ones that matter most. To help with this, ForeFlight features a Hide Distant Traffic option in the Map settings, which will only show aircraft within +/- 3500 feet vertically and 15 NM. Garmin Pilot provides advanced filtering as well, to show targets nearby, or those above or below you (useful during climbs or descents).

10. No backup source for charts or data. You are not legally required to carry backup charts or a second EFB when flying VFR or IFR under Part 91, but not doing so would be foolish. Most pilots today rely on a second installation of their primary EFB app installed on an iPhone or second iPad as a backup data source, in the unlikely event the primary fails or becomes unresponsive in flight. When following this plan, it’s just as important to prepare this backup device as if it were the primary, by making sure it is fully charged and has all the charts and data saved for offline viewing in the airplane. And if you’d rather add another layer of redundancy to your backup plan or in lieu of a second EFB, consider the tried and true paper chart option.

The post Top 10 mistakes iPad pilots make appeared first on iPad Pilot News.

Student pilot’s guide to cross-country flight planning with an iPad (video tip)
iPad Pilot News

There is a wide range of opinions on how the iPad should be used during flight training by student pilots. On one extreme, some teach that students should only use paper sectional charts and perform all calculations by hand right up through the checkride, barring the iPad from the training environment. Another camp follows the opposite logic, allowing students to use all the automated flight planning tools right from the start, bypassing instruction on the core techniques like preparing a navlog and flying a cross-country trip with pilotage and dead reckoning.

As with most things in life, the practical answer falls somewhere in the middle. It’s important to learn how courses are plotted and groundspeed is estimated by using a plotter and E6B, but it’s equally important to learn how to take advantage of modern tools like the iPad which can add another degree of safety and situational awareness when used properly.

In this video, we’ll show how the iPad and ForeFlight can be worked into the cross-country planning process as a digital chart viewer and navigation resource while still flying the trip using pilotage and dead reckoning techniques.

The post Student pilot’s guide to cross-country flight planning with an iPad (video tip) appeared first on iPad Pilot News.

What’s new in ForeFlight and Garmin Pilot
iPad Pilot News

November and December are typically light months when it comes to EFB app updates and 2022 appears to be no different. Both ForeFlight and Garmin Pilot recently released minor updates over the past few weeks, each adding a few new features. Here’s a quick look at what you’ll find in the latest version of each app.

Garmin Pilot 11.1

Terrain Planning – To assist with preflight route planning, Garmin Pilot now allows you to view color-coded terrain in relation to your route when on the ground. First, enable the Terrain layer on the Maps screen, and then tap on the new “planning” button at the bottom right of the map to enter planning mode. Then, use the altitude slider to simulate various altitudes.

Once airborne, Garmin Pilot will automatically change the terrain layer to show the relative terrain shading in relation to your current altitude.

Printable Navlog – After planning a flight from the Trip Planning section of the app, you’ll find a new option to generate and share a detailed Navlog. Simply tap the Share icon next to the flight plan and you’ll see a familiar Navlog with complete trip details, including waypoints, headings, altitudes, groundspeed, distance, fuel burn and leg times:

Golze ADL Support – For those flying in Europe, Garmin Pilot added support for the Golze ADL receiver, which provides GPS and AHRS data, and ADS-B traffic and weather via an Iridium connection.

ForeFlight 14.10

European ATC Boundaries – When the Aeronautical Map’s ARTCC/FIR layer is enabled, pilots flying in Europe can view individual ATC sector boundaries on the map:

Pilots flying in the U.S. will continue to see the same ARTCC boundaries outlined with white dashed lines.

Aircraft filing remarks – Specify remarks for a given aircraft like call sign information, registration number, or SATCOM phone number to be automatically inserted in field 18 of the ICAO flight plan form every time you file with that aircraft. You can find the Remarks field by visiting More > Aircraft, selecting an aircraft, and then scrolling to the Filing section to add Remarks.

