What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

IPad Advice

Berchmans

Well Known Member
I have an RV8 and I am currently using a 10" older iPad for my foreflight display. I am looking to upgrade and am torn between the 11" Pro and the Mini. The 10" takes up quite a bit of room in the cockpit as is. What have peoples experience been with the Mini. I also have a Garmin 600 and the Garmin GTX 345 for ADS-B.
 
I have a mini and like it. But I use it the same way I used to use paper. It’s not mounted anywhere, I pick it up to look at it. Just big enough to be able to read an approach plate. I use WingX (free to me-cfi) which uses a lot less memory than Foreflight so even an older mini works okay.
 
I found the Mini 4 to be too small to be optimally useful mounted on the panel and switched over to the iPad Pro 11 inch on a Ram-suction mount on the right side of the panel. The battery life is much better and the display is crisper and brighter. That said, this is on an RV-9A and I have plenty of room to mount that bigger iPad. That might not be possible on a -8. Your panel might be small enough that a Mini 4 will be close enough to you to work fine.
 
I have a mini and like it. But I use it the same way I used to use paper. It’s not mounted anywhere, I pick it up to look at it. Just big enough to be able to read an approach plate. I use WingX (free to me-cfi) which uses a lot less memory than Foreflight so even an older mini works okay.

Plus 1 except I find iFlyGPS a little easier to use than WingX.
 
I have last year's iPad Pro, the 10" or 11" size. It's fine in my Cessna; for my RV-3B project I'd get a Mini. Depends on the room available, really.

I regret buying the Pro, by the way. Shortly after I bought it, they introduced a more mainstream model at a sharply lower price, which would have done just as well in the cockpit. I don't use it as a laptop replacement so there's no need for the Pro version. If I were making this purchase today, I'd get the 8th generation iPad for $559, instead of the current Pro for $949, just to save a few bucks. That said, the Pro is a nice bit of kit.

Dave
 
Another thing to consider in my experience is the pro is much less prone to overheating and becoming unusable when it’s hot out.

I have a mini as well as a pro and the mini became unusable in summertime due to heat shutdowns. The Pro not at all. I don’t know if it’s due to the type of processor or what the root cause is. But I gave up on the mini.
 
I purchased a new iPad 10.5" pro when it first came out after using an iPad mini for a few years. I liked the iPad Pro but NOT in the airplane. I purchased a used iPad mini till the new iPad mini 5 came out and then got one. The iPad mini 5 is dedicated to the airplane and only used for the airplane. I will used the iPad Pro before the flight and then transfer the route to the mini for use in the airplane.

Side by side seating, the full size iPad will work but the size of the mini is really what I prefer.
 
Mini

Mini on RAM mount, mounted to left panel corner support. Never a heating problem in flight. I have three gps in the plane, mini takes me from sofa to destination without error, others backup.
 
I use a mini on a knee/leg mount and I have to dip my head down a ways to read it most times. If you go the mini route plan on moving it up to your face with your hand every time or better yet put it on a ram mount that will get it closer to your face. I will eventually put mine on a ram mount. The mini size is perfect for a small cockpit though. I don't often feel like it's ever in the way. If it were any bigger though I don't think I would like it.
 
My aging eyes need as many nits as possible for bright sun with a bubble canopy. I settled on a 2018 11" iPad Pro, about the same footprint as the older iPad Air it replaced. Works well on a Ram mount with no case, but still darkens once in a while in direct sunlight to prevent overheating, and I have yet to find a way to stop that self preservation action. I run both WingX and Foreflight.
 
iPad size.

I started out with a Mini for 3 years and then bought a 128Gb 9.7” iPad Pro WiFi and cellular. Running this for 2 years with Foreflight pro-plus.
9.7” iPad Pro WiFi/cellular refurbished $359.95 off Amazon.
RAM mounted on left side rail forward of canopy lock on RV6 tip up.
The cooling air vent directs air to the backside of iPad/Ram mount.
I have never had it shut down due to overheating.
 
Last edited:
I’ve flown with an iPad mini for a while in Cessnas and the -6A, using ForeFlight with a Stratus ADS-B receiver. In the -8, I have a Ram mount ball on the right side of the cockpit attached to the brace. I actually switch out between an iPhone mount on shorter trips and the iPad mount on longer flights. It is easier to see around the phone than the pad. Also, either can overheat if left in direct sunlight. Happened to me on a September flight to North Mississippi. Before leaving the airplane, you always want to remove the device from the mount and set it in a pocket or covered on the floor. I’ve also had one overheat on a summer flight, so I try to have a bandanna or towel to cover it with in the air.
 
Back
Top