Reliability of EFB's

[Pearo]

Just spotted this article from CASA http://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2015/11/tablets-of-wisdom/

 

I would like to say that I think what both OzRunways and AvPlan are doing is great. Anything that can improve safety is great. But often there is the side effect that is complacency.

 

In my brain I thought that once I did the PPL test, my days of paper charts and written flight plans were going to be over. Being a sailor, I have an inherent distrust of electronic instruments for navigation use, the main reason being salt water and electronics are not good friends. I have never set to sea without paper charts and some plan to DR if I needed (although I doubt I would be able to use a sextant these days). So as with flying, my caution was inevitably going to prevail, wisely so.

 

Whilst being an RPL holder, I did a lot of flying. I started using the iPad early on as a tool so when I got my PPL I would be familiar. The first thing I discovered is that when I needed to get a frequency for the Brisbane ATIS, the iPad had no phone reception at Cape Moreton and I had not downloaded the relevant ersa page or DAP chart. Thankfully I had a hardcopy of the ERSA in the back in my flight bag.

 

Post PPL test, I decided to try and use the iPad exclusively for my second flight under my knew privileges. The OzRunways locked up and I had no idea how to kill the app. I had paper charts and a written flight plan and ended up using them.

 

Now, this problem is not exclusive to the iPad either. On my PPL test after completing everything, the only thing to do was fly home. I was given the option to use a radio nav aid or the GPS to get me home. I chose the GPS, The G1000 has a moving map, its pretty neat. But that moving map has no CTA altitude steps, only has the lines where the steps are. Guess what, I had to revert back to paper charts again. Maybe I should have opted for the VOR and paper map in the first place!!

 

I love technology (its what I do for a living) and I so badly want this stuff to work for me! Maybe its just not meant for some of us!

 

 

[Bennyboy320]

Just download everything in the Australia region & you will always have the required information available to you, my iPad is wifi only, has never been a problem.

 

 

[Yenn]

I use an iPad with avplan and it is very good. But. In a tight cockpit such as the RV4 I have to stow the iPad beside my knee and pick it up to read it, so what tends to happen is my finger touches the screen, something is activated and I get a flight planning or some other odd screen come up. It is bright in the cockpit so I can't get a really good look at what I have. I havn't got my reading glasses on, which makes it harder to read. What happens, I say to myself "stuff this" and discard the iPad, go back to a chart and also the Garmin 196.

 

As I said it is very good, but I wouldn't rely on it, especially when I am busy flying the plane.

 

 

[facthunter]

Gremlins always happen in marginal conditions with GPS. Normally they are magic. My best flights happen when a pencil line is on a WAC chart and all the pertinent info is on the side of the flight plan, you run a fuel howgozit and you have a pocket for everything, and don't have to land into the sun at a place you have never been to before and have some google map of the area around the drome too if you don't know it.. Nev

 

 

[Birdseye]

Whether in the air or on the road, situational awareness is essential. Whilst GPS may appear to enhance that awareness, IMHO the risk is that slavish reliance on one info source can actually reduce situational awareness. Not only that, but a back up for the unexpected failure of your primary refernce is just good airmanship.

 

 

[Garfly]

I think that overheating/shutdown is the most common problem with iPads so I reckon having a spare, preferably with the same plan loaded, is a good back up. One tablet takes a break and cools down while the other gets to work. If you have an old tablet lying around, it doesn't cost much more to get the extra one added to your subscription. Plus it can count as one's statutory back up.

 

And then, of course, there's paper for when all that (plus the iPhone, and those three GPSs ;-) fails. The good thing about EFBs, though, is that at the point of failure you've been staring at the very same map images that you'll be turning to on paper. Everything looks familiar so you should be able to find your place quickly. Especially if you've drawn a nice neat magenta line on it with 10 mile markers.

 

(Too bad about the little moving aeroplane, though, and all those handy, always updating, numbers.)

 

But it's a good idea to lock-off the touch-screen until you need to have your way with it. Otherwise you'll find yourself watching last week's Netflix download just as you're scraping past some nasty CTA boundary. The lock icon is readily available at the top.

