iPad flight test
I have had my 3G iPad for a week now and had a chance to evaluate it in the airplane today.
Size
I'm sure someone somewhere will find a way to mount one of these in an RV but I don't think it will be easy. The size as well as the weight will make it very challenging to find a large enough and secure enough spot. I found it was difficult to just hold it up for the photos without interfering with the stick and covering lots of stuff up. I think the ideal size for this type of device is between iPhone and iPad size.
On the other hand the iPad is so slim, it tucks away easily for storage.
Display
The iPad has a wonderful display for indoors but outdoors or under an airplane canopy, not so much. It is extremely reflective and the fingerprints that are integral with this type of interface seem to actually mask the screen information. It does much better when shaded but is always a struggle in the sunlight. I flew above and under a cloud layer and neither place was very good for display visibility.
Full screen brightness above the clouds
It is apparent that the manufacturers that cater to aircraft use have much better displays for that kind of use. I have never had the slightest problem seeing the information on my Dynon D10A or Garmin 496, although they are also better in the shade. The iPad is way down on the legibility scale from those units.
Below a cloud layer
GPS
The GPS gets quick and accurate locks but there do seem to be some conditions where you can not get a lock. Things didn't seem to be consistent enough for me to be sure what is happening, but if you use a GPS app that doesn't require data it will generally work with no data coverage but if you reboot the computer in airplane mode and leave it in airplane mode it couldn't seem to get a lock. First I though that airplane mode must be turning off the GPS receiver, but there are conditions where you can get GPS data in airplane mode. Most apps that need GPS also need data and so will not work without a data link. I have found that no data link in the air is the norm for this type of device although data is available at times.
Misc
I notice some interference gets into my iPad audio, at times, when the cell network data transceiver is in use. It is a clicking kind of sound that I can only hear in a quiet room. Oddly I can also hear this interference in my car radio and the airplane intercom system.
An advantage of the iPad over many devices is no cords are needed for most uses since the battery life is so good. If you do buy a 12 volt charger be aware that almost all of these that are advertised for the iPad do not work. You need a charger that can put out 2 amps.
I heard the same reports of heat sensitivity that Scott has and did a minor test for that. After my flight I put the iPad in my car, in a shaded spot, while I went for a walk. The car was parked in about half shade and the temperature was about 75?. About an hour later the inside of the car was pretty toasty, but the iPad was working fine. I think this will be something to watch in hot weather.
Wonderful all around indoor device and not something I am willing to fool around with for airplane use. It is really hard to beat paper for some things.
These last two photos were taken indoors after the flight. The display was not cleaned.