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IPAD In-flight testing - Glare a problem?!?

gciampa

Active Member
All,

I recently was able to borrow and IPAD for testing, using both ForeFlight and IEFB from FlightGuide. The applications are GREAT, in fact, perfect for my purposes. The only issue is the glare on the screen, in my case it seems the charts are nearly unuseable, intensity if all the way up, especially with sun-glasses.

The questions are:

- are folks really finding the Ipad useable as a replacement for paper charts, or is it just a novelty (I REALLY like the Ipad), just a pragmatic question related to in-flight suitability

- has anyone found an anti-glare matte screen protector that they have found is suitable

Thanks!
 
Polarized sunglasses can cause one not to be able to read certain screens. I know in some EFIS equipped airplanes, polarized sunglasses make it nearly impossible to read the screen. I have found that true on some of the new phones too. Minor thought..


I just got a killer deal on an iPad so I too would like to see what people are doing to mitigate the glare. I live in AZ so that is important.
 
Ipad compromises

Screen brightness and reflectivity is definitely a down side to the Ipad, as the comercial for the Kindle highlights. I added a Krogger shade and placed a mount down low to compensate for this negetive, which is the only real down side to the otherwise game changing device IMHO.

I did try an anti glare film and was disapointed with the loss of clarity, so I removed it.
 
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I find the ipad needs to be tilted up 15 to 20 degrees to be good as far as readability is concerned. If you lay it flat on your leg it is not good. Several knee boards for the ipad are now on the market...some of which tilt the ipad up at 15 degrees or so. I will be giving one of these a try soon. In the mean time I just use the autopilot and hold the ipad where I can read it.
Dave (Swift driver)
 
IPad in flight

With a Koger shade I don't have readability problems with my IPad. If you use polarized lenses, you will as they affect the IPad screen just like they affect the $3,000+ Garmins.
 
I evaluated a friends iPad (he flys a C172) in sunlight yesterday. Indoors, its screen and my iPhone 3G look identical. It also is just as bright as my iPhone 3G in the sun. My iPhone is more readable in the direct sun because of it Anti-Glare screen protector. There was glare on his High Gloss screen protector. It was necessary to tilt the iPad with glossy screen protector to be able to read it.

IMHO, an anti-glare screen protector is a must for an iPad EFB.

I have LCD displays in my RV-6. I never wear polarized lens as they tend to make LCD displays unreadable. In other words, do not wear polarized sunglasses when you are going to use an iPad EFB.

From what I have seen so far, I will more than likely buy an iPad in the not to distance future.
 
IPAD in IFR

I've flown the iPAD in IFR using ForFlight. I don't like ForFlight's Low Altitude En route chart solution as you can't magnify it beyond 1:1. Also the flight plan line covers up the Victor airways numbers, and you can't read them. Their flight planning is really hard to use while in the air, especially if you just want to edit an existing flight plan. Try tacking out a weigh point in the middle of the flight plan!
I've also used Flight Soft Pro (RMS Technologies) on a tablet. Much easier to use....
 
Taking out a way point in Foreflight

Disclaimer- I like Foreflight.
To take out a way point is not a problem. If you touch the way point you want removed, a box comes up that has several options. One of those is "Delete from route".

The magenta line does obscure the airway numbers but I still can read them most of the time without any ambiguity as to what they are.
 
IPAD test

Concern has been raised about the IPAD and hii altitude.....My wife and I did a flight in the 7 from Marana (KAVQ) direct to Loveland Fort Collins(KFNL) 560 NMiles at 17500 ft, suckin o2 in 3.6 hrs. The IPAD worked just fine using flightguide and never lost the screen or had to reboot. We were in sunshine and the cabin temp was comfy the whole trip...sometime next week we will start off for sun &fun and we will try the fourflight (SP) app... The only trouble I have had with the IPAD was a flight from loveland to KCAG when temps were below zero. It went down and would not come back up untill it been in the house an hour or more...


mtnflyer
 
Concern has been raised about the IPAD and high altitude.....
<snip>

I'm not sure the altitude issue was ever a real problem, merely a reflection of Apple having not tested it at higher altitudes.

The recent approval of iPads (1, not 2, yet...) for use as EFB replacements for some Charter 135 operations by the FAA included a pretty drastic test.

Jeppesen arranged for a FL510 rapid decompression test, which the iPad passed. If the thing will keep working after rapidly moving to 51,000' I think it should be OK at the 0-20K range we are concerned with in RVs.

Link: http://www.jettimes.com/faa-approval-of-ipad-efb-for-executive-jet-paves-way-for-industry/


FluxPrism
 
Welcome Thom...

....to VAF. My iPad is easily readable in the -10, since we have built in shade but with the Koger shade, the two-seaters do fine with the iPad.

Best,
 
Polarized sunglasses can cause one not to be able to read certain screens. I know in some EFIS equipped airplanes, polarized sunglasses make it nearly impossible to read the screen. I have found that true on some of the new phones too. Minor thought..

It also depends on the sunglasses and the screen. In some lighting conditions I sometimes had to tilt my head a tiny bit to read my GPS; my EFIS was fine and for the small quirk it was worth it to have the better external visibility of the polarized glasses.

Seems to be user preference / installation specific.
 
I struggle with glare. So i have tried lots of solutions.
I found a plastic parts bin at HD that has a groove molded into 3 sides. My Ipad mini slips snugly into the grooves and the parts bin becomes a shadow box. You can mount a Ram ball to the back.
Solution #2 was to locate several Ram X mounts around the cockpit so that my Ipad mini can be relocated easily during flight.
Solution #3 is a Ram mount clamped to a milk crate in the Co-pilots seat for my big screen Ipad air .
The best solution so far is a co-pilot holding the Ipad.
 
I struggle with glare. So i have tried lots of solutions.
I found a plastic parts bin at HD that has a groove molded into 3 sides. My Ipad mini slips snugly into the grooves and the parts bin becomes a shadow box. You can mount a Ram ball to the back.
Solution #2 was to locate several Ram X mounts around the cockpit so that my Ipad mini can be relocated easily during flight.
Solution #3 is a Ram mount clamped to a milk crate in the Co-pilots seat for my big screen Ipad air .
The best solution so far is a co-pilot holding the Ipad.
I just bought a RAM mount specifically my iPad and mount it on a RAM suction cup mount. For glare I use a non-glare screen protector at Amazon.

(note that the last post before yours was 13 years ago)
 
I just bought a RAM mount specifically my iPad and mount it on a RAM suction cup mount. For glare I use a non-glare screen protector at Amazon.

(note that the last post before yours was 13 years ago)
Hi MacCool,
I have been struggling with glare on my iPad v9 for about a year.
Can you post a link to the non-glare screen protector you're using? There are a lot of them on Amazon and the reviews are as varied as discussions around ROP vs. LOP. 😁
Thanks,

Dave
 
Hi MacCool,
I have been struggling with glare on my iPad v9 for about a year.
Can you post a link to the non-glare screen protector you're using? There are a lot of them on Amazon and the reviews are as varied as discussions around ROP vs. LOP. 😁
Thanks,

Dave
More than 10-years of iPad usage in my RV-6 and have found the Supershieldz brand of Anti Glare screen protector to work great. That is the only brand I have used on the iPads in my airplane. I have used other brands on my iPhone over the years. About 3 years ago, I used a Supershieldz tempered glass anti glare screen protector on my iPhone and like it better for the iPhone. Not sure if they make one for the iPad.
 
Hi MacCool,
I have been struggling with glare on my iPad v9 for about a year.
Can you post a link to the non-glare screen protector you're using? There are a lot of them on Amazon and the reviews are as varied as discussions around ROP vs. LOP. 😁
Thanks,

Dave
I have three iPads (mini, 11Pro, 13 Pro) and use screen protectors on all of them, primarily for reflection/glare, and for finger prints. I prefer this one because of its texture...it has a nice "paper" feel to it when writing on it with an Apple Pencil (which I use a lot). It works great in the cockpit and glare hasn't ever been an issue, no have fingerprints. I'm sure it protects the screen well, but I use them primarily for the glare/reflection.

 
I have three iPads (mini, 11Pro, 13 Pro) and use screen protectors on all of them, primarily for reflection/glare, and for finger prints. I prefer this one because of its texture...it has a nice "paper" feel to it when writing on it with an Apple Pencil (which I use a lot). It works great in the cockpit and glare hasn't ever been an issue, no have fingerprints. I'm sure it protects the screen well, but I use them primarily for the glare/reflection.

This company didn’t list one for my iPad v9 but thanks for your reply.
 
Interesting discussion, I have both the iPad mini 6 and my iPhone 13 Pro Max in the cockpit and they mount to a magnetic mount vertically on the right side and to a magnetic kneeboard mount. The 13 pro Max has a screen protector which works because the phone is much brighter than the iPad, the iPad has no screen protector because they all dimmed the display unacceptably. I also have an Aera 760 mounted on the panel under the Dynon D-100 EFIS. I have found lately that the iPad is useful if I want to move the screen around to check around the route and preview a chart or approach plate, the iPhone works better on the kneeboard, and I am using the 760 more an more to fly the approach plate as it directly in my view and very bright and readable and does not overheat. The Kroger shades definitely help. As my GNX375 will only talk to 2 Bluetooth devices simultaneously I have to choose which apple device I want connected for each flight , as one channel is dedicated to the 760.
 
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