Kindle & approach charts

[rwarre]

Anyone using the Kindle with approach charts for IFR? Any problems downloading or using the charts? Since it is quite a bit cheaper than the IPAD, I thought it would work for what I need. Thanks

[Rick_A]

I had a Kindle to play with a few weeks ago. I loaded just the Texas plates as PDF's from Nacomatic. It took along time to get them loaded on the Kindle and the charts where a pain to use. It took many steps to get to the Plate I wanted. Trying to zoom to a larger font/image was a challenge.

It didn't take me long to decide Not to use the Kindle for approach plates.

It seems the Kindle is really designed for reading e-books, not PDFs.

[RVG8tor]

Originally Posted by Rick_A

I had a Kindle to play with a few weeks ago. I loaded just the Texas plates as PDF's from Nacomatic. It took along time to get them loaded on the Kindle and the charts where a pain to use. It took many steps to get to the Plate I wanted. Trying to zoom to a larger font/image was a challenge.

It didn't take me long to decide Not to use the Kindle for approach plates.

It seems the Kindle is really designed for reading e-books, not PDFs.

I have approach charts on my kindle, not flying with it though. The trick is to put the display in landscape mode. The chart can be viewed from top to bottom in two clicks. The top is the briefing strip so not needed after the briefing, the click down to the profile view.

I also did not have trouble downloading the .pdf files. I think the Ipad will be a better chart platform for view-ability but you can't beat the size or cost of the kindle, mine is the generation just prior to the new wifi version, I think wifi is a good option. For me the chart is a preparation reference, the approach will be in the GPS and once I confirm it matches the chart then I would fly what is in the box, reference to the profile view during approach to make sure I am hitting the altitudes.

I love my kindle for reading, so if you like to read get one and then try the charts, you can always use the kindle for what it was designed for, an ebook.

Cheers

[N395V]

http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ight=brain+bag

[ErichKeane]

I tossed a few on my Nook (B&N version), and found the writing too small, even for my mid-20s eyes

If you were going to do it, I'd pick up the larger (10"?) version of the Kindle for that.

I'd be afraid of doing an iPad or other device that if it failed, would blank the screen. The fantastic part about the e-paper is that on failure the screen stays what it was the last you looked at it.

[Kevin Horton]

Originally Posted by ErichKeane

I'd be afraid of doing an iPad or other device that if it failed, would blank the screen. The fantastic part about the e-paper is that on failure the screen stays what it was the last you looked at it.

This feature is only really useful if there is only one page you will need, and you leave it on that page the whole time. Or to put it another way, imagine you were reviewing the airport chart when the Kindle fails. How do you now use it to fly the instrument approach?

I think you need some sort of Plan B for any of these devices, even if they use e-paper. Plan B might be a paper print out of a few critical charts for destination and alternate airports. Or it might be loading the charts on an iPhone to use in emergency. You'd have to do a lot of zooming and panning, but it would be workable as an emergency backup.