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New Student - A few different questions

Good Evening,

Newbie here so go easy… ! Just starting out with lessons in the 172SP. Really enjoying it so far, and getting good feedback from my instructors. I should have started long ago, but here we are…

A few questions, if I could call on the collective opinion here…

1) Headsets. I want something decent, many I know have the Bose A20 but something is drawing me to the Lightspeed PFX. Same price as the A20’s – does anyone have any experience with them? I know there is a school of thought that says buy something cheap when starting out, but I’d like something comfortable and that gives the best protection to my ears so I don’t mind spending money here – if it doesn’t work out they’ll eBay fairly successfully I’m sure.

2) Kneeboards. Looking for something that will take an iPad mini as well as a notepad – any recommendations?

3) Which retailers are worth using in the UK for aviation bits and bobs? Are any particularly good in terms of customer service?

4) I find my palms get very sweaty when holding the yoke which in turn makes it difficult to grip. Does anyone else suffer the same problem, gloves a solution?

5) Is there such a thing as a portable device that will connect to the iPad and provide traffic information (Location & height) into SkyDemon and plot traffic onto the map? I see lots of talk of ADS-B, but wondered if there was a favourite solution among forum members that don’t own their own aircraft and need something portable.

6) Any worthwhile bits worth buying from experience? Things worth having on me when flying?

7) My iPad doesn’t have GPS as it’s not the cellular version. Recommendations for an external GPS – or is it worth upgrading to the LTE iPad that has GPS built in. Articles online suggest that the internal GPS can drop in and out when flying.

Thanks in advance for the help!

StumblingTrout wrote:

2) Kneeboards. Looking for something that will take an iPad mini as well as a notepad – any recommendations?

Both at the same time? I just can’t imagine that they would fit on a single leg… I have the Jeppesen IFR kneeboard. I did not choose it myself, it is given by my school to all PPL students. It fits either a notepad or an iPad Mini very nicely, but even then it’s very big and cumbersome. I have it always with me when flying, but only use it on ca. 10% of all flights.

4) I find my palms get very sweaty when holding the yoke which in turn makes it difficult to grip. Does anyone else suffer the same problem, gloves a solution?

Don’t grip the yoke so strongly. Seriously. :-)

5) Is there such a thing as a portable device that will connect to the iPad and provide traffic information (Location & height) into SkyDemon and plot traffic onto the map? I see lots of talk of ADS-B, but wondered if there was a favourite solution among forum members that don’t own their own aircraft and need something portable.

Most of your conflicting traffic won’t be radiating anything that you could receive with a portable receiver, so I would not bother with getting anything at this point.

7) My iPad doesn’t have GPS as it’s not the cellular version. Recommendations for an external GPS – or is it worth upgrading to the LTE iPad that has GPS built in. Articles online suggest that the internal GPS can drop in and out when flying.

Others do have different experience, but I have yet to see a GPS outage with either my iPad Mini 3 or the backup iPhone 6 Plus. I use one of them for all flights for logging. If it’s just a local flight, I usually just drop the iPhone in the map pocket. It still always records the whole flight very nicely. Having an external GPS would therefore be a major hassle for me with almost zero advantage. In you place I’d go for the LTE upgrade. But stay with the Mini form factor, the others are way to large for a GA cockpit.

Last Edited by JnsV at 21 Aug 21:09
Hajdúszoboszló LHHO

Www.flightstore.co.uk are very good. I swear by Bose, battery life can vary between other makes so be careful to check that. Whatever you do, make sure you try a pair in a cockpit environment before deciding (try on a mates if possible) – different people have very different experiences with fit etc..!

I have never had a single drop out with inbuilt ipad GPS either. In your early days of training don’t worry too much about traffic displays and staring at an ipad, you will need all your capacity to absorb the flying instruction.

Good luck with it all!

Now retired from forums best wishes

Over-the-ear style:
I’d recommend the AKG headsets. Two friends have them (along with Bose, etc.) and they both prefer the AKG’s…

In-ear style:
I have a set of Quiet Comfort, and haven’t tried anything else, as these have worked great for my needs/preferences.
On long trips the over-the-ear style starts bothering me, but I don’t have that problem with in-ears…
They are also very compact and lightweight, so traveling on commercial flights with them is much easier (my flight bag is always carry-on)
The drawback to them is that they aren’t ANR enabled… (also not a problem for me, as I prefer to hear the engine at all times)

Last Edited by AF at 21 Aug 22:01

Quote4) I find my palms get very sweaty when holding the yoke which in turn makes it difficult to grip. Does anyone else suffer the same problem, gloves a solution?