Route filing remarks – Edit waypoint-specific route elements like Delays/STAYs and add remarks for ATC directly in the Filing Form before filing a flight plan. Military Flight Bag customers can also edit and add remarks to MFB-specific mid-route adjustments like Aerial Refueling Tracks, MTRs, and En route Fuel Changes using the same form.

Runway Analysis Support – ForeFlight added the Hawker 900XP model to its list of supported turbine airplanes in the Runway Analysis feature.

The post What’s new in ForeFlight and Garmin Pilot appeared first on iPad Pilot News.

How to set up aircraft profiles and equipment codes to file VFR/IFR flight plans
iPad Pilot News

All VFR and IFR flight plans must be filed using the ICAO form.

Filing a VFR or IFR flight plan today is a breeze when using an aviation app like ForeFlight or Garmin Pilot, since the File function is integrated right into both apps’ standard flight planning features. The one area related to this which can be slightly confusing though is entering all the correct aircraft equipment codes when you go to file.

The international (ICAO) flight plan form, which is required to be used for all VFR and IFR flight plans filed in the U.S., requests detailed information about your airplane’s navigation, communication, surveillance (transponder) and survival equipment.

While this may seem intimidating at first, you’ll only need to do it once thanks to the ability to set up aircraft profiles in each app. After entering all the data once, the profile will automatically be saved, streamlining data entry for future flight plans. Here we’re going to take a look at the actual information needed and some sample airplane configurations to help make this initial setup easier.

Setting up your airplane profile

We’re going to focus on ForeFlight and Garmin Pilot for this ICAO flight plan discussion. While both apps ultimately require the same set of information, some of the equipment requirements are grouped together differently in each program, which can lead to confusion. For that reason, we’re going to help you identify your equipment first, which will make it easier to then enter your specific application.

In ForeFlight, go to the More tab, select Aircraft from the options on the left, and here you can either add a new aircraft or modify an existing one. You’ll see fields to enter the ICAO equipment details towards the bottom of the screen after selecting one of the N#s from the list.

In Garmin Pilot, head to the main Settings section and choose Aircraft from the options on the left. Just like with ForeFlight, you can either add a new aircraft or modify one of your existing profiles.

The exact layout of each app’s aircraft profile data-entry screen varies a bit, but in the end, they’re all looking for the same information to ensure you meet the ICAO requirements:

• Basic Airplane Data–The first step is to enter the standard data, like N#, aircraft type, color and the home airport. Something new you’ll see is Wake Turbulence Category, and you’ll enter Light (L) here when under 15,500 lbs.
• Communication Radios–Most GA airplanes are equipped with VHF radios, so this is the only selection necessary here. If your radio has 8.33 kHz spacing and allows you to select the 3rd decimal place when tuning in a frequency (e.g. 122.975 vs. 122.97), select that option as well.
• Navigation and Approach Aids–Here you’ll specify which type of navigation radios are on board. The most common selections are ADF, GPS (listed sometimes as GNSS), DME, ILS, VOR and LPV (if you have an approach-approved WAAS GPS). You can also use the “S” code if you have the standard configuration of VOR, VHF radio and ILS receiver. If you have a GPS receiver that meets a minimum level of performance-based navigation (see next bullet point on PBN), you’ll also use the “R” code here to indicate that capability. You probably don’t have any of the other equipment options listed in this group like ACARS/SATCOM/CPDLC (unless you own an Airbus or a Boeing jet), so skip those options and continue on.
• Performance-Based Navigation (PBN)–This grouping is used to identify the RNAV & RNP capabilities of your GPS receiver if installed. This is one of the more confusing aspects of the form, but fortunately, Garmin publishes a “cheat sheet” to help you out if you have a Garmin GPS or glass cockpit system in your panel: Garmin ICAO Flight Plan Equipment Codes.  In this file, you’ll see 3 tabs across the bottom — choose the first one, labeled ICAO Flight Plans & Eligibility. This will list out exactly what codes to select in the PBN category for your particular setup.
• Surveillance–The ADS-B transponder requirement has expanded the number of transponder options and configurations available. There are 2 parts to the ICAO equipment requirement: first, identify the transponder type, and second specify the ADS-B capabilities. If you have a Garmin transponder installed, refer back to their Excel spreadsheet and go to the 3rd tab, labeled ICAO Surveillance Equipment for help. If you’re not ADS-B out equipped, you’ll only enter one code–most likely code “C” for a Mode C transponder or code “S” for a Mode S transponder.
• Survival Equipment–The last step is to add is any survival equipment on board, including life jackets, emergency radios and dinghies.

