Last week I gave a presentation at the Sun ‘n Fun Fly-in in Lakeland, Florida, on the topic of Flying with the iPad. While I knew it was a popular device among pilots, the turnout at the event really surprised me – people packed in, and were even willing to sit on a cold tile floor to learn about the latest tips & tricks, apps and accessories.

I’ve been using the iPad as an integral part of my flying since the day it came out, and really feel it is a great fit in the cockpit. The biggest benefit is that I can now keep all my VFR & IFR charts stored electronically in a single location, and not lug around pounds of sectionals & instrument approach chart books. When flying under FAR Part 91, the kind we all do as student and private pilots, relying on a computer for electronic charts is completely legal (refer to Advisory Circular 91-78 for more information).

As a student pilot though, I would not recommend jumping full speed ahead and using the iPad as the sole source of charts during flight training. First, you’ll want to learn the fundamentals of flight planning using dead reckoning and pilotage – and that involves unfolding the paper sectional, charting a course with plotters, pens and highlighters, and labeling waypoints on the chart. Once you learn these critical skills and move past the required cross-countries using paper sectional charts, then slowly transition to electronic charts with the help of your flight instructor.

With that being said, there are numerous other features you can use your iPad for at the start of your flight training:

• Keep organized copies of the free FAA Publications & Handbooks on the iPad using the iBooks app. Many pilots don’t realize that all the FAA Pubs & Books are available free on the FAA’s website in PDF format. Download these and sync them into the iBooks app on your iPad. A few examples are the Airplane Flying Handbook, Private Pilot Practical Test Standards (PTS), Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM), and many more.

• Create custom weight & balance spreadsheets using the Numbers app. Apple sells an app very similar to Microsoft Excel called Numbers. Using simple formulas, you can create a custom weight & balance sheet that will allow you to quickly enter weights, and have it calculate the total weight, CG & moment for your flight training airplane.

• Keep electronic copies of the Pilot Information Manual handy in iBooks. Both Cirrus and Cessna make free PDF versions available on their websites. The best part is the search feature in iBooks. Want to quickly find more information on the fuel system? A quick search will get you to the correct page in seconds.

• Use the Sporty's E6B Flight Computer app. This E6B app contains 23 functions to help with all your flight planning, weight & balance, crosswind analysis and fuel planning requirements. And a built-in timer well be of great assistance during your cross-countries. Remember though this is not approved for use on your FAA knowledge test.

• Download Checklist apps from the iTunes app store. You can then customize these to your particular aircraft and flight school procedures. Make sure to check with your flight school and instructor before modifying any ‘official’ checklist that your school uses.

• File VFR Flight Plans and get Weather Briefings with navigation planning apps. A great app called ForeFlight Mobile 3 HD provides many useful features for pilots, and allows you to get FAA approved weather briefings through DUATS and file VFR flight plans. It will also provide you with electronic charts when you’re ready to move to that phase.

• Take advantage of Multimedia Home Study Courses on your iPad. Sporty’s Private Pilot Flight Training Mobile Course works great on the iPad, and provides over 13 hours of engaging video and animations to help with your training when not at the airport (make sure to include the "mobile upgrade"). Also