 

I've found that a fantastic way to get familiar with OzRunways is to run it in Simulator mode with X-Plane. What happens on the tablet is identical to what's happening in the simulated flight - and with what would be happening if you were on a real flight. For practising navs I usually choose the C172 (or the Cirrus Jet - to speed proceedings) and set it up on track on autopilot (according to the OzRWY plan) and play around with various weather scenarios. These experiments even make the whiz-wheel look good (more so than in real life - it really works). You can dial up actual real-time WX for your route or take random or just set whatever conditions you want. Realistic VFR nav is really quite practical since the scenery - the landform, the airports, navaids roads, lakes and rivers etc. (if not the look of the towns) is very accurately depicted; totally recognisable.) It's on sim flights that I've become comfortable with the ins and outs of the app, including figuring out which parameters (from a long list of possibles) to display in which of 12 fields on the main HUD screen.

 

Anyway, back to the overheating problem - here's a nice article/discussion:

 

http://ipadpilotnews.com/2014/05/dont-let-ipad-overheat-crash/

 

 

[jetjr]

Ive only had ipad overheat on the ground, can give issues after say a fuel up and take off and it drops out on take off roll but restarts pretty quickly.

 

Rwy to go is a nice complimentary app on you iphone, which is also a nice backup for the ozR ipad.... Or the G296, all have battery backup.

 

Seeing as many here are RPC, and is vfr only and no CTA, really should be able to handle most navigational until at least one of them fires up gain

 

Paper is always at hand

 

 

[pmccarthy]

I have a colour printer so print out the track on composite map from OzRunways, usually in two or three A4 sheets. It is a perfect backup if you also print out the flight plan. I tend to fly using the paper map, which shows track directions , and check the iPad from time to time as a backup.

 

 

[Roundsounds]

I have a colour printer so print out the track on composite map from OzRunways, usually in two or three A4 sheets. It is a perfect backup if you also print out the flight plan. I tend to fly using the paper map, which shows track directions , and check the iPad from time to time as a backup.

Spot on approach. I also note appropriate weather info on the reverse along with aerodrome diagrams and essential info (freq, elevation and any special procedures/cautions)

I jot the various bits of info i'd normally record on a flight plan on the chart, very much a less paper cockpit. A method I've adopted having flown with a few ex RAAF trained pilots.

 

 

[kaz3g]

I use an iPad with avplan and it is very good. But. In a tight cockpit such as the RV4 I have to stow the iPad beside my knee and pick it up to read it, so what tends to happen is my finger touches the screen, something is activated and I get a flight planning or some other odd screen come up. It is bright in the cockpit so I can't get a really good look at what I have. I havn't got my reading glasses on, which makes it harder to read. What happens, I say to myself "stuff this" and discard the iPad, go back to a chart and also the Garmin 196.As I said it is very good, but I wouldn't rely on it, especially when I am busy flying the plane.

Hi Yenn

 

I used my iPad with Ozrunways on a long trip to west of Alice and back and didn't have a single problem. I do centre my location and lock the screen to avoid the thick finger syndrome. I also run the Ozrunways program on a second device, an iPad mini that sits up above the pax door where I can see it at all times. The mini is connected to an external GPS.

 

But I still carry my ERSA and charts, mark my tracks, record my landmarks against what I can see on the ground and keep a log on longer stretches just to be sure. I also run Sartime but not a flight plan and leave a copy of my entire journey details with a flying friend.

 

Kaz

 

 

[Earl Pike]

To navigate, the vikings used a lump of iron ore on a piece of string, and a raven.

 

The iron ore would give a general direction of north, and when the raven was released at sea, if it came back there was no land, and if it flew away, it would be heading for land, so the sailors followed it.

 

If you said to a Viking, you can have a device that tells you where you are, where you are going, where you have been, how much fuel you have used and have left, the terrain below you, the weather in your region and you destination, and other factors that would impact on your journey, is reliable 95% of the time or you can have the bird and rock, I doubt they would choose the rock.

 

I was visiting my brother-in-law at Yarrawonga, where he has a rather special RV9.

 

We were in his hangar, and he said watch this. He arched into his plane and moments later, there was the sound of servos and the control surfaces began to move.

 

"It thinks it's going to Denilliquin" he said.

 

I felt a moments sadness that this machine was in a shed and trying to find its way to somewhere else.

 

Modern technology has capabilities undreamed of 10 years ago, 5 years ago and continues to to make our lives and pursuits easier and safer.

 

Have you ever wondered why cars don't have crank handles anymore.

 

I am a real big fan of new stuff. I just love it!!

 

 

[Kiwi303]

Have you ever wondered why cars don't have crank handles anymore.

There have been a few times I would have been HAPPY to have a crank handle after a flat battery stranded me somewhere...

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

I think that overheating/shutdown is the most common problem with iPads so I reckon having a spare, preferably with the same plan loaded, is a good back up.

Two iPads is just overkill!

