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A Practical Approach to Using an iPad During Flight Training

May 22, 2013/in Tips and technique/by studentpltnews

Many students beginning their training often ask the question “is the iPad the right tool for me in my flight training?” There are many schools of thought on the use of technology during flight training and I couldn’t possibly cover all of them, so rather than try, I will stick with how we recommend the […]

Log your flights with photos and video

May 13, 2013/in Having fun/by studentpltnews

We’re all required to log our flight times and landings to prove FAA currency, but this only tells part of the story of a flight. Here you’ll learn how you can record a more memorable experience from your flight by using a smartphone or portable cockpit camera to capture the sights and sounds.

A Practical Approach to Using an iPad During Flight Training

May 22, 2013/in Tips and technique/by studentpltnews

Log your flights with photos and video

May 13, 2013/in Having fun/by studentpltnews

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A Practical Approach to Using an iPad During Flight Training

May 22, 2013/in Tips and technique/by studentpltnews

Does the iPad have a place in flight training? Yes, if used properly.

Depending on if you are working on your first certificate (Sport, Recreational or Private) or if you are adding on the Instrument Rating to your Private certificate, the use of an iPad will differ greatly on how best to integrate it into your training so as to not provide an unnecessary distraction or complication. The most important rule that you should follow when using an iPad, regardless of VFR or IFR, is to learn to use all of its functions properly! Fumbling to find a required piece of information or getting lost into the sea of images and functions will only delay or compromise your training, not accelerate it. Spend the time to learn the features of the iPad and the aviation program that you are using. This time can be by yourself with the help page or a tutorial video, or it can be spent with a qualified instructor who has experience in that app. Either case, this training time will save you money and make your investment work for you during your training.

VFR Training

One of the most important decisions about using an iPad during VFR training is to decide when do you want to begin using the device? The right answer is as soon as you get it, but with one large caveat; don’t bring in the air until you’re ready. The iPad is a fantastic tool to use during ground training and preflight briefings. Its notepad functions are extremely useful for detailing items to remember from ground lessons. Using the internet or an aviation app allows access to a sea of weather information to help during the go/no-go decision. Having access to PDF documents of the Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, or the Aviation Weather book, along with the POH for your aircraft and a FAR/AIM app, will turn your lightweight iPad into the largest library you can carry with you. These tools you can begin using on day one.

I mentioned that you shouldn’t bring the iPad into the air with you until you are ready. How do you know when is the right time? Your instructor will often be the best judge, but in absence of their judgment, I would wait until after you have soloed the plane and have mastered basic flight and flight maneuvers. The use of the iPad in this critical VFR, outside perspective time, can distract from subtle learning cues whose importance can’t be overstated in the long term of your flying. I often use the milestone of consistent travel to other airports as a good marker to help introduce the iPad’s flight usability to a primary student.

The inflight moving map feature is probably the most important, obvious assistant to the new pilot. Its easy to use, self-locating functions help a student pilot get from A to B that much easier, but a word of caution; don’t rely on GPS-based moving maps as your sole source of pilotage/dead reckoning information. I always teach my students how to use just the map feature without GPS positioning before I allow them to use all the full features.

One of the most anticipated, welcomed capabilities of most aviation apps is using the flight planning section to calculate your dead reckoning, fuel burn, time en-route, and other cross country related items. The unfortunate problem with this immediate use of technology is the over-reliance on it later in flying. The best way to handle this is the balanced approach I referenced to early. For each automated feature (like fuel burn calculations, time en-route, wind correction angles, etc.) learn the manual way FIRST! This might seem like double duty, or perhaps even a slow-down in your training, but it won’t be. The knowledge that you gain by learning “the old school method” will allow you to appreciate the speed and simplicity of the app, but more importantly it will help solidify these important learning concepts in your head (i.e. How long does it take to travel 10 NM at 120 kts?). Learning these key objectives and how they interrelate to other topics in aviation is one of the foundations that aviation teaching has been using for decades.

