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Anyone using an ipad with ForeFlight type app for flight instruments and nav? If so how is it going and what are you using for engine instruments and data recording?

thad14433 wrote:Anyone using an ipad with ForeFlight type app for flight instruments and nav? If so how is it going and what are you using for engine instruments and data recording?

Search on the Viking website & forum, the factory "Viking Sprort", which is a highly modified Sonex, has just an iPad as single flight instrument.

How do you do airspeed if only using an ipad? Without some sort of external box you can't connect to the pitot/static system and the only speed the ipad would be showing is a gps referenced ground speed which isn't very useful when floating down final.

I see that ilevel has a box coming out that will connect to the the pitot/static system but they want $1400 for it. By the time you spend that kind of money you are in the range of buying something like the xtreme mini or a used dynon. Is there a product out there that I don't know about?

Keith
#554

The airspeed is useful on final more because of consistency than accuracy, I think. We learn to expect a certain result from the airspeed number we see over and over not because it is anywhere accurate but that we get more or less the same result each time we use the same number, each time. I'm sure others could give a better explanation. For final a homemade angle of attack made from a piece of yarn and some kind of angle gauge stuck out in front of the wing would provide better final approach information.

To something "new," I don't get a search result for "Xavion" here. Check it out. Briefly it is another ipad/iphone app that will provide you guidance to airports within gliding range if your engine gives up. This may be a real game changer and cheap.

Thad
Sonex 844

The question I have for everyone contemplating using an I pad in the cockpit is how do you see it in bright sunlight?
Is there an iPad that is sunlight readable now that I am unaware of.When I take my I pad outside in direct sunlight I can't see a thing.
I currently fly with an early version of Ifly GPS (their current versions are all sunlight readable)and I constantly have to move it to a position where I can see it on sunny days and thats in a 150 ,no bubble canopy.
I guess I'm just baffled with the number of pilots using an iPad in the cockpit and I never here any complaints about the lack of sun readability.
What am I missing because based on my experience with the iFly gps I think it's a terrible idea to be using an iPad in the cockpit especially one with a bubble canopy.
When I discussed it with the Ilevil people at Oshkosh last year they just said "yeah it's a problem" and no we don't expect Apple will come out with a sun readable version"
Cheers,
Mike

I have the ILEVIL AW which uses the pitot static system for airspeed and altitude. I have been very happy with this system. It also provides AHRS, ADS-B traffic and weather, compass, G Meter, and WAAS GPS. I use it with WingXPro on a panel mounted IPAD air. I have not had any trouble seeing the display on sunny days in Atlanta with the tinted Sonex canopy. On one half of the screen I have synthetic vision/HUD and on the other a moving map.

You definitely need pitot static based airspeed. With GPS only airspeed, you will never be able to confidently fly near stall speed or fly near VNE.

The new ILEVIL AW Mk II is an enhanced version of the unit I have. The AW model has had pitot static ports for the past couple of years. I believe the AW model is the only one from Levil that offers the pitot static ports. I do not know of any other IPAD based unit that uses pitot static ports.

Jake
Flying Sonex

That iLevel AW looks real promising. Could replace everything but your engine monitor.

As for glare, putting an anti-glare screen protector on the iPad helps a lot but direct sun will still wash it out. But it also washes out my xTreme screens. Tilting the iPad helps in most cases when my canopy sun shade can't block the rays.

SonexN76ET wrote:You definitely need pitot static based airspeed. With GPS only airspeed, you will never be able to confidently fly near stall speed or fly near VNE.

And if you're doing maneuvers or aerobatics, you need airspeed to know what's going on in different pitch attitudes. For instance, your airspeed before you pull back into a loop, and coming out of the loop. I have an AeroVee, so I need to dive for speed. GPS ground speed doesn't help me there because I have a vertical component as well as a horizontal.

I have the ILEVIL AW which uses the pitot static system for airspeed and altitude. I have been very happy with this system. It also provides AHRS, ADS-B traffic and weather, compass, G Meter, and WAAS GPS. I use it with WingXPro on a panel mounted IPAD air. I have not had any trouble seeing the display on sunny days in Atlanta with the tinted Sonex canopy. On one half of the screen I have synthetic vision/HUD and on the other a moving map.

You definitely need pitot static based airspeed. With GPS only airspeed, you will never be able to confidently fly near stall speed or fly near VNE.

The new ILEVIL AW Mk II is an enhanced version of the unit I have. The AW model has had pitot static ports for the past couple of years. I believe the AW model is the only one from Levil that offers the pitot static ports. I do not know of any other IPAD based unit that uses pitot static ports.

Jake
Flying Sonex

Jake,
I have been back and forth considering the Ilevil along with WingX. What did you do for your engine instruments? Do you by any chance have a photo of your panel you can post?
Thanks
Vic

Here is a picture of my panel. I have the Garmin GTR 200 digital COM radio, a Garmin GTX 327 transponder, an MGL Velocity E1 Engine Management System purchased from Sonex, a UMA airspeed indicator, and UMA 10K altimeter, and a Belite fuel gauge with Belite fuel probe. In the middle is an IPAD Air that runs only WingXPro and that is connected to an iLevil AW for ADS-B traffic and weather, Attitude Heading Reference System, pitot static airspeed and altitude, and WAAS GPS.


Here is a picture of it in flight. So far, everything works great. No problems. I used these components because they are all modular. If one item breaks or becomes obsolete, I replace just that one item.

Jake