[humptybump]

There have been a number of threads asking "what size tablet should I get?"

I just encountered an interesting "problem".

I have a 16GB model. While I don't do a lot of crisscrossing the country, I like having all of the CONOS charts because I often practice flight plans and weather understanding by planning the trips by others here on VAF. I am a VFR pilot but k ow its helpful to see how my flight plan interacts with IFR flights so I typically cross check my roughy with low level IFR charts.

The great thing about a tablet is you actually can have ALL of the charts you may possibly need for a trip - any trip.

All of the above (from Foreflight) will fit on a 16GB tablet as long as there is not much else installed.

All of the above WILL NOT FIT on a 16GB tablet during the transition between chart periods.

All of this assumes you are not loading other things - useful things - like the FAR/AIM, or the operations manuals for your avionics, or issues of Kitplanes, or tutorials, or photos, or videos, etc.

Yes, you can select a subset of charts. You can manually delete the "almost expired charts" and manually download the new ones. You can do a number of things. Unfortunately, you can not add memory to an iPad. Many Android tablets have the ability to add memory.

Different Apps have different storage requirements. I have not tested Garmin Pilot or Wing X (I will be testing Garmin soon.) I also have not tested any Android devices.

Conclusion: if you want an iPad with Foreflight, you might as well plan for 32GB as your minimum. You can "manage" with less memory but I found its not with the initial savings.

 

[cfiidon]

I agree with you about the memory. I just purchased an IPad mini and opted for the 32 GB model.

I have loaded both Foreflight And WingXpro for evaluation. WingX has only the eastern database. I think Foreflight just has Florida. I put all my equipment docs and POH on the IPad.

I have used about 6 gb so far. Not much, but looking at Foreflight's database it looks like each state averages about 100mb.

I figured 32 gb for the IPad was a reasonable compromise between cost and utility.

Once I decide on which EFB to use, I doubt I!ll have any memory limitations to deal with, but then again I'm not planning on vast music or video stores either.
Don

 

[Snowflake]

I've always felt that you should buy the most memory you can up front. You can't add it later, and you'll always want it later. My 64G iPad hovers at the 35-40GB point most of the time right now. That's charts, books, some in-flight movies, music, and a bunch of apps for work, home, and play.

My previous 32GB iPad (first-gen) was almost always 20-25GB full, and I almost bought a 32 again when I upgraded to the ipad3. I'm glad I went bigger.

 

[Jesse]

My findings were the exact same as Glen. I started out with a 16GB iPad 2 with only Wifi and finally upgraded to a 32GB iPad 4 with 4G. Having the built in GPS is a big bonus.

 

[Vlad]

I don't know what you are loading it with guys. I barely use 1/3 of my 16 Gigs

 

[GalinHdz]

iPad Memory

I've always felt that you should buy the most memory you can up front. You can't add it later, and you'll always want it later. My 64G iPad hovers at the 35-40GB point most of the time right now. That's charts, books, some in-flight movies, music, and a bunch of apps for work, home, and play.

My previous 32GB iPad (first-gen) was almost always 20-25GB full, and I almost bought a 32 again when I upgraded to the ipad3. I'm glad I went bigger.

Same with me so I went with the 64GB iPad mini and am glad I did. I have Foreflight, FltPlan, CG Finder, Cloud Ahoy, Big Calculator, the Eastern US, lots of documents and a LOT of music on it so I use up over 30GB. BUT, I have plenty of in-flight entertainment for any of my long cross country flights. Oh, and the built in GPS is great!

 

[Brantel]

I don't know what you are loading it with guys. I barely use 1/3 of my 16 Gigs

Have not tried it in a long while so the file sizes might have grown but I used to put the entire Forefront US database on my 16gb IPhone and never came close to running out of memory. I did not have a bunch of video, music or pics on it however.

 

[Snowflake]

Well, since someone asked...

~5GB of music
~10GB of video
The last year's worth of Sport Aviation
The last year's worth of Recreational Flyer
The last year's worth of Make Magazine
Every novel by Terry Pratchett (i'm working through them)
Installation and User Manuals for all of the stuff in my panel
Maps for Western Canada/US in AirNavPro
XPlane app
Reno Air Races app
Infinity Blade app
NavFree GPS Canada
NavFree GPS US
eDrawings app plus a couple of dozen 3D models (for work)

Those are the big ones that come to mind. Of course, i've also got about 50-60 apps that I use about twice a year... So it's not that I couldn't take the time to weed out the chaff, it's that I have enough memory that I don't have to waste time weeding out the chaff.

 

[turbo]

thanks for the timely info. i am headed out tomorrow to get a mini for the plane.

 

[humptybump]

Vlad, interesting data point. I suspect, when you did your coast to coast flights, you used more space?

Just one thing for people new to the iPad and iPhone - just like your computer, you don't get to use all the storage that is advertised. On a 16GB iPad you have about 13.2GB of usable and on a 16GB iPhone is it about 12.6GB.

I will agree that you can be diligent and not run out with 16GB. My point is that these tablets are so versatile that having too little memory reduces the value you can extract from them.

I've found myself on more than one occasion, on a lunch run and grabbing a few pictures, authoring a short writeup, and posting to my blog or VAF - all while waiting for my order to arrive. I've also found myself on a XC visiting family and friends - shooting some video on a flight, transferring it to the iPad, editing it down, adding music and posting it for all of VAF to enjoy. The video tools for iPad are better than all but one that I have on my home computer!