Other useful tips for VFR

When planning a VFR cross country, one of the shortcomings of many aviation apps is the inability to specify a fuel/distance to climb, different fuel burn rates based on altitudes, and time to climb performance. The best way to overcome these is to use a blended approach from “old school” paper and POH and the technology of the app. Using a TOC (top of climb) waypoint that is calculated based on POH numbers can be used as an add-on to the time and fuel calculated by the program to increase its calculations’ accuracy. Using a GPS to help update your dead reckoning planning (like you would with a timer and Pilotage checkpoints) will help keep you honest during your cross country flights. Don’t forget that sometimes an E6B app is still the only way to get the calculation that you want. Don’t be afraid to supplement the information from your app with some common sense and manual numbers.

IFR Flying

Geo-referenced approach charts can be a great training tool.

If using an iPad and aviation apps for VFR flying is good, then using them for IFR flying is great. An app like ForeFlight can become your best friend in the IFR world for resource information, calculations, situational awareness, and cockpit management. But before you rush out and burn your paper TPP’s, there are still some things to consider.

IFR flying as a rule is less forgiving than VFR. As such, our understanding of the device and software go from important to critical. All the basic rules listed above for VFR flight come into play in the IFR world: things like know the “old school” method before you let the automation do it for you, or know where to find source information so as to not be surprised when asked for something unexpected. If I have a student wanting to train with an iPad for IFR training, we sit down and have a full ground lesson dedicated to the safe use of it in flight. Failing to understand what the app does for you behind the scenes could leave you in a perilous situation if the app decided to fail (i.e. situational awareness).

IFR chart information is often separated in most apps to be in different locations than you might think, and in several cases not all information is automatically downloaded; you have to select certain supplements and download them in a different location. Knowing where to find this information and having it current and downloaded is vital to using these wonderful tools in IFR. A great example of this is the digital terminal procedures supplement in ForeFlight. This is located in the documents section and contains vital information like legend data, inoperative components table for non functioning lighting equipment, and climb/descent tables. Without this key supplement, “going digital” would leave you without required information that you might need or an examiner might ask for.

When practicing multiple approaches, know how best to locate different approach charts for close-by airports and practice switching them on the ground. In many apps you can create folders or favorites that allow you to access these faster without having to search the whole database. Setting these up in advance is one of the items that we teach as a preflight action for cockpit management and organization for an IFR flight (local or cross country).

For those students who are having difficulty with situational awareness, or if you are flying without a panel mounted GPS, one of the options available to you is geo-referenced approach plates. This feature will allow your iPad (with GPS) to depict the aircraft position on the approach plate plan view. When flying without additional situational awareness tools (like IFR approved GPS) this additional feature can be a tremendous help to getting you aware and prepared for your approach. I don’t recommend it for all students, as the additional cost can be a deterrent for some, not to mention unnecessary depending on the other equipment in the airplane.

Safety Concerns

When going to an all digital solution for VFR or IFR flying, there are obvious safety questions that should be answered and anticipated. This topic is so vast, rather than covering it in this article, it is easier to refer you to this article to fully explain these important preparation concerns.

Decision time

Deciding when, how, and with what, to go digital with your iPad in flight training is a topic that you should give great consideration to and discuss with your instructor. Given certain precautions and using it in a balanced manner, the use of an iPad and aviation app will greatly aid your flight training, regardless of VFR or IFR. These tools are invaluable and offer a tremendous value to help you learn faster, cheaper, and fly safer.

Log your flights with photos and video

May 13, 2013/in Having fun/by studentpltnews

One of the interesting things about the flight training process is that each individual’s experience will be different. We all train at different airports, fly different types of airplanes, and work with different instructors. The journey towards the certificate will be unique to each person as well – including the weather you’ll experience, the transient airports you’ll visit, and the people you’ll meet along the way. Of course your logbook will document the basic facts about your training and experience, like aircraft type & registration numbers, the identifiers of the airports you visit, and detailed flight times. While the logbook entries satisfy the requirements of the FAA, there’s so much more you can document along the way.

