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Thanks for this video, my iPad mini has taken a tour of the cockpit of my 172. As to falling off - I had my iPad mini suctioned to the side of the windshield for my instrument check ride and it fell off during the flight - ugh! I find that suction mount does block your view - especially when turning final. Kneeboard - disorientation from looking and and down. I have settled in with Yoke Mount but in landscape mode!
One thing to think about. If flying IMC, then the yoke mount would be the best, because you don’t have to move your head as much. This will help avoid spatial disorientation.
I fly a Piper Cherokee, and for me the biggest concern is heat. The best place for keeping my ipad out of the sun is my knee. It's also the best placement for writing down clearances.But it's not the best place for visibility of the information. The yoke improves visibility but in the summer my ipad overheats after about 45-60 minutes of flying, also writing clearances at the yoke is not ideal.. I haven't tried the suction mount because it's even more in the sun than on the yoke. My question is how do you deal with the heat? I've looked up these ipad coolers (e.g. from xnaut) but they're half the cost of the ipad!
The looking down thing is funny. I'm a pilot from 2007 who is getting back into flying. We had charts back then. It was on your knee board and you looked down. If you had to flip the chart and open it, it was pretty funny cuz you'd open the whole thing and try to fold it back. You wrote your notes on your notepad and look down. It was kind of part of flying. Now looking down at a moving map is a major nono? I sure missed alot
Any of these positions would be okay for VFR, but... Yoke mount charts were how I did my INST in c172's and Piper Arrows/Seminoles. But that won't work for my c206 with yoke mounted AP controls. Knee board isn't good for IFR as you'll disorient yourself with all the looking up and down. The suction mount on the side window is the best solution for IFR & VFR, so far, although I have considered getting charts for my G3X MFD and not renewing them in ForeFlight.
What about the Lindbergh reference? From what I can tell, using the suction mount eliminates using the Lindbergh reference during critical flight times, like landing?
I use yoke as a CFI, but when I sit left seat I use suction as to not block all the instruments in front of me. Kneeboards are universally trash. They are uncomfortable, cramped to write on, and sometimes you smack it with the yoke during maneuvers or landings.
I find having the iPad on landscape orientation makes the instrument visibility issue less of a problem. You can also raIse the iPad to a level where it is more natural.
This video couldn't have came at a perfect time for me. I've been using my tablet on my kneeboard for the past couple of months. I got velcro strips on the back of it that I can then attach to the kneeboard to keep it secure. But, like you've mentioned in this video I do not like looking down everytime and the visibility on the tablet can be a problem at times. I've done a lot of research (including watching your videos) and came to the conclusion that a suction mount on the side window will do the trick for me. I tried Flyboys first to support you, but their target market seems to be only for Apple products. I'm a Android guy and have a Samsung Tablet. I had to go with Ram Mounts and so far so good! Only blocks a little portion of the airspeed indicator. Thank you for taking the time to go through all of those mount options, extremely helpful!
I can’t imagine trying to use a yoke mount during night IMC. Your eyes constantly trying to adjust to a moving target seems unrealistic, and maybe even dangerous.
Have you thought about landscape with your iPad mini yoke mounted instead of portrait? I use a iPad Pro 11" with a FlyBoys Pivot suction mounted to the passenger side window but I really would like the synthetic vision with Foreflight on a yolk mount so reconsidering my options with an iPad mini. I love the FlyBoys mounts as well! Thanks for the video. A lot to think about here.
Yes I have thought about that, and it's a good point. I have not actually done it, but I've thought about going landscape. That mount and case allow you to do that easily.
Glad you mentioned giving the suction mount a new seal each flight. I had mine dropping several times during flight. No Bueno!! Once I began removing it after each flight, I no longer have that issue.
If you get a commission from the code, doesn't that make this video sponsored? 😊 Regardless, great video! I tried knee board and suction cup and suction works the best for me. I also have flyboys case and suction cup
I prefer the yoke mount, but the way I have it set up minimizes head movement and I can just move my eyes. In the 172, it really doesn’t block anything. In the Cherokee 235, it partially covers the manifold pressure. Kneeboards are great for pen and paper flying, but I think other options are quickly replacing it.
Yoke mounts are the WORST. You are always looking down. Its hell on your neck and if you are in gusty conditions the yoke is all over the place. On my uncles airplane, we put ram-mounts on the dash and let me tell you, that is pay dirt! It allows you to keep you eyes outside the airplane and since my uncle and I both have ipad minis, its double the screen! PIC flys with map+AI and SIC flys with full map/sectional.
Hi Charlie, Great video as usual. You are one of only a few U tubers that I don’t turn the video speed to 2x. 300+ hours of flying our Bonanza last year from the right seat I mount the I pad on the right side of the glare shield. Mounted there it only blocks the tip tank fuel gauges and the instrument pressure gauge. It works great for copying clearances and everything else, but can overheat in direct sun. When that condition happens I can aim the overhead vent with the help of the sun visor and keep it cool. Keep up the good work. 👍
Thanks James! I do something similar if I'm on a long XC with direct sunlight.... on non-critical parts of the flight I'll move the iPad out of the sun for a few minutes here and there just to prevent that from happening when I need it. That's only in the middle of the day in the middle of the summer... so it's not nearly as common as you might think because I try not to fly that time of day in Texas, anyways.