Trim better. Periodically release the controls for at least a couple of seconds and see if the horizon “moves”

I hated the AKGs. Go with Bose – there are other good ones but Bose are reliable and perform very well.

If you get GDL39 or Stratus for traffic they will function as a GPS receiver. GDL works with GP and Foreflight No idea about SD. Internal GPs in iPads works fine.

I like Pooleys due good pricing. It really is a price thing as most online guys you will never see their customer service. But I have been happy with them.

If you have sweaty palms you are holding the yoke incorrectly. Palms have nothing to do with it.

EGTK Oxford

Welcome to EuroGA, StumblingTrout

Sweaty palms are going to be a bigger problem in some GA type in got weather, but really the main thing is to fly with just a couple of fingers on the yoke, and using the trim correctly. In the longer run, you will use an autopilot if you have one

Regarding getting the 3G/4G version of the tablet, this can lead to the question of whether to get a SIM card for it too, otherwise you have to tether it to your phone to acquire wx and notams etc. If you go down that route, you have to choose between a prepaid SIM (which in the UK mostly expires after 3 months of non-use) and a contract SIM… Make sure you can tether your phone to the tablet for internet use (some phones block it) because all the current tablet moving map products use internet access for preflight briefings.

There is an AKG headset review here. It does sound like it has a high clamping force, and that’s true for most headsets out there except the Bose.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

StumblingTrout wrote:

1) Headsets. I want something decent, many I know have the Bose A20 but something is drawing me to the Lightspeed PFX. Same price as the A20’s – does anyone have any experience with them? I know there is a school of thought that says buy something cheap when starting out, but I’d like something comfortable and that gives the best protection to my ears so I don’t mind spending money here – if it doesn’t work out they’ll eBay fairly successfully I’m sure.

Don’t buy anything cheap, go for a good headset in the very beginning. You will fly with it for years and will be glad you got it. I personally fly with the Bose A20 although I also have a Phonak FreeCom 7100. Both have noise cancelling but I find the Phonak’s microphone too loose, so it moves away from my mouth and I have to constantly adjust it. Also the Bose has bluetooth and I’ve already used it in flight once to change my slot time, which was much better than trying directly with the phone.

StumblingTrout wrote:

2) Kneeboards. Looking for something that will take an iPad mini as well as a notepad – any recommendations?

You probably won’t find one kneeboard for both. I have my iPad on one leg, the kneeboard on the other and can use them simultaneously. If you adopt a similar strategy, you will need two as well.

StumblingTrout wrote:

4) I find my palms get very sweaty when holding the yoke which in turn makes it difficult to grip. Does anyone else suffer the same problem, gloves a solution?

I also think it’s your position and maybe your state of mind. With more experience you will become more relaxed and that should go away.

StumblingTrout wrote:

6) Any worthwhile bits worth buying from experience? Things worth having on me when flying?

What makes me feel safer is a second headset (if flying with passengers it could be the one the passenger next to me has; change in case of a problem), a handheld radio (although range is not that good but still you have some backup), an oximeter if you fly high, a reflective vest (required at some airports), a torch, paper handkerchiefs (for oil check as well), a watch with big digits, including seconds and at least a timer.

StumblingTrout wrote:

7) My iPad doesn’t have GPS as it’s not the cellular version. Recommendations for an external GPS – or is it worth upgrading to the LTE iPad that has GPS built in. Articles online suggest that the internal GPS can drop in and out when flying.

I try to keep as few cables and devices as possible around, so I would strongly suggest to sell your current iPad and buy one with a GPS module.

Last Edited by Vladimir at 22 Aug 07:56
LSZH, LSZF, Switzerland
Sweaty palms are going to be a bigger problem in some GA type in got weather, but really the main thing is to fly with just a couple of fingers on the yoke, and using the trim correctly. In the longer run, you will use an autopilot if you have one

All newbies tend to over-control, that is natural. As your neural connections develop, you will lose this habit and eventually controll the yoke with 2 fingers. Remember when you got your driving license, how much concentration and effort you required and now you drive with your feet out of the window, one finger on the wheel, texting on your phone, singing to a radio song and still feeling bored. Minus the feet out of the window — this is how I fly nowadays

Noe wrote:

Trim better. Periodically release the controls for at least a couple of seconds and see if the horizon “moves”

And get used to holding the yoke with only two or three fingers and do only small adjustments. You will find your flying will be better.

LFPT, LFPN
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