Photo Journal

Digital cameras were just gaining popularity when I started flight training in 1999. Growing up I was always interested in photography, so I made sure to always have my big Sony with me for every flight. And today it’s even easier with the great quality pictures that can be quickly taken with an iPhone, Android or other smartphone. Looking back I’m glad I made the effort to take hundreds of aviation photos, from the day of my first solo to the ATP checkride, and of many trips in between. Here are some ideas for pictures to take when the opportunity arises:

Aircraft – get photos of each of the aircraft you fly, both of the exterior and instrument panel.
People – I keep a photo record of all my instructors, along with the friends and family that I’ve taken flying, with the airplane in the shot of course.
Milestones – first solos, certificates, and new ratings; these are a must for the photo journal.
Dynamic Weather – look for interesting cloud formations, distant thunderstorms and morning valley fog.
Scenic Airports – I like to get shots both from 1,000’ above the airport looking down, and another on short final (who would have guessed Meigs Field in Chicago was going to close when I took the picture above in 2003?)
Sunsets/Sunrise – these never get old, and the dynamic colors make each one unique.
Cockpit shots – it’s always fun to get shots of the altimeter the first time you’re above 10,000’, a picture of the GPS screen on international flights when crossing the US border and shots of groundspeed indications with an exceptionally strong tailwind (how else is someone going to believe you were doing 180 knots in a Cessna 172???)

Video Log

Ten years ago you would have had to spend thousands of dollars to get mediocre video (by today’s standards) from the cockpit. Now for as little as $299 you can get a GoPro portable HD camera that easily mounts just about anywhere in the cockpit and records high-quality HD video. For those who want the best picture and sound, you can spend a little more to add the NFlightcam Kit for GoPro, which adds a lens filter to eliminate prop distortion and an audio cable to record the intercom and ATC audio. Once you have a camera set up, here are some ideas for what to shoot:

Takeoffs/Landings – position the camera out the front for an exciting pilot’s view at interesting airports.
Pilot & Passengers – mount the camera so that it records you flying and the passenger riding along – great especially for someone’s first flight in a GA airplane.
Terrain – position the camera pointed out the side window towards the wing when climbing or descending through mountainous terrain.
Instrument Panel – this makes for great review for instrument students during training.
Flight Training – mount the camera in a way to see either the flight controls, or outside the window to review your performance after flight lessons.

The NFlightcam accessory kit for iPhone helps you stabilize and set up the iPhone for video shooting.

For those that already have an iPhone, consider using this to record the video from your flights. The iPhone 4S and 5 both record full 1080p HD video that often looks as good or better than dedicated video cameras. You’ll want to secure it in the cockpit for a stable picture, and to do that I’d recommend the NFlightcam accessory kit for iPhone. This includes a mounting cradle, prop distortion reduction filter, and an audio cable to record intercom and ATC audio from the flight. The main drawback with recording video on the iPhone is that you’ll need to have some free space available on your phone to store the video. To give you a frame of reference, 10 minutes of video recording on the iPhone requires about 1.4GB of free space.

One last important point – make sure to back up your pictures and video files. You’ll most likely transfer them first to your computer for organization and review. I highly recommend you then back these memories up to either an external hard drive, or to an online “cloud” based storage. Computer hard drives don’t last forever, and your flight photo journal and video logs would be impossible to replace.

For more information on using video cameras in the cockpit, check out Sporty’s in-depth webinar on the subject:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knEShv4Yp9Y

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Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

A Practical Approach to Using an iPad During Flight Training

Log your flights with photos and video

A Practical Approach to Using an iPad During Flight Training

Log your flights with photos and video

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A Practical Approach to Using an iPad During Flight Training

Log your flights with photos and video

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