I have not used any kind of iPad mount in years. I haven’t flown an aircraft with a yoke in years, I fly experimentals and have either had a side stick or a center stick. My only aircraft now is a tail dragger with a stick and a glass panel. The iPad is rarely my primary navigation. I use it for flight planning and IFR approach plates exclusively. Now my glass panel has approach plates in it and weather and traffic. The iPad is now only a backup or supplemental information device. I use a second iPad as a backup for approach plates for IFR. A mount never worked in any aircraft I was flying
You are still leaving out the biggest negative about to suction mount. You are limiting your field of view outside to cockpit. Sometime you need as much view as possible for air traffic in uncontrolled air space. This is apparently a calculated risk you and others are fine with, but I like giving myself as much safety as possible. The Yoke mount works great if mounted in front of the yoke and not on top of the yoke…but it depends on the pilot’s body shape if it will be a figment issues.
When I rent an Cessna 172 I am not allowed to use a suction mount on the window. I always use the Yoke mount, but on the passenger side. So it is not in my view of the controls. It works pretty good actually.
I realize this is an old video, currently labeled at 1 year since post. But it seems that many pilots prefer to run the iPad mini in landscape mode since it makes more of the panel visible and it allows for split screen as well as some other benefits.
Suction only works with the mini I would guess, I have the pro gen3 11" and I don't think that would work for me as it's just too big and heavy. But yeah also struggling to find a good solution as keeping it on my leg has (too?)many downsides like you said.. 🙄
I use the suction mount on my cardinal 177 and it came off so I bought a double suction cup scenario and it’s still fell off and I was using an iPad mini so I’ve gone back to the yolk mount. Anybody know someone who wants a new double suction cup system
I use the kneeboard because it lets me write down ATIS and clearances / ete In places like Arizona that suction thing makes my iPad overheat in much of the spring summer and fall
I would love a suction mount, but the down side is most flight schools don't allow them. So for now I'm using a yoke mount. Maybe when I get my own aircraft, I'll go suction.
you have taught me two very important things first an everyday working class guy can have dreams of becoming a pilot and that it does not matter how long it takes because everyday for the rest of your life you will be becoming a pilot
I’ve purchased all of these mounting options including a glare shield mount that has yet to see action. I’m currently back and forth between the yoke mount and suction cup. My yoke mount configuration goes on the under side of the yoke then coming up, primarily because some of the 172s I train in have a small checklist clip on the top of the yoke that interfere with that mount. The only thing I don’t like about the suction mount is that it blocks part of the windscreen. I’m also using an iPad mini with Pivot cases (thanks to you for introducing the Pivot system to me).
Hi Molon - sounds good. I haven't found the suction mounts to limit the view and so I like it a lot better than the yoke mounts. But honestly everyone has their own preference! Hope this video helped
Good question. I haven't intentionally tested it to see how long until it fails, but I can tell you that even on hot summer days in Texas, it does just fine for the full departure and arrival and most (if not all) of cruise. If I'm at the right time of the day in the right sunlight where it's just getting beat down with sun, I'll move the ipad for a few minutes here and there during cruise to ensure it doesn't overheat. But that's only in the worst of the summer on certain parts of certain flights... I'm not like OCD about moving it and yet I haven't ever had it overheat on me. The only time it overheated on me was when I left it in direct sunlight in the plane on the ramp when I was gone for a couple of hours. Even in spring or fall direct sunlight, it does just fine. It's only those hottest days that I've had to even think about it.
I am surprised that no-one has come up with a VR system yet. Imagine being able to jump into your plane, put on a headset, then you have all of your systems laid out exactly how you want them with pass through so you can still see out the windows.
Using the suction mount where you have it, doesn't it get in the way when you are in the flare, to know how high you are? I am still pretty new to flying and struggle with when to flare even with no obstacles there. Thx for sharing your views!
Good question. No, I haven't noticed it blocking my view or peripheral vision. I didn't include it in the video, but on this flight I pointed out that you can still see around the ipad fairly well, although the camera angle I was filming from makes it look like you can't. On the flare, it helps to look down the runway to get a sense of height and also maintain center line.
So far I’ve only really used the knee board “mount” for my iPad. I totally agree it’s annoying to have to look down like that to see it! But I’m not 100% sure my flight school would even let me use a window or yoke mount.
I bought the pivot mount for my iPad from your recommendation. I love how it works. I only have the suction mount but I can’t seem to find the correct position in my 182 to mount it. It’s an older 182 and if I mount it in the corner like you do it covers up the airspeed indicator. I usually end up throwing it on my lap and using that way. I don’t have the “six pack” gauge configuration. My panel will be my next upgrade. I will be ordering the yoke mount to fit it a try. I enjoy your videos!!
I think it's absolutely insane to attach an iPad like that to the yoke as it could loosen up swing around and mess with your flight control not to mention it covers up your six pack. There has already been fatal crashes where iPads and camera mounts have fallen down and lodged into the flight controls causing a crash