I use my iPad (with Avplan) as the backup for navigation and as the primary for flight planning and weight and balance. In two years of operation it has never overheated (max cabin temp 56C), never run out of battery (even on a 10 hour day) and never had a problem with an app that closing the app and opening it again hasn't fixed.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

There have been a few times I would have been HAPPY to have a crank handle after a flat battery stranded me somewhere...

I had a Morris Minor 1000 for a number of years, great little commuter, the battery crapped out one day so i just used the hand crank for about 6 months.

Caused a moment of frustration once when i stalled it at a pedestrian crossing at Hurstville station, Just took my time, hopped out open boot, unclipped crank handle, walked to front of car inserted into hole, as it was a hot start had to give it a preliminary curse and good swing. Strolled back and clipped it back into the boot lid and closed boot. Hopped back in car and drove off as the light turned red again and the guy behind got caught by it. Served him right to for all that abuse.

 

Reason they don't have them now is that people used to leave them in gear and got run over when they started. Plus with all the electronics you need a good battery to run the injection fuel pumps and stuff.

 

 

[dutchroll]

At my "iconic aussie airline" employer we exclusively use iPads (2 pilots = 2 iPads) for aeronautical charts, airport data, company publications, eg SOPs and so on, aircraft manufacturer Flight Manuals/FCOMs, aircraft performance data, including real-time takeoff and landing performance data entered into flight management computers and all flight planning, weather and notam delivery.

 

There is no requirement for a "paper" backup and we do not carry any, however there must be 2 serviceable, charged iPads with the appropriate data loaded preflight. It is a requirement to have updated all aeronautical data prior to every flight and this is the individual pilot's responsibility.

 

Translating this to the small-plane world, I would say that modern electronic data is very reliable. Know how to "hard reboot" your device, as this usually fixes screen freezes and lockups (they are uncommon, but yeah they can happen). You won't lose already stored data from a hard reboot, though it might be necessary to reactivate flight plans etc.

 

Have your electronic data updated before you go flying. If you have only wifi and not 3G, make it part of your "leaving home to go flying, do I have everything?" checks! Have a backup of some description. Whether this is a paper chart for the area tucked away in a reachable pouch somewhere, or a duplicate copy of the EFB you use on another device like your iPhone.

 

FWIW I have never, ever had a standard iPad shut down due to high temperature, even in my small plane with its greenhouse/sauna bubble canopy. However the iPad Mini is prone to it on hot days in full sun.

 

 

[Kununurra]

I have had my iPad (standard)shut down a few times in the Kimberley due to temperature however it soon comes back to life by directing the air vent towards it to cool it down.

 

I have left it on the seat while I refuelled and it has shut down and had to be cooled , so it does happen they are a great tool but don't be thinking it will not happen because it can and does obviously depending on where you are flying.

 

 

[DrZoos]

My mini handles the heat reasonably well... but i am conscious of heat and do keep it out of direct sun at most times. I tend to run it on my lap and in the ram mount with a little hood that shades it..

 

For the not so super tech savy...dont forget to close all apps not required...helps with temps and battery life... also turn off bluetooth and wifi unless your using it...

 

this can be done by double clicking the home key (big round one) and then swiping the non required app frames to the top of the screen..

 

 

[Geoff13]

The best way to keep them cool is to fully charge them and keep them plugged in. They get hot when either discharging or charging the battery but not so much if fully charged and maintaining the staus quo.

 

 

[Garfly]

It's comforting to hear so many people having so few problems with their devices.

 

Makes me a little less wary, despite being a bit of a belt-AND-braces guy.

 

(Heck, I even want a BRS! - but let's not go there ;-)

 

My own real-world use of the EFBs is not that extensive yet but I have had a couple of shut-downs mid-flight already and been glad of a spare. Maybe some models and some individual devices are just better than others.

 

Recently, I heard one GA chap over in Albany, tell of a shutdown of his iPad enroute which put him in a tizz - not because he didn't have paper back-up or feared getting lost, but because just prior to taking off, in order to reassure his daughter, he'd shown her how to track his progress using the OzRunways web site. It suddenly hit him that she'd probably just watched his aircraft 'disappear from radar' mid-desert and might be freaking out. Well, it seems he did wait for it to cool and got it going again soon but it shows the unexpected pitfalls of our reliance. This chap said he's now gone away from having his iPad run all the time; rather he just opens it and refers to it as needed - like you would a chart.

 

No doubt he's also got an ordinary GPS to keep him on the straight and narrow.