ICAO Flight Plan Tips

It doesn’t take long to be overwhelmed by all the information required. Take your time and be thorough with your airplane’s assessment. Garmin Pilot includes helpful tips for each field while filling out the data and a comprehensive filing resource here. ForeFlight offers an ICAO Filing Manual, How-to blog and video to guide you along the way.

Check with your avionics manufacturer for help on specific equipment codes to select.

The best advice is if you’re unsure of whether or not you have a piece of navigation equipment on the list, leave it unchecked, as this is what ATC will look at when clearing you for advanced routes and procedures. It’s not the end of the world if you mess this up–it’s more important for high-altitude RVSM aircraft, international flights and when flying to busy airports where RNAV arrivals and approaches are used. If you’re still unsure, check with your avionics manufacturer, as they will be able to help you identify the specific codes for your GPS and transponder configuration.

We came across one point of confusion to be aware of: the code B1 is used in two different areas and means 2 completely different things. In the surveillance section, it is used to categorize an ADS-B transponder with dedicated 1090 MHz ADS-B “out” capability. You’ll also see B1 in the PBN section, which is used to identify RNAV 5 capability.

Some of the forms will also ask for your Mode S transponder’s unique Hex Code, which is required if you’re equipped with an ADS-B out transponder. You can look up your code using your airplane’s N# on the FAA registry site.

Finally, we’ll point out that you only should identify certified, panel-mount ADS-B in/out equipment in the Surveillance section, and not portables. While there are equipment codes for ADS-B in capabilities, portable receivers like Sentry and Garmin GDL-50 should not be included here.

Sample aircraft:

Putting this all together, here are some example configurations and respective equipment codes:

Cessna 172 Dual Nav/Com, Bendix/King Mode S transponder, SkyBeacon ADS-B Out

ICAO Equipment: “S” (standard VOR, VHF, ILS)

ICAO Surveillance: “S” (Mode S Transponder), “U1” (ADS-B, UAT/978 Out)

ICAO PBN: leave this blank, since you’re not RNAV/GPS equipped

Cirrus SR22 Dual Garmin 430W Nav/Comm/GPS, Garmin GTX345 Transponder

ICAO Equipment: “S” (standard VOR, VHF, ILS), “Y” (VHF 8.33 kHz spacing), “G” (GNSS), “B” (LPV), “R” (PBN approved)

ICAO Surveillance: “E” (Mode S, ID, Altitude, Extended Squitter), “B2” (ADS-B 1090 MHz Extended Squitter, in and out)

ICAO PBN: A1, B2, C2, D2, L1, O2, S1, S2 (RNAV 10/5/2/1, RNP 4/1/Appch)

Bonanza A36 Garmin G500 TXi, Garmin GTN650 Nav/Comm/GPS, Apprareo Stratus ESG transponder

ICAO Equipment: “S” (standard VOR, VHF, ILS), “Y” (VHF 8.33 kHz spacing), “G” (GNSS), “B” (LPV), “R” (PBN approved)

ICAO Surveillance: ICAO Surveillance: “L” (Mode S Transponder, Enhanced Surveillance, Extended Squitter), “B1” (ADS-B with dedicated 1090 MHz ADS-B “out” capability)

ICAO PBN: A1, B2, C2, D2, L1, O2, S1, S2 (RNAV 10/5/2/1, RNP 4/1/Appch)

Filing an ICAO Flight Plan

So here’s the good news–all the hard work is now behind you. Once your aircraft profile is set up in the app, filing the actual ICAO flight plan before a flight requires just a few taps. In ForeFlight go to the Flights tab, enter your flight plan data, tap the File button at the bottom of the screen and verify that ICAO is listed as the flight plan type at the top. You’ll want to update the emergency equipment as required, and tap file.

