Once you’ve bought your iPad, downloaded your favorite app and synced it with your portable ADS-B box, the question remains: How do you work this new device into the cockpit?
Those of us who have balanced, stowed, dropped and lost iPads in the cockpit know it’s not as easy as it sounds.
Luckily, there are some great options to help you set up your slick tablet with just as slick a setup.
The two stars in this game (though hardly the only players) are Sporty’s and MyGoFlight. Each offers a variety of mounts, cases, clips, iPad-compatible pilot bags, and more.
We’ve tried cases and mounts from both and like a number of them very much. MyGoFlight’s iPad Folio, available for the iPad and the Mini, is a case, kneeboard, checklist and mount all in one. While it might be a bit too substantial for some, the padded case is nearly indestructible. Slip the included band through the beefy aluminum strap loops and wear the whole thing as a kneeboard, one that even allows you to rotate the device to get your desired view. The Kneeboard Folio goes for the steep price of $189, but check it out and you’ll probably agree that the quality warrants that price point.
Another product we love is Sporty’s iPad Case. Here’s its secret: a built-in battery that doubles the on-time of your iPad. It might look like a conventional iPad case, but with its ingeniously integrated battery pack added to the back, pilots can fly those long cross-country trips without fear of draining all of the juice and losing that approach chart on the last ILS of the day. The iPad Case with Battery goes for $129.
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