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  #1  
Old 06-20-2018, 06:53 AM
wrongway john wrongway john is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: TX & CO
Posts: 465
Default IPad (altitude limitations)

I have a IPad Pro that should arrive this week. I understand there is a certain limitation on altitude of 10,000'. But I'm curious if this is a conservative figure. Naturally in pressurized cabins, no problem. I understand due to the thin air, heat isn't going to disspate as quick, many talk about how hard drives have a thin area of air it rides on, and you don't want the head and platter touching one another. But I understand these are not really hard drives, so is this aspect still a concern? What about the screen? I only have a few brief areas of 12,500 I have to go up to to avoid certain MOA's and mtn's going to CO, and I have my Garmin 696 as a back up. Please don't tell me that actually has an altitude limitation too.

What's your experience with IPad and high altitude, and your other electronic doodads. Any issues?
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  #2  
Old 06-20-2018, 06:55 AM
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Zuldarin Zuldarin is offline
 
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Location: Snoqualmie, wa
Posts: 393
Default altitude

I fly with my iPad Mini at well over 10,000 routinely. I've had it up to 17,500 a few times and never had an issue with it.
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  #3  
Old 06-20-2018, 07:02 AM
FlyArmy FlyArmy is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: AZ
Posts: 186
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wrongway john View Post
I have a IPad Pro that should arrive this week. I understand there is a certain limitation on altitude of 10,000'. But I'm curious if this is a conservative figure. Naturally in pressurized cabins, no problem. I understand due to the thin air, heat isn't going to disspate as quick, many talk about how hard drives have a thin area of air it rides on, and you don't want the head and platter touching one another. But I understand these are not really hard drives, so is this aspect still a concern? What about the screen? I only have a few brief areas of 12,500 I have to go up to to avoid certain MOA's and mtn's going to CO, and I have my Garmin 696 as a back up. Please don't tell me that actually has an altitude limitation too.

What's your experience with IPad and high altitude, and your other electronic doodads. Any issues?
There is no hard drive so to speak in the iPad. It's a solid state device with no moving parts. My older iPad made it to 15,500 once. I routinely cruised at 11,500 or 12,500 and it had zero problems. The only problem it had in an RV-8 was overheating when in direct sunlight on hot days, but that was more at lower altitudes with the screen on full bright on a hot sunny day. At altitude in cool air, especially with shade, I don't think you'll have a problem. Fwiw, people have successfully used iPhones (also has a 10,000 ft limitation) at the top of Everest. I wouldn't sweat it.
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  #4  
Old 06-20-2018, 07:13 AM
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BCP Boys BCP Boys is offline
 
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Location: Kennesaw, Ga
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The only issues that I've ever heard of with iPads is overheating when in direct sun light. I've never heard of any limitations and never experienced any either. I've used mine several times over 10K feet as well.
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  #5  
Old 06-20-2018, 07:34 AM
wrongway john wrongway john is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: TX & CO
Posts: 465
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So, I guess it's a conservative estimate after all. I'll make note of keeping it out of the sunlight, definitely don't want to burn this thing up, as expensive as they are. Hope to hear from more, but looks like 12,500' for such short durations will not be an issue for me.
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  #6  
Old 06-20-2018, 08:14 AM
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Raymo Raymo is offline
 
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Location: Richmond Hill, GA (KLHW)
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Lots of commercial pilots use iPads for their chart data. Saves a lot of weight over paper charts.
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  #7  
Old 06-20-2018, 08:15 AM
YvesCH YvesCH is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Basel, Switzerland
Posts: 203
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I worked for the Solar Impulse Project ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Impulse ) and there we also used a IPad in the unpressurized unheated cabin. We flew routinely at FL280 without any problems.

BUT: We had some issues with capacitors in the autopilot servos! Those "exploded" above a certain altitude (I can`t remember at which altitude). We had to replace them with different ones..

Cheers Yves
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Last edited by YvesCH : 06-20-2018 at 08:17 AM.
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  #8  
Old 06-20-2018, 08:51 AM
wrongway john wrongway john is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: TX & CO
Posts: 465
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Good to hear, if it spent some time at FL280, I'm not near as concerned about my FL 125 anymore. Might be premature on my part, but figured I'd already heard from others telling me not to exceed their 10,000' altitude limit, and would have horror stories to tell.
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  #9  
Old 06-20-2018, 09:31 AM
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RV6_flyer RV6_flyer is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: NC25
Posts: 3,507
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wrongway john View Post
I have a IPad Pro that should arrive this week. I understand there is a certain limitation on altitude of 10,000'. But I'm curious if this is a conservative figure. Naturally in pressurized cabins, no problem. I understand due to the thin air, heat isn't going to disspate as quick, many talk about how hard drives have a thin area of air it rides on, and you don't want the head and platter touching one another. But I understand these are not really hard drives, so is this aspect still a concern? What about the screen? I only have a few brief areas of 12,500 I have to go up to to avoid certain MOA's and mtn's going to CO, and I have my Garmin 696 as a back up. Please don't tell me that actually has an altitude limitation too.

What's your experience with IPad and high altitude, and your other electronic doodads. Any issues?
No problem. Here is a screen snap of my 9.5" iPad Pro cruising along at 11,500'.

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  #10  
Old 06-20-2018, 09:41 AM
MercFE MercFE is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Maple Valley, WA
Posts: 273
Default

In general... All of the comments before are correct. Not only do I routinely fly my RV in the mid teens, but my day job for a large aircraft manufacturer has me routinely depressurizing the aircraft to 15k feet. My iPad has never had an issue...

Now, there is a chance of a build defect. We have had a couple over the years that the screen will separate or crack on one of their initial flights, due to trapped air.
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