There has been some misinformation about the iPad 3G and ForeFlight software. Here is a concisely summary of the facts. In addition to being an electronic flight bag (EFB), flight planner, flight plan filer, navigator and enroute flight information system (EFIS), it is also a the top selling tablet computer for all the other things in life.

You can save on sales tax by buying from authorized Apple resellers like MacMall. The 16GB iPad2 3G is $629, the 32GB is $729 and the 64GB is $829. Overstock.com sells refurbished models for about $80 less. It also sells two and four year service plans, including accidental damage coverage. Even lower pricing can be found on eBay.

ForeFlight Mobile HD provides an comprehensive array of aviation info for the iPad. The software is free (latest v4.1.1, 8Sep11), but a data subscription is required. Everything that comes with a subscription is free for the first 30 days.

The data subsciption prices are:

Foreflight HD: $74.99/year (includes 28 & 56 day updates)
Foreflight HD (3 months): $24.99 (includes 28 & 56 day updates)
Foreflight HD Pro: $149.99/year Georeferencing - moving aircraft on Instr Approach Plates and airport taxi diagrams. Moving aircraft on IFR Enroute charts and Sections comes with the basic subscriptions. (includes 28 & 56 day updates)

In other words, ForeFlight subscriptions includes a full year of 28 & 56 day updates for all VFR, IFR and Terminal Area Charts, Instrument Approach Plates, SIDs, STARs and airport diagrams for $75 - the cost of 8 paper sectional charts.

What's included in ForeFlight Mobile HD:
Airport and Facility Directory (includes airport diagrams)
Plates & Charts (US Sectionals and TACs, US and Canadian instrument
Enroute Charts & Instrument Approach Plates)
Weather
Touch Planning & Moving Charts
Airways/SIDs/STARs
Checklists
Fuel Prices
Flight Plan Filing

The Frequently Asked Questions in the Foreflight Support Tab get into much greater detail. The ForeFlight Blog also covers a great deal.

FOREFLIGHT VIDEOS
iPad GPS Flight Test: http://vimeo.com/11812842
ForeFlight Concept: http://vimeo.com/23337220
ForeFlight Mobile 4.0 What's New: http://vimeo.com/23046201
ForeFlight Mobile 3.9 What's New: http://vimeo.com/20111547
ForeFlight Mobile 3.7 What's New: http://vimeo.com/16043755
ForeFlight Mobile 3.0 What's New: http://vimeo.com/8206951
Geo-reference: http://vimeo.com/20111547
Flight Planning: http://vimeo.com/8206938
Flight Plan Filing: http://vimeo.com/8206972
Downloading Updates: http://vimeo.com/8206881

Two FAA references covering the legal use of iPads for use in flight planning and flight are:

InFO (Information for Operators) 11011, dtd 5/13/11. Subj: The Apple iPad and Other Suitable Tablet Computing Devices as Electronic Flight Bags (EFB)

AC 91-78, July 2007, Use of Class 1 or Class 2 Electronic Flight Bag (EFB)

A third reference is an article entitled "Can I (Legally) Use My iPad?" from the FAA Flight Standards Service on Page 21 of the September/October 2011 issue of FAA Safety Briefing.

Interesting. Why don't you tell us a little about yourself and you experience using it as a pilot? All of your posts have been related to iPad use, and I'm curious what your angle is.

Cyberbiker - what was the misinformation you are referring to?

Zane, my only axe on the issue is greater pilot information. I'm a Windows OS user who doesn't own stock in Apple (my mistake ) and who has never communicated with anyone at ForeFlight. However, I do love the access to knowledge today's information technologies are providing. I've been a pilot for over 40 years - some in sophisticated aircraft, some in good old singles. Over that time I have watched flying move from an activity in which any kid with a yearning could participate, to one limited to many fewer due to the rising cost of developing and sustaining pilot skills.

Those of us who have been around a while (which includes many in this forum} have been fortunate to participate in something we have truly loved, albeit at a substantially increasing cost. Whether I look back to my earliest flying days trying to impress young lasses in school, to experiences flying Army helicopters, to serving as a charter pilot while in graduate school, to teaching in flying clubs and FBOs during and after my military years, to flights to many places for business or pleasure, to raising aviation standards and safety in the Iraqi war zone, to giving eval rides in aircraft from 737s to Russian helicopters as an aviation auditor for oil and mining companies in remote and distant places, better situational awareness is always a good thing.

Those in corporate, Part 135 and Part 121 operations have enjoyed much better avionics and flight information that most private pilots due to cost, weight and power limitations. Fortunately, GPS and portable electronic devices are now closing that gap a bit for Part 91 pilots flying less sophisticated equipment. My geek factor makes me want to press industry and pilots to take advantage of what exists and explore new capabilities. The FAA has been an advocate too. That's it. I'm a flying geek who has read hundreds of accident reports through the years and has seen countless pilots make bad guesses or ill informed decisions.

As you've read in business and technology publications, the iPad has a commanding and still growing market share amongst tablet computers. Much to the chagrin of its competitors, that has concentrated software development on it (as oppose to diluting focus across several operating systems) and encouraged a remarkable number of individuals and small businesses to introduce new apps weekly - even items as simple as a $4 glare shield or $15 holder. Aviators can gain even more from it than other computer users. XM Satellite and 3G wi-fi weather packeting has recently moved portable devices from flight planning and navigation tools to real time weather avoidance tools. There are a lot of refinements and improvements ahead, but an $800 device with $150 or so in annual information service fees can now provide much of the information a $25,000 panel does (though not as refined), without the high maintenance costs. To me that is cool. Most of all, it permits safer, more well informed flying.

I only have a few hours of flying with the iPad so far and, due to some medical issues, it's been from the right seat. My experiences have been similar to that in the flight check video by the co-founder of ForeFlight. A search on "iPad flight aviation" will reveal numerous pilot advocates (and some critics) using the iPad with ForeFlight or a variety of other apps.

I'm impressed and hopeful today... and cannot help but reflect on flying experiences I've had through the years in which the iPad or some of the other portable devices would have been a tremendous advantage. The iPad simply has the added benefit of providing value when the flight is over and you've left the airport. I'm not surprised Apple now has the highest market capitalization of any US corporation.

I think you're barking up an imaginary tree. Do you post this same stuff in other forums?

What do you mean by imaginary tree? The forum seems genuine to me - a place to share thoughts and experiences in aviation in the Part 91 world.