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Top 7 iPad accessories for pilots

September 26, 2017/in Pilot Gear/by studentpltnews

The iPad makes a great, all-in-one cockpit tool, combining maps, flight planning, in-flight weather, documents and so much more. That doesn’t mean it stands on its own, though. A few carefully chosen accessories can make it so much more powerful and easy-to-use. Here’s our list of the accessories you should consider, and our top recommendations.

6 tips for pilot proficiency and development

September 25, 2017/in Tips and technique/by studentpltnews

As you’re already aware, earning a pilot certificate is a fun and rewarding experience that will provide you with a lifetime of thrills and excitement. But it’s also a license to learn and requires a system of continuing education and proficiency. First, a word of caution – while your flying fundamentals will no doubt be […]

Top 7 iPad accessories for pilots

September 26, 2017/in Pilot Gear/by studentpltnews

6 tips for pilot proficiency and development

September 25, 2017/in Tips and technique/by studentpltnews

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Top 7 iPad accessories for pilots

September 26, 2017/in Pilot Gear/by studentpltnews

1. ADS-B Receiver

Practically an essential for iPad pilots who fly cross country, these all-in-one portable receivers deliver a wealth of data to your iPad: subscription-free weather, traffic, GPS, backup attitude, flight data recording and pressure altitude sensor. Best of all, they’re battery-powered and require just a single button push to operate. Like a good ANR headset, an ADS-B receiver quickly pays back the initial investment.

Top Choice: Stratus 2S ADS-B receiver for ForeFlight

Why it’s the best: The Stratus line of ADS-B receivers were designed to exclusively work with ForeFlight, aviation’s most widely used iPad app. The top-of-the-line Stratus 2S model contains all the bells and whistles, including ADS-B weather replay, dual-band traffic, remote-mount capability, pressure altitude monitoring, flight data recorder and a built-in AHRS to drive ForeFlight’s synthetic vision.

On a budget: Stratus 1S, Garmin GDL 39

Want to learn more? Check out this portable ADS-B receiver buyer’s guide

2. GPS Receiver

If you don’t need all the bells and whistles of an ADS-B receiver, a standalone GPS is a great value. It will drive the moving maps in your aviation app and give you essential navigation data like groundspeed, track across the ground and time to destination.

Top Choice: Bad Elf Pro+

Why it’s the best: Bad Elf’s flagship GPS is very well made and has a number of great features: an incredible 35 hour battery life, handy built-in screen, altimeter and connection to multiple devices.

On a budget: Dual XGPS150A

Want to learn more? Check out our iPad GPS buyer’s guide

3. Flight Bag

Flight bags have evolved considerably over the past 5 years, featuring a smaller footprint with well-thought out pockets to keep your electronic gadgets organized and secure. They’re also more stylish. A good one can protect and organize your iPad, mount/kneeboard, charging cords, headset and more.

Top Choice: Flight Outfitters Lift

Why it’s the best: This compact, square-shaped bag features a padded center pocket for your iPad, surrounded by additional side pockets for a headset or smaller iPad accessories. The fold-out style is handy in the airplane, especially if you’re flying single pilot and have the flight bag on the right seat – you can open only the pocket you need, and grab your gear with one hand.

On a budget: Flight Gear HP iPad Bag

4. Kneeboard

Securing your iPad in the cockpit is important for safety and for ease of use. There are two main options for this: a kneeboard or a mounting system. Kneeboards are generally more affordable, and offer additional storage pockets. They’re ideal for renters or flying club members.

Top Choice: Flight Gear HP iPad Kneeboard

Why it’s the best: The latest generation of this popular kneeboard is just the right size, with enough room for your iPad, some cords, and a cleaning cloth, but without being too big or cumbersome. The iPad panel can tilt and rotate so you find just the right position for your airplane. For smaller cockpits, we like how the kneeboard can fold in half so it’s only a single panel.

On a budget: iPad Rotating Kneeboard

5. Mount

If a kneeboard doesn’t work in your airplane, a mount is a great alternative. There are lots of options here, from suction cup mounts for side windows to yoke mounts. There are plenty of brands offering mounts, and most of them are quite good, but there are significant differences between them to consider.

Top Choice: PIVOT Case and Mount – iPad Mini and iPad Pro 9.7″/Air options

Why it’s the best: This deluxe system, used by Southwest Airlines pilots every day, is a protective case and suction cup mount in one. It’s well-made, easy-to-use and doesn’t take up too much space in the cockpit. When you’re done flying, it quickly removes from the suction cup and becomes a good, everyday case.

On a budget: RAM Mounts (numerous options)

6. Backup Power

Most of the (very rare) issues we’ve had with the iPad have been due to running out of battery. So it’s only smart to have a backup for those days when you fly longer than expected or forget to charge your iPad. Fortunately, there are more options than ever. Just be sure to get something with a 2 amp charging port.

