So you want to use your iPad or other tablet in the cockpit? There are many things to consider before buying one. If you are just using the iPad in areas with WiFi such as hotels or at home, you may not necessarily need an iPad with cellular coverage. The problem with using a cellular iPad is that the GPS inside the iPad will use cell phone tower cellular services. If you are flying in an area where cell service is spotty or at altitude, you may lose cell coverage and you will not be able to get it back. Our recommendation is a WiFi only iPad with an external GPS unit. You can read more about these units here.
How will you use it?
There are two main ways to use your iPad in the cockpit. You can put it on your leg in a kneeboard, or you can mount it to your yoke, glare shield, or window. There are a couple of different things to consider when thinking about a mount versus a kneeboard. One of them is the size of the iPad. If you have a mini, the screen may be too small to be kept on your knee and out of your line of sight. If you have a larger iPad or tablet, it may be too heavy for the window or cover too many instruments for the yoke.
The next thing to consider is the type of flying you are doing. For instrument flying or training, it may be best that the iPad is mounted on the yoke or window, so you can incorporate it as part of your scan. It prevents you from having to look all the way down at your knee, which can cause spatial disorientation in IMC. For cross country flying, you may also want the iPad more in your line of sight. If you are using the iPad as a backup GPS or only have to use it to pull up airport diagrams, then a kneeboard may be a better option.
Yoke Mount or Suction Mount?
There are benefits to both suction mounts and yoke mounts. With suction mounts, you can easily mount your iPad to any completely flat, smooth surface in the cockpit. This will keep your eyes outside and blockage of instruments is minimal if any. Heavier iPads can dislodge suction mounts though, so if you are using a large iPad with a heavy case, we usually recommend a yoke mount. Otherwise, you could end up readjusting the suction mount in flight, which is distracting. Yoke mounts will generally block more instruments but it all depends on how the mount is situated. Most common is to put the yoke mount up over the yoke so the iPad is closer to your face. Certain yoke mounts can also be used underneath the yoke and the extension on the mount will bring the iPad right in between the yoke posts. We just recommend for either option that you put the mount on the yoke post as close to the yoke itself as possible to minimize any problems if you have to push the yoke all the way in.
Types of Mounts
Marv Golden carries two main brands of mounts. RAM and MyGoFlight. RAM is very interchangeable, which is great if you are flying with different iPads and need to swap them out for different planes. This also works out really well if you need to use a suction mount in one aircraft and a yoke mount in another. RAM has many different mount and cradle options as well as accessories and adapters. MyGoFlight's mounts are incredibly well-made and they also have a universal cradle. This can be adjusted easily to fit an iPad Mini through an iPad Pro without having to buy another cradle. Simply readjust the knobs to shrink or expand the cradle. Another feature of MyGoFlight mounts is that the arms are easily articulated. They have a joint in the arm that can be expanded and collapsed as necessary. The extended length of the arms is very useful as well. Search for RAM Mounts here. Search for MyGoFlight Mounts here.
Types of Kneeboards
Flying with an iPad on your knee is also a possibility. It is probably most useful if you want it out of the way of all of your instruments. Keeping the iPad on your knee allows you to use the scratch pad function of the EFB for clearances, weather, and other taxi instructions. The W4 Kneeboards by The Hangar, offer both a writing surface and storage for the iPad. These are some of our best sellers. The versatility alone is what makes them so popular. The MyGoFlight kneeboards are popular due to the magnetic-attached clipboard/writing surface. This can attach on the front of the kneeboard or to the inside cover. The iPad holder in the MyGoFlight kneeboard is also rotatable. We also carry a strap that can turn any iPad or tablet into a kneeboard. Simply attach the two clips to either side of the tablet and pull to tighten. This is useful if you need something very simple that does not take up a lot of room. While it does not offer any writing surface, it is still popular due to the simplicity and functionality it offers.
Search for iPad Kneeboards here.
Other iPad Accessories
Something else to consider with an iPad in the cockpit is an external GPS or ADS-B unit. ADS-B will allow the user to see all the traffic and weather in the immediate area. This is especially useful in areas with a high volume of student training. You can simply connect the iPad to the unit via WiFi or Bluetooth and traffic as well as GPS position will be displayed on the iPad. Something to consider with GPS units are how many iPads in the cockpit need to use it, what information can you obtain from the unit (GPS with ADS-B or just GPS), and what EFB you will be using. We suggest checking out the GPS Buying Guide for more information on compatibility.
And, you can search for iPad GPS units here.