The flight planning process from Garmin is accomplished in the Trip Planning section of the app, and you’ll use the File button at the top right of the screen after all the flight details are entered.

More Information

Here are few videos from ForeFlight and Garmin with additional instructions on filing with the ICAO flight plan form:

The post How to set up aircraft profiles and equipment codes to file VFR/IFR flight plans appeared first on iPad Pilot News.

How to share your location from an iPhone 14 via satellite
iPad Pilot News

Garmin’s inReach Messenger allows pilots to send text messages from the cockpit.

We’re entering an exciting new era of communications thanks to recent developments in satellite connectivity. While satellite phones have been around for decades, their bandwidth limitations and high service costs limited their use to a few niche applications, like those needed by the military, off-grid adventurers and Gulfstream jet setters.

Several low-cost satellite communicators have made their way into the general aviation space in recent years, like the Garmin inReach Messenger and AirText system, but they still require special hardware and a paid subscription. While both of these systems connect to the Iridium network for satellite services, which can support phone calls and low-bandwidth internet, these two products are designed solely for text messaging and SOS alerts.

SpaceX’s Starlink satellite communication and internet service is also making great advancements after the deployment of over 3,000 satellites in low-earth orbit, but this system (for now) requires a stationary antenna on the ground. Starlink is targeting 2023 for deliveries of its aviation receiver for airplanes, but the one-time hardware cost of $150,000 is likely out of most pilots’ budgets.

That brings us to Apple. Back in October, the company released the iPhone 14 and made big waves with the inclusion of a new satellite-based emergency communication feature. This uses the Globalstar satellite network, which relies on low-earth orbit satellites to provide low-bandwidth communication services. Officially called “emergency SOS via satellite”, this allows iPhone 14 users to connect to the first responder network via satellite when out of cellular service coverage. The service is included at no extra charge for the first two years and is a nice insurance policy for both pilots flying in remote areas and those hiking or traveling out of cell phone coverage.

Apple also included a secondary satellite feature for iPhone users, which provides the ability to share your location via satellite when out of cellular coverage. This will update your location in the Find My app on iPhone, allowing other users who you’ve previously allowed to track your location in their Find My app and see where you are (or were) located at a specific time.

To use this feature, open the Find My app on any iPhone 14 model, and select the “Me” tab at the bottom right. You’ll then see a new option called “My Location Via Satellite”. This feature will only work when you’re not connected to a cellular or Wi-Fi network, so for now you’ll just see an information screen.

To test this out, we took a Cessna 182 up to 5,500 feet and headed out on a short cross-country flight. Once we flew far enough away from the populated area of Cincinnati and lost cell coverage, the Satellite Location option was enabled in the Find My app. You’ll also see the letters SOS replace the cell coverage strength bars to the left of the battery status at the top of the screen.

After pressing the blue Send My Location button, you’ll see a status window at the of the screen with instructions on where to point your phone to connect to a satellite. We held the phone up in the front window for about a minute, and it then displayed a message that the location had been updated in the Find My app. Included with the confirmation message is a reminder that you can only update your location every 15 minutes, so the feature is essentially put on a timer to limit you to a max of 4 shares per hour.

Here’s a quick look at what you’ll see during the interactions:

On the receiving end, your friends and family will need to head over to the People tab at the lower left of the Find My app, select your name, and they’ll then see the point where you shared your location. The difference here, vs. normal location sharing, is that a Satellite Location message will be included and a satellite icon shown next to their avatar.

It’s worth pointing out that you should brief anyone who can see your location in advance about how this works and your plans to share your location from the airplane on a flight, to prevent them from thinking you’re on the ground in a remote location with an actual emergency (no altitude data is transmitted).

