ForeFlight's iPad Buying Guide for Pilots
Recommended Accessories
GPS Receivers• Dual XGPS150 Bluetooth GPS receiver• Bad Elf GPS receiver
XM Weather Bundles• XM Weather Package for iPad• Baron WxWorx Bundle
iPad Accessories• iPad Anti-Glare Film by Powersupport • iPad 12-24v charger by Scosche • iPad Kneeboard • MyClip leg strap • Knee Dock We're always looking for more accessories. If you have something to recommend, please send us your experience! Please note: these are accessories that we use ourselves. We don't accept any paid product placements. |
First, choose between iPad WiFi+3G or iPad WiFi. Only the 3G model contains the GPS chip that can be used to active the moving map capabilities of ForeFlight Mobile. However, the WiFi model can be paired with an external GPS like the Bad Elf to provide location fixes in flight. Read our blog post to learn more about external GPS accessories, which provide better location fixes than the built-in GPS. Then, choose your size: 16 GB, 32 GB, or 64 GB. ForeFlight Mobile can require as much as 14GB for all of the U.S. airport diagram, A/FD sheets, instrument procedures, VFR sectionals, and IFR enroute charts. Canadian data can total 3GB. However, those requirements are greatly reduced if the entire country is not downloaded at once. For example, downloading US states east of the Mississippi would require around 5GB. Those size estimates account for having 2 "cycles" of data loaded at the same time (the current and next cycle). We recommend the 64GB or 32GB iPads, but the 16GB will work well if you download data for 20 - 25 states at a time. Decide how much extra room you need for movies, music, and other apps. Finally, decide between the iPad 2 or the original iPad. The iPad 2 is faster, lighter, and thinner than the original iPad. It also has more RAM, which lets you switch between apps faster. If you're buying an iPad for the first time, we strongly recommend the iPad 2 - you'll appreciate the faster performance in apps like ForeFlight Mobile. If you already own the original iPad, we don't think it's necessary to upgrade. The screen resolution on the iPad 2 is the same as the original iPad, so apps look the same. However, if you’re frequently switching between apps or want to get the best performance possible, then you’ll appreciate the new iPad 2. And remember – the original iPad makes the perfect gift for a loved one!
Important Notes
• The WiFi-only models do not include a GPS chip but can be
Pricing and Where to Buy
16 GB iPad 2 WiFi - $499 (USD) Buy online at http://store.apple.com, or at your local Apple Retail Store, Best Buy, or Apple Reseller |