Do you use an iPad in the cockpit? Is the device secured? I ask because a friend had an unfortunate life-changing experience during her spin training when her CFI’s kneeboard with the iPad strapped inside came loose and became a projectile, striking her in the face and fracturing her eye socket. This cautionary tale made me take a closer look at the kneeboard options available to iPad users.
In fact, iPads have caused a kneeboard evolution. The mission of the kneeboard hasn’t changed much since its introduction in the 1930s: Provide the pilot with a flat space to write on. The Apple iPad was introduced in 2010 and quickly found its way into the cockpit as aviation apps such as ForeFlight flourished. Pilots who sought to go paperless quickly learned their kneeboards were not designed to hold the devices. The manufacturers of kneeboards took note and began to design with that in mind. Some work better than others. Often it is a matter of preference. To get to the heart of the matter, FLYING put several to the test and came away with few we particularly liked.
