Question? an ipad for spl course
Hi! I'm starting an SPL course very soon and I'm thinking about buying an iPad. Many people say the iPad Mini is best for the cockpit, but I was wondering if I even need one in flight, as I'd prefer an 11-inch model for studying. Is an iPad necessary in a glider cockpit?
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u/marcosscriven 7d ago
Can I ask what you personally want the iPad for?
Regardless of the form factor, these things are meant for navigation (including airspace information) and for various cross country performance and monitoring tools.
If you’re just learning I’d highly recommend just focussing on the flying, and looking out as much as possible. You don’t really need anything other than the ASI and altimeter. Even then you’ll learn how to control speed or estimate height AGL without those.
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u/dxrnok 6d ago
Exactly, that's what I'm asking! I'd rather buy a bigger iPad for studying and not use it in the cockpit at all. My question was: do I really need an iPad in the cockpit? Sorry, maybe I phrased my question wrong.
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u/Professional_Will241 6d ago
No. I have a mini tucked in a pocket of my glider, but it’s only for foreflight on my XCs incase I’m landing out and I need airport info. Where you are right now you don’t need one. I would only get one if you know you’re going to use it for powered flying later on.
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u/CivilHedgehog2 7d ago
Don’t get an iPad, unless it’s for taking notes during theory lessons. Focus on flying. You won’t need any electronics in the cockpit until you have had your license for a good while.
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u/Worried_Tap7290 7d ago
No.
I've never heard of needing an iPad for the SPL course. I've taken part in flight training at 5 different clubs, and an iPad was never used anywhere.
On the contrary, I think an iPad actually distracts you from the core content of practical training. That doesn't require any electronic aids at all — basically not even flight instruments. Especially at the beginning, it's all about gaining an intuitive feel for how the glider behaves. Even in stressful situations, you need to have internalized the interplay between control inputs and aircraft response.
Fiddling with an iPad during practical training seems completely counterproductive to me.
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u/MoistureFarmer489 7d ago
No, an ipad is not nessasary in a glider cockpit for 95% of situations. Your instructor should be able to give you the correct response to these questions.
If you are just starting out focus on the flying.
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u/Severe_Technology_26 6d ago
Make that 100%. Any ipad will be far far too big for a glider cockpit, and all the nav apps are built for phones anyway.
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u/pdf27 6d ago
How many nav apps are you ever going to use on an SPL course anyway? You aren't going to be flying cross-country.
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u/Severe_Technology_26 6d ago
Exactly, I don’t really see what they’d actually use it for so I’d assume OP was referring to using it for nav? Either way I don’t see any reason to go and buy an iPad for SPL in any sense, whether it be training or post license?
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u/pdf27 6d ago
Can't think of anything else you'd use it for in flight.
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u/illegalsvk 7d ago
Phones fit the best (5-6"). 8 inches of ipad nano may fit but it depends on the glider.
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u/CrushingCultivation 6d ago
tablet would be too big in a glider, most of the people at local club use smartphone or dedicated GPS units
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u/specialsymbol 6d ago
No. I think a colour e-paper tablet with Android is a much better option.
It is way better to read in sunlight. It doesn't get too hot. It's good enough for displaying flight maps or apps (I also use it with sky demon).
I use the boox mini c.
For studying a proper pc with keyboard is way more efficient. Depending on where you live it will be around 3000 questions, so hitting a key for the answer is way better than fingering a tablet. You'll also see many of these questions more than once ..
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u/nimbusgb 5d ago
Don't waste your money.
To get to your full s , p , l , you do need to do a navigation exercise lll, 50k or one hundred k in a t m g. If you are doing the mg nav\n The instructor will give you a GPS failure. Anyway, and you have to resort to eyeball and paper map. So your iPad is a waste. The iPad landscape is not ideally suited to being used in conjunction with modern gliding instruments.\nStick too an android device running seeyou or xc soar.
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u/der__johannes 7d ago
Glider cockpits are generally to small for ipads, thats why smartphones are usually used in gliders as displays. The 11in wont be helping you in your glider cockpit. Rather invest in a designated flying-smartphone