If you own an iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Pro, this is a fun feature to test out and will give you a glimpse at the new opportunities satellite connectivity can provide without breaking the bank. Apple is Globalstar’s main customer now and has reserved 85% of the network bandwidth for its own use, so we can only assume that this is just the start of its expansion into satellite communication services.

The post How to share your location from an iPhone 14 via satellite appeared first on iPad Pilot News.

ForeFlight Quiz: Advanced map challenge
iPad Pilot News

ForeFlight’s moving map screen provides nearly every piece of information a VFR or IFR pilot needs over the course of a flight. Take our latest quiz and see if you know how to access some of its hidden features.

How can you display VFR Flyway Planning Charts on the moving map?

VFR Flyway charts automatically display when the Sectional layer is active and you zoom into a section of Class B airspace.

When viewing a VFR Flyway chart in the Documents section of the app, press the “Send-To” button at the top right of the screen and select the “Maps” option

Enable the U.S. VFR (flyway) layer from the Maps layer menu.

Correct! Wrong!

When the NOTAMs layer is enabled on the map, what is the significance of an area highlighted with yellow shading?

Yellow graphical NOTAMs indicate an active MOA or Restricted Area.

This represents Special Use Airspace, like an MOA or Restricted Area, that will go live in the next 2 hours.

An area with unmanned aerial activity (drones) is scheduled to go active in the next 2 hours.

Correct! Wrong!

How can you quickly find the nearest airport in ForeFlight?

Enable the display of the nearest airport from the row of instruments at the bottom of the maps screen.

Tap the NRST button at the top left of the maps screen.

Tap the Search field at the top of the screen and enter the word “Nearest”.

Correct! Wrong!

When approaching to land at an airport, how can you display a final approach path aligned with the planned landing runway?

Tap the airport location on the moving map, select the Runway tab and tap the number of the planned runway.

Tap the airport ID in the Route Editor and choose the option for “Select Runway”.

Tap the Profile button in the Route Editor, tap the airport ID at the bottom, and tap the number of the planned runway from the list of options displayed.

Correct! Wrong!

What do the yellow and red colors indicate for terrain when the Hazard Advisor layer is enabled?

Yellow - within 2000’ / Red - within 500’ or above

Yellow - within 500’ / Red - within 50’ or above

Yellow - within 1000’ / Red - within 100’ or above

Correct! Wrong!

How can you display the legend and side panel of VFR Sectional or IFR En Route chart on the map?

Chart legends are automatically displayed when viewing the VFR Sectional or U.S. IFR (low) layer on the map.

Chart legends can only be viewed in the Documents section of the app.

Enable this feature from the “Map Touch Action” menu in the main map settings and tap on the Sectional on the moving map.

Correct! Wrong!

When flying with an ADS-B receiver, how can you display ground-based traffic on an airport diagram?

Load the airport diagram in the Plates section of the app and enable the Traffic option from the top of the screen.

Traffic can not be displayed on the airport diagram.

Send the airport diagram to the maps screen from the Plates section, enable the traffic layer and then zoom in on the airport and chart.

Correct! Wrong!

Where can you find a written description about surface Hot Spots for an airport?

Enable the Aeronautical layer on the Maps screen, zoom into an airport and tap one of the orange Hot Spots shown on the graphical airport diagram.

Load the Airport Diagram in the plates view and tap on the brown symbols shown on the chart with the label “HS”.

Hot Spot information will appear after pressing the red NOTAMs button at the top of an Airport Diagram.

Correct! Wrong!

While briefing an instrument approach, you see a snowflake icon and temperature listed in the briefing strip. What does this mean and where in ForeFlight can you find more information?

This airport frequently experiences temperatures below -31C and frozen precipitation. Reference the airport NOTAMs for runway braking conditions.

This indicates that the airport offers anti/de-icing services at temperatures as low as -31C. Refer to the Holdover Time Guidelines in the Winter Operations folder in the documents section of the app.

