iPad Air

iPad Air here too. At the moment just on the knees, but may start to use a knee strap soon (required for IFR approaches here).

The big screen is nice for looking up charts, data, maps etc.

I liked the idea of Seasucker mounts as aart has pictured. A simple search finds the item is $89.99 ( about Euro 80) but in Europe the cost is Euro 150 from the disti in Hungary plus of course the shipping and VAT. Not sure about this now!

Pity about the battery life of these devices. For longer flights you either need to stop using it, or connect to an external battery or ship’s power of course. Still looking for a iPad mini4 cover than contains an external battery.

Aart,

Try turning off automatic brightness and manually turning the brightness down to about 50% and see how you get on.

Automatic brightness will turn it up to full brightness in the cockpit.

I found that the difference between 50% and 100% didn’t make a huge difference to readability in the cockpit. Some but not enough to be bothered about. Having said that my iPad is lower down (on my knee) so might make a difference. But worth trying if changing the brightness works for you. If it’s just as readable, then you’ll likely significantly extend your battery life. The Full brightness is a real battery killer.

Colm

I have an iPad Air and have placed it on the side window with a Ram mount (these are great). I have all charts there and have never had problems even on sunny days. I’ll take a pic next time I fly and post it.

I have an iPad Mini 2 in primary field of view in the panel, connected to GTN650 by Bluetooth. Works as a sort of MFD.

To have spare for long flights I borrow Mrs J’s new Air 2 loaded with the same Garmin Pilot and EasyVFR apps, but like the OP I haven’t found a convenient place for it in the Maule. Maybe it could go on the right hand yoke, or somewhere on the right panel in front of the transponder and (redundant due to JPI 830) engine instruments. I hate looking down at maps, plates etc. while flying.

I use a textile kneeboard for iPad mini. It’s light and it doesn’t take space in a bag. Could do a snap roll and it won’t let go. Quite happy with it. (sportys.com)

I stick my iPad mini to the windshield with a quite simple, strong and versatile mount called Seasucker. It takes some of the outside view away but not much, and in particular the Diamond has plenty of view left. I like the approach plates almost next to the Primary Flight Display rather than having to look at your lap during an approach. And for other phases of flight the mount can be taken off easily. This position is also handy for cooling, the vent blows right into it.
Pity about the battery life of these devices. For longer flights you either need to stop using it, or connect to an external battery or ship’s power of course. Still looking for a iPad mini4 cover than contains an external battery.

I have been using the iPad mini for a while mounted to the window like in the picture below. On it I would be running SkyDemon which would give me additional information that is not available in the Garmin Perspective on airspaces.

Right now I am using the iPad Air instead. I don’t stick the iPad Air to a window or mount it to a Yoke Mount but just stick it on the floor somewhere in between the front seats. After all, I don’t need the iPad for most of my IFR flights except in the end to review the approach (approach briefing) and when flying into a VFR only airfield and where I would have to leave controlled airspace and continue VFR at some point. Then I love SkyDemon to give me information about the airspace around me.

I regularly am lazy during flight and leave the iPad in front of me in the sun just below the windscreen as it is so easy to place it there and pick it up again if needs to be. True, it can shut down due to getting heated up too much, but so far that happened once. And I can live without the iPad if needs to be, but don’t like it sitting on my lap all the time.

I use an old (I think it’s an iPad 2) full-size one that lives on my kneeboard, held there by gravity. The kneeboard I use has two pen holders and the iPad rests on those which gives it additional airflow (I do take it out of the sleeve when flying). Only had an inflight shutdown once, and that was when I stupidly left it on the dash in full sunshine for a while at around 10k ft. Came back after a few minutes in the shade. I mostly fly a C182.

Edited to add: the newly announced small iPad Pro seems to be the perfect solution, allegedly also much less glare on the screen. Will need to check it out.