AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 90
P&E
FRUGAL FLIER
A tablet dilemma
One man details his process for choosing a tablet
BY BENET WILSON
AN IPAD MINI is just
the right size,
with just the right
features, for this
pilot who explored
all options.
CHARLIE BECKER, AOPA’s director of corporate partnerships and products—and a VFR pilot—was facing a
dilemma: He had an iPad 2, but he wasn’t really using
it for aviation. Plus, prices were dropping on Samsung
Galaxy Tabs and Apple finally released the iPad mini.
His question was, stick with the iPad or consider the
Galaxy or the iPad mini for his aviation needs?
“The airplanes I fly, taildraggers like the Cub, have
small cockpits, so the iPad didn’t seem to be a viable
option for me,” said Becker. “So when the iPad mini
came out, I was interested, especially because all the
good aviation apps are on the iOS platform. But I also
saw that Galaxy Tabs were selling at half their original prices, so I was tempted there too.”
Becker admitted that he was not a Mac fan at first,
but he enjoyed using his iPad 2. “And because of the
great experience with the iPad, I bought an iPhone,”
90 | AOPA PILOT May 2013
he said. “Going with the Galaxy Tab would
have meant using Android-platform apps.”
It probably took a couple of weeks to
get to a decision, even though he already
owned an iPad, said Becker. “I still had
questions on things including memory
and internal GPS,” he said.
Becker recalled a similar process he
endured 15 years earlier, when he bought
a Lowrance 1000 GPS, considered stateof-the-art aviation equipment back then.
“I bought the unit, and because I don’t do
a lot of cross-country flying, I ended up
using it for less than 10 hours,” he said. “I tend to put a big purchase on hold to make sure I’m not just making a snap decision.”
Becker compared the iPad and the iPad mini and was sold on
the smaller device. “I can do aviation stuff, plus I can do nonaviation things like check my email that allowed me to justify the
cost,” he said. “I bet I paid twice as much for my old Lowrance
1000 GPS.”
The great apps on the iOS platform also were a selling point,
said Becker. “Take, for example, CloudAhoy, a free and neat little
app,” he said. The CloudAhoy app, once set on an iPad or iPhone,
can capture flight data and send it automatically to an account on
its server. After logging into the server, users can see their flight
operations via a color-coded map.
“Anytime someone comes out with a new app, it’s more likely
going to be for the iPad,” said Becker.
Once Becker decided to go with the iPad mini, he had another
choice to make: getting the device with WiFi only or spending
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013
Contents
President’s Position
Visual Approach
Letters
Waypoints
Proficient Pilot
Safety Pilot
License to Learn
Pilot Counsel
Fly Well
Setting a Record
Membership
Fly-Outs
Milestones
Test Pilot
News
More of a Good Thing
More of a Good Thing
Pulling Together
Pulling Together
General Electric’s H80 Turboprop: Czechered Past
General Electric’s H80 Turboprop: Czechered Past
This Mooney is Out of Air
This Mooney is Out of Air
Fly Off: A Tale of Two Biplanes
Fly Off: A Tale of Two Biplanes
Efficiency
Efficiency
Technique
Technique
Ownership
Ownership
Wx Watch
Wx Watch
Frugal Flier
Frugal Flier
Never Again
Never Again
Partnerships and Products
Partnerships and Products
State & Local Action
State & Local Action
Member Services
Member Services
AOPA Foundation
AOPA Foundation
AOPA Insurance Services
AOPA Insurance Services
Fly by Wire
Fly by Wire
Pilots
Pilots
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - Cover2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - Contents
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - President’s Position
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 5
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 6
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 7
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 8
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 9
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - Visual Approach
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 11
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - Letters
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 13
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 14
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 15
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - Waypoints
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 17
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - Proficient Pilot
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 19
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - Safety Pilot
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 21
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - License to Learn
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 23
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - Pilot Counsel
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 25
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - Fly Well
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 27
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - Setting a Record
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 29
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - Membership
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 31
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - Fly-Outs
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 33
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - Milestones
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 35
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - Test Pilot
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 37
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - News
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 39
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 40
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 41
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 42
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 43
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - More of a Good Thing
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 45
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 46
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 47
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 48
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 49
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 50
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 51
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 52
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 53
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - Pulling Together
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 55
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 56
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 57
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 58
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 59
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - General Electric’s H80 Turboprop: Czechered Past
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 61
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 62
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 63
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 64
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 65
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 66
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 67
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - This Mooney is Out of Air
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 69
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 70
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 71
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 72
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 73
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - Fly Off: A Tale of Two Biplanes
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 75
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 76
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 77
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 78
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 79
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - Efficiency
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 81
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 82
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - Technique
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 84
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 85
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - Ownership
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 87
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - Wx Watch
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 89
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - Frugal Flier
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 91
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - Never Again
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 93
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 94
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 95
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 96
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 97
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 98
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - Partnerships and Products
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - State & Local Action
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 101
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - Member Services
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 103
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - AOPA Foundation
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 105
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - AOPA Insurance Services
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 107
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - Fly by Wire
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 109
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 110
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 111
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - Pilots
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - Cover3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - Cover4
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