Top Choice: Professional Battery Pack

Why it’s the best: A standalone battery pack is an essential backup, and it works anywhere – even in airplanes without an electrical system. This model is the best one we’ve seen: it has dual 2 amp USB ports for tablets, dual 1 amp USB ports for phones and a huge, 20,800 mAh battery. We’ve charged an iPad, Stratus and two iPhones at the same time. Even with all that power, it’s surprisingly small and portable, plus it won’t create noise in your aircraft radios.

On a budget: Flight Gear Dual USB Charger with Screen

7. Screen Protector

Not everyone likes screen protectors, since they can distort the screen slightly. But for pilots who use their iPads hard, it makes sense to give that big chunk of glass a little extra protection from scratches, drops and fingerprints. Some will cut down on screen glare too.

Top Choice: MyGoFlight ArmorGlas – iPad Mini and iPad Pro 9.7″/Air options

Why it’s the best: These screen protectors aren’t flimsy sheets of plastic that are impossible to put on; instead, they’re made from tempered glass. They are much easier to apply, they don’t affect the touchscreen performance and they even reduce screen glare by a bit.

6 tips for pilot proficiency and development

September 25, 2017/in Tips and technique/by studentpltnews

Flying is like any skill – use it or lose it

First, a word of caution – while your flying fundamentals will no doubt be sharp when you earn your ticket, the majority of your training and checkride preparation was likely spent close to home. This isn’t a bad thing, but there is still a wealth of knowledge and skill to be gained during the flying that will come beyond the certificate. Aeronautical decision making and judgment is a constant “work-in-process.” It’s quite likely that not a lot of experience has been gained at this point in flying cross-country, managing weather, planning for alternates, communicating with ATC or dealing with equipment malfunctions. In other words, you’ll need to commit time to determining what your personal limitations will look like as a newly-certificated pilot.

Here is my advice for maintaining proficiency, gaining experience and managing personal minimums.

1) Fly – Yes, it sounds too basic to believe and you may even want to laugh, but you’d be surprised at the number of new pilots that do little or no flying after the certificate. The reasons are numerous, but one that I’ve heard is that there’s no longer a commitment to come to the airport to meet the instructor for a lesson. Seriously? The certificate is a gateway…an open door to freedom and adventure. Share that experience with friends or family and take a leisurely flight. Make the commitment to fly.

Quality time on the ground with your avionics will pay dividends

2) Master the avionics – Regardless of your panel’s complexity, there is technology to be mastered. Achieving the level of proficiency where control inputs become instinctive, while already task saturated, can literally save the day. Like anything, this is knowledge that will degrade over time, so study your manuals and take advantage of simulator programs and training videos. As a start, you’ll want to be thoroughly familiar with your aircraft’s autopilot and GPS.

3) Checklists & flows – Use a checklist AND flight deck flow for all of your procedures. Aviation happens to be at the forefront when it comes to checklist usage. The safest operations I’m familiar with typically use multiple checklist styles and layers for added safety that will evolve with time and experience.

In a to-do system, you would methodically read through each item on the checklist and then perform the necessary task as you come to the item. As you become more familiar with an aircraft, you should consider and develop “flows” – an organized and consistent pattern of moving around the flight deck to accomplish items required of the upcoming checklist.

Undoubtedly you’ve learned or developed a mental checklist or if not, you likely will at some point. There’s the famous “GUMPS” as a before landing (G – gas, U – undercarriage, M – mixture, P – prop, S – seatbelt & switches) and “CIGAR” as a before takeoff. The mental checklist will serve as another valuable layer of redundancy and perhaps even a lifesaver in a critical situation with little or not time to consult a written list.

A good post-flight will allow you to catch items early

4) Thorough Pre-Flight/Post-Flight Procedures Review

A safe flight starts with a thorough preflight to minimize the chance of any surprises. Get in the habit of reviewing weather, routes, performance, terrain, and contingency plans. This review should also include available airports along your route.

Also carefully study airport layouts and taxiway diagrams for your airports of intended use. e particularly aware of any traps or hot spots. And again, plan for alternate airports even in good weather – this exercise will keep you sharp if a diversion is ever necessary for weather, a malfunction or even a bathroom break.

Don’t miss the valuable post-flight opportunity. The time to discover items requiring attention on the aircraft is after a flight so issues can be addressed ahead of your next flight.

5) Meaningful Flight Reviews – A flight review doesn’t just need to be accomplished when the regulations say so. A flight review can happen anytime and you should voluntarily participate in meaningful proficiency training. Venture outside your comfort zone with an instructor in the interest of your personal development.

6) Maintain the personal minimums discipline – Finally, regardless of your adherence to a proficiency program, the discipline is ultimately adhering to those personal minimums. Personal minimums are just that – personal. It’s not something you can read in a book. Stay within your comfort zone, continuously question your guidelines and remember, an occasional feeling of trepidation is healthy.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Top 7 iPad accessories for pilots

6 tips for pilot proficiency and development

Top 7 iPad accessories for pilots

6 tips for pilot proficiency and development

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Top 7 iPad accessories for pilots

1. ADS-B Receiver

2. GPS Receiver

3. Flight Bag

4. Kneeboard

5. Mount

6. Backup Power

7. Screen Protector

6 tips for pilot proficiency and development

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