 

Yeah, and a lodestone, too.

 

 

[DrZoos]

My old man bought an aldi tablet for $70 . Works a treat as a backup. . We send many many screen shots to it

 

 

[SDQDI]

For the not so super tech savy...dont forget to close all apps not required...helps with temps and battery life... also turn off bluetooth and wifi unless your using it...

this can be done by double clicking the home key (big round one) and then swiping the non required app frames to the top of the screen..

Zoos in regards to wifi on the iPad, mine says that location accuracy is improved with wifi switched ON. Is the GPS linked to the wifi? I'm not overly tech savvy and have always wondered why this is so.

 

My iPad will overheat if left in direct sun with no airflow in the summer, keep it shaded and no problems. i don't use a paper backup (I do have an out of date vnc behind my seat but I heard that was illegal?), the only time I use paper is if I am going to a new airstrip/area as then I like to have the relevant frequencies and strip numbers/orientation jotted down on a sheet for quick and easy checking without having to leave the moving map screen.

 

 

[dutchroll]

Zoos in regards to wifi on the iPad, mine says that location accuracy is improved with wifi switched ON. Is the GPS linked to the wifi? I'm not overly tech savvy and have always wondered why this is so.

This statement by Apple is sort of true, and also sort of misleading.

Apple's GPS on all their devices is "assisted GPS". It's a GPS receiver, but while it's looking for satellites their positioning software can use mobile towers and known wifi base stations to calculate your position. By doing this it can give you an initial position fix faster, and also in turn then it knows where it needs to look to get the satellite reception.

 

So the answer is this:

 

1) The GPS is a fully functioning chip which will calculate an accurate position like any other GPS.

 

2) The GPS can be assisted by the wifi and 3G when it doesn't have a good satellite lock.

 

3) The GPS will get a good initial position faster with the wifi and 3G switched on, if it is receiving from wifi and 3G base stations.

 

4) When it has a good GPS lock, the wifi and 3G signals are not important to it.

 

 

[nickduncs84]

I have had an iPad fail during flight. I thought a restart would fix it but no luck. Turned out the screen had failed. When I took it in to be replaced (was only a few months old) they weren't surprised so it must happen often enough. Luckily for me at the time I had RWY installed on my android phone and was able to get what I needed from that but it certainly made me realise that devices can fail. I now have an iPhone and iPad with all required maps and ersa pages downloaded. You'd have to be having a bad day if they both failed. I've also got a GPS in the aircraft. All in all enough for me to not worry about paper. I've had the argument with someone before about always carrying paper charts. Their argument was that paper is the only way to be safe. I say bollocks and if you're worried about 2 devices failing, buy a 3rd. It will still be cheaper than paying to keep paper charts etc updated.

 

 

[dutchroll]

When I was flying Caribous many moons ago and well before iPads or smartphones came onto the scene, I lost two WAC charts in row through being sucked out the cockpit side window. On both occasions the chart was simply on my lap. We were seriously running short of WACs on that trip.

 

I have to say we have something like 2500 operational iPad based EFBs in our company and I've never heard of a total screen failure. That's not to say it hasn't happened, but those things usually get publicised internally at least. There are always exceptions, but I think they've been proven to be very reliable when they're charged properly, setup and looked after properly, and updated properly.

 

 

[nickduncs84]

When I was flying Caribous many moons ago and well before iPads or smartphones came onto the scene, I lost two WAC charts in row through being sucked out the cockpit side window. On both occasions the chart was simply on my lap. We were seriously running short of WACs on that trip.I have to say we have something like 2500 operational iPad based EFBs in our company and I've never heard of a total screen failure. That's not to say it hasn't happened, but those things usually get publicised internally at least. There are always exceptions, but I think they've been proven to be very reliable when they're charged properly, setup and looked after properly, and updated properly.

Mine was an iPad mini 2. The only way I works out what was going on was after the flight and doing the unlock sequence, I could hear the sound of it working. I suspect some may have not got that far and taken it in not knowing what was wrong with it. Either way it was pretty much brand new and like I said, from speaking to the guy at the Apple Store, it was clearly a common issue at the time. I'm a big fan of Apple Products but don't have the blind faith I used to. There is no way I'd go on a long trip now without a backup. For most people, they will be able to get some sort of efb on their phone which I think is a smart move. I'd also caution people about updating both the iOS software and the efb software prematurely. Many people on this forum have run in to issues caused by updates. If it's working as you expect and there is a software update released, it's best to wait a week. That way you will find that others are the ones that find the bugs.