Flight Training - November/December 2023 - 45

Do I need a brand-new tablet?
In general, if a tablet or phone can run the latest
operating system for the device, it should be able
to run an EFB. You can check with your preferred
EFB maker to see what devices are compatible with
it. While you may have your heart set on a brandnew,
top-of-the-line tablet, you can save money by
purchasing an older model or a refurbished tablet.
An important consideration when you're tablet
shopping is whether the tablet has a built-in GPS.
Apple iPads integrate GPS and cell antennas on the
same chip, so the only way to get a GPS-enabled
iPad is to purchase a Wi-Fi and cellular iPad. You
don't need to activate a cellular plan to use the
GPS. The same is true for some Android tablets.
Alternatively, you can use an external GPS that will
pair to your tablet.
I decided to use my cellphone, a hand-me-down
iPad from 2016, the cheapest tablet with a GPS
antenna that I could find-a Samsung Tab A7 Lite for
$128. The Tab A7 isn't exceptional, and sometimes
bogs down. But for the price, I think it delivers.
As for storage, if you plan to stay close to your
home airport, you can get away with a smaller storage
size. My 32 GB tablet has been fine for local flights, but
I do not have much memory left if I need to download
charts for other regions. A 64 GB tablet would be
better, and if you plan to traverse the country, you will
need even more storage space to hold all the charts
and additional information you download for trips.
Why do I need to know how to use
paper products?
Batteries die. Tablets overheat. GPS signal can drop.
Being able to determine where you are and navigate
without digital devices is an important skill. Once
on a flight in the Los Angeles Basin, AOPA Content
Producer Alicia Herron's tablet overheated, leaving her
in complex airspace without the device.
" The L.A. airspace is too complex to fly in without
a backup, and thankfully I had a current TAC [terminal
area chart] with me that came in clutch for the rest of
the flight, " she said. " Navigating wasn't the problem,
but avoiding airspace was as I flew VFR around
one of the busiest airspace areas in the world. I had
ForeFlight on my phone, but using a paper chart is
much easier than trying to zoom in and out on a tiny
screen while flying solo and keeping your eyes outside. "
Can I use an EFB on my checkride?
The airman certification standards explicitly say that
you can use an EFB on your checkride. However, the
examiner is allowed to fail the device completely, or in
part. That means you will need to use paper or may still
be able to use the tablet to view charts but may have to
turn off GPS functions.
collin.callahan@aopa.org
Sim it
EFBs are an incredible tool, but they can
also be an incredible distraction while a
pilot learns to use them. Most EFBs have
multiple pages with multiple menus and
multi-touch control inputs that can take a
while to master. Humming through busy
airspace at 100 knots is not the best time
to learn how to use them.
Thankfully, if you have access to a flight
simulator (see " Aviate, Navigate, Simulate, "
p. 18), you can learn how to use many EFBs
on the ground.
Rather than drawing data from your
device's GPS, the EFB will pull data from
the flight simulator and show it on the
display. The EFB acts just as if it is in an
airplane, and you can put it through its
paces. This can take away some of the risk,
stress, and cost of learning how to use the
EFB in an airplane. -CC
Seattle Avionics FlyQ
FLIGHT TRAINING NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023
45
TOP: MIKE COLLINS; BOTTOM: CHRIS ROSE.
Flight Training - November/December 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - November/December 2023