This indicates that it is a Cold Temperature Restricted Airport. Open the Winter Operations folder in the Documents section of ForeFlight and select the “Cold Temperature Restricted Airports” document to reference the altitude correction table when flying an instrument approach.

Correct! Wrong!

When viewing the Aeronautical map overlay, how can you determine the MEA for an airway?

Enable the Airways option from the map settings and tap anywhere along the airway.

IFR segment en route altitudes are only displayed on the IFR low altitude en route chart.

Enter an IFR route with an airway in the route editor, and then tap the name of the airway bubble and select the option for “Minimum Altitudes”.

Correct! Wrong!

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The post ForeFlight Quiz: Advanced map challenge appeared first on iPad Pilot News.

Do I really need to use Airplane Mode on my iPad or iPhone?
iPad Pilot News

One of the most common questions we hear as pilots is, “Do I really need to put my phone in Airplane Mode?” The airlines have been saying yes for years, but many travelers think this advice is outdated and it’s safe to ignore. Is that true in a small airplane? And what is Airplane Mode anyway? Here’s our advice.

Does it really matter?

Let’s begin with the actual rules. First there’s FAR 91.21, which covers all portable electronic devices—not just cell phones—being used on any aircraft operating under an air carrier certificate (think airlines) or under IFR. No portable electronic devices can be used in these cases unless “the operator of the aircraft has determined it will not cause interference with the navigation or communication system.” This is a fairly simple determination for a GA pilot to make in the airplane, and the FAA has been clear that sophisticated testing equipment is not required to satisfy this FAR.

There’s also AC 91.21-1D, which expands on FAR 91.21. This AC offers suggestions for evaluating portable electronic devices and clarifies that cell phones and LTE-enabled iPads, while prohibited from use in flight by FCC regulations, are allowed to be used in aircraft while on the ground for picking up a clearance or filing a flight plan.

Neither of these FAA documents explicitly ban the use of cell phones or LTE-enabled iPads, but the FCC does in 22.925: “When any aircraft leaves the ground, all cellular telephones on board that aircraft must be turned off.” More practically, it’s clear the main concern from regulators is electromagnetic interference (EMI), and in our experience we’ve almost never seen any interference from an operating cell phone. However, it’s worth pointing out that the chance of interference isn’t zero—hold your iPhone up to the compass and see what happens.

However, even if there’s no EMI there are good reasons why you should consider using Airplane Mode.

First, consider why the FCC bans the use of cellular devices—it’s about the cell towers on the ground, not the airplane instruments. Airborne cellular transmitters have line of site to many more towers than a typical phone on the ground, which means your iPhone at 2500 feet can easily swamp channels on multiple towers. This isn’t good for the performance of the rest of the cell network and for everyone on the ground. Some people even think carriers temporarily blacklist phones that connect to lots of towers. If you’ve ever tried to get your emails while your airline flight was on approach but found performance to be really bad, that might be what’s going on.

Secondly, Airplane Mode is much more efficient for your phone or iPad battery. This is mostly because your devices won’t be using extra power to search for cell towers or trying to coordinate connections with towers that are barely reachable. Leaving LTE on for the entire flight can easily consume half your battery life on a two-hour flight.

Lastly, Airplane Mode should make your apps perform better. Instead of trying to make network requests that will most likely time out when you barely have any bandwidth, network requests won’t happen at all, and your apps should just fall back to being offline. Anecdotally, we’ve also seen more reliable performance with external devices like ADS-B receivers when LTE is turned off.

Does that mean you should never use your cell phone in flight? No. In a worst case scenario, like a total communications failure in flight, we wouldn’t hesitate to try calling ATC on the phone. It has happened, and it has worked. You might have to beg forgiveness with the FCC, but that’s a small price to pay.

One last note: remember that Airplane Mode does NOT disable the internal GPS (if your iPad has one). Many years ago that was the case, but no longer. You can turn Airplane Mode on and still navigate in ForeFlight.

The post Do I really need to use Airplane Mode on my iPad or iPhone? appeared first on iPad Pilot News.