I am considering getting an iPad and using Foreflight in conjunction with my GPS. Paper charts are just so old-school. Foreflight recommends getting at least a 32G iPad. Is anyone running Firelight successfully with the 16G? What works well for you guys?

Thanks

Not sure but if the mfg. suggests 32GB then you probably are going to run into issues with 1/2 that. I am running 32GB on Garmin Pilot and don't think I would like to try it with any less memory.

TD

I'm using it on 16 GB. had to delete everything else and it is pretty much dedicated to foreflight. It depends on how much you want to keep on it at anytime. for my recent trip down from Alaska, I had room for all the AK, Canadian and lower 48 charts and info I needed, but like I said, there was no room for any other apps. Now that I have only a few charts on it, there is some extra room.

X2 on what slowhawk said. I am running a 16GB, and the iPad has become almost entirely dedicated to Foreflight. It's easy enough to delete everything and install what you need for a given trip, but Foreflight's data definitely seems to be getting more dense. I got the 16 Gig iPad several years ago. If I were to buy one today, I'd probably opt for a larger drive.

I'm also running foreflight with a 16GB iPad. It will work fine but it's easy to start maxing out the memory... If I were bullying a new one is just get the 32GB or larger. Still cheaper than buying a Garmin handheld.

I've been using the 64G since day 1 of ipads and foreflight. Go bigger - the extra cost will amortize out over years of use - and you will accumulate data (photos, chart data, apps, etc). 64G is only $100 more. 4 years from now if you'll still be using it if you take care of it and that money will not matter. Go 128 if you can.

I would choose the ipad mini with 64G over the air 2 with 16G - they are the same price. Bigger is better-er.

Buy at least a 32 GB IPad. That much memory lets you do whatever you need. ForeFlight is a BIG program. Don't skimp on memory.....you won't regret it.

MTV

I should have said, i already had a 16, if i were to buy over, i would definitely go bigger

Go for the 32. Another good app for flying (and eats up a lot of memory) is Scenic Map W. It's a topo map that shows private, public, and Indian lands, along with roads and lakes with names and lots of landmarks. It's great for when you are off the beaten path.

I'm in the same 16 gig boat. It sucks when Apple sends out an upgrade, but Foreflight customer service is really good about talking you through the process if you have to reinstall. There's some good advice on the synthetic vision thread.

soyAnarchisto wrote:4 years from now if you'll still be using it if you take care of it and that money will not matter.

4 years??? You must not be using the same Apple products I do... cuz every Apple device I buy is rendered obsolete in a matter of minutes... F-ing Apple.

bigrenna wrote:

soyAnarchisto wrote:4 years from now if you'll still be using it if you take care of it and that money will not matter.

4 years??? You must not be using the same Apple products I do... cuz ever Apple device I buy is rendered obsolete in a matter of minutes... F-ing Apple.

No kidding. I feel like a junkie going back constantly giving them more money for the good stuff.

I have 2 iPad 2 64g devices and they are great. Nothing obsolete about them. You can choose to upgrade sooner but I wouldn't be pissed at Apple for bringing out superior products on a regular basis.

Get the biggest possible! I have 128gb and love not trying to make space. I have charts for the entire country etc!

Like you, I used Foreflight as my "justification" for buying an iPad. (32GB, model 2) Then, once I had one, of course I found a hundred other uses for it. I do still run Foreflight on it, but almost before you know it it will become more indispensable for car trip movies for the kids, a pile of flying pics and videos, an app to tune your guitar, another for crossword puzzles, music to listen to while flying, etc, etc. I recognize that I was short-sighted in thinking of it as a Foreflight platform. It is that, but it is way more also, obviously. So go big, as others have said, and you won't run into storage problems nearly so early, or have regrets in a couple years as the OS and the apps continue to get bigger and bigger in size.
Also on Foreflight, you can select which states and what type of charts to download for off-line use. Being as I'm a VFR guy in Alaska, I turn off all the IFR stuff and all the lower 48 stuff, which saves me a lot in storage and in monthly download maintenance.
Doubt you'll regret it,
-DP

Would you guys recommend the mini or the regular size?

Alex wrote:Would you guys recommend the mini or the regular size?

I think the Mini is a better size for use in the cockpit than the regular IPads. With the smaller cabin/panel space in your Husky that's what I would go with if I were you.

robw56 wrote:

Alex wrote:Would you guys recommend the mini or the regular size?

I think the Mini is a better size for use in the cockpit than the regular IPads. With the smaller cabin/panel space in your Husky that's what I would go with if I were you.

When I was teaching at the school and doing stage checks, etc, I used a school owned full size I Pad. It was nice to have essentially full size approach charts, but I found it pretty much constantly in the way in the cockpit (C-172, PA-28, PA-28R, Top Cub). The Cub was the worst.

When I re-retired, I gave the school back the IPad and bought my own I Pad, but this is a mini. I LOVE it. I've used it in the C-170, the Cub, and a couple other planes. The size is perfect for me, and it's easy to stow out of the way when necessary.

I put it in a Life Proof case (BigRenna, if you're that tough on these things....get a life proof case, they are TOUGH) and glued some brackets on the back of the case to slide a velcro strap through....instant knee board.

Need to do something other than stare at the I Pad? Slide the "kneeboard I Pad" around to the outside of your leg.....instant stowage, and easily retrievable.

I'd go with the Mini again in a heartbeat. Unless I was flying something built by Boeing.

MTV

I'd go with the Mini again in a heartbeat.

Thanks guys. The mini is what I was thinking but, I wanted to double check my thinking.

Alex

I have a Mini with 32 Gb plus cell--that's the only way to get a built-in GPS, and you're not required to use the cell coverage, although I've found it to be very handy when I'm not near a WiFi outlet. Initially I thought it would be only for Foreflight--I'd never had an iPad and didn't think it would be all that useful. Wrong! It is like having a mini laptop, with a Logitech keyboard cover for it. I've used it for all sorts of things, and although none are as "big" as FF, a little here and there all adds up. I've gone through and deleted some of the crappola apps that I tried out and didn't really use, but there's still not a lot of left over storage space. So very definitely, my next Mini will have more space, either a 64 or a 128.

As for upgrading to the newest iOS or the latest version of FF, the upgrade process takes a whole lot of storage space until the upgrade has completed, but the upgrade itself doesn't take much more than it did before. So if you get the message that there's not enough storage capability in the iPad to do the upgrade (because you made a mistake and bought a 16, or you (like me) have used up a lot of the storage on other apps), there are 2 ways to get around the problem:
1. update using your computer, tied to your iPad. Essentially you download to your computer and transfer it to your iPad, and that doesn't take a whole lot of storage to accomplish--but it does tie up your computer, so that you can't do much else while downloading the upgrades. Unless you're running a monster computer, it won't like doing both the download and anything else at once.
2. delete all of the FF charts and plates--there's a "delete all" button. That leaves the basic FF program in place, but removes its biggest use of storage and gives plenty of space to do the iOS or FF upgrade. Then upgrade the iOS or the FF program, then reinstall the charts and plates. If you time it so that you're doing this at the 28 day update cycle, you won't take much more time than a normal update, and it's really easy.

Cary