Free weather right on your iPad with a bonus of WAAS GPS position. But it’s not the slam-dunk against XM weather the marketing hype makes it out to be.
Stratus for ipad ADS-B
ADS-B weather for the iPad has been around for a while, but this is the first year pilots get some real choices. Baron released its Mobile Link with XM weather for the iPad. SkyRadar, which puts ADS-B weather into WingX on the iPad, just released a new device. FreeFlight Systems is promising an in-panel, complete ADS-B solution (traffic and weather) that will wirelessly send data to the iPad.
Key Takeaways:
- The Stratus ADS-B receiver offers a highly portable, wireless, and integrated solution for iPad weather, providing subscription-free data (METARs, TAFs, basic NEXRAD, etc.) and reliable GPS, ideal for VFR pilots.
- A significant limitation of Stratus and ADS-B weather is the requirement to be airborne to receive data, impeding ground-based pre-flight planning, and it offers less comprehensive weather information (e.g., no lightning, limited NEXRAD) compared to XM.
- While an excellent and cost-effective option for supplemental cockpit weather, Stratus is considered less suitable than XM weather for serious IFR or demanding weather flying due to its data availability restrictions and fewer advanced features.
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