iPad and iPhone GPS tips and notes

If you are experiencing any trouble getting a good location fix from your GPS-equipped device, please check out these tips.

• You must have the iPad WiFi+3G (or iPhone 3G or later) to get a location fix in flight, the WiFi-only iPad model has no internal GPS receiver and so will only get a rough location fix when on the ground and near wifi access points (but will get good fixes in flight with an external GPS receiver listed on our buying guide).
• If you turn on "airplane mode" the GPS receiver will be disabled - instead we recommend you turn off cellular data and wifi for in flight use (for battery savings and to kill any chance of hearing interference in your headset).
• Make sure location services are turned ON for the system and specifically for ForeFlight. Check this in the main Settings application, under the General -> Location Services.
• Getting a location fix on the ground before takeoff can improve the GPS performance for your flight, however doing so should not always be required.
• If the moving map is working correctly, but the airplane Location Marker is not shown, then: tap More bottom-right, tap Settings top-left, then at the bottom-right-column set Disable Ownship to OFF. The airplane Location Marker should now be seen on the moving map.
• Ensure the date, time, and timezone are correctly set on the device in Settings > General > Date & Time.
• If you know how to re-connect to your network, resetting the network settings has been proven to help. Do this in the main Settings application, under the General -> Reset view.
• Resetting Location Warnings may help: do this in the main Settings application, under the General -> Reset view.
• A cellular data connection is NOT required to get a GPS location fix. Nor is a 3g data plan with AT&T required.
• Sometimes rebooting the iPad can fix a problem with getting your location.
• In the Cirrus SR22 we have no trouble getting a GPS fix with the iPad in the pilot's lap, but other aircraft might not allow that positioning - make sure the iPad has a clear view of the sky.
• The GPS is not WAAS and not "aviation" grade. While you can often get 5-10m accuracy fixes from it, it is not as reliable as an aviation handheld. Additionally there is a second or so lag in position updates compared to purpose-build aviation handhelds.
• An external GPS receiver should perform better when a limited view of the sky is available to the iPad. Additionally external GPSs provide more consistent fixes. See our buying guide for the current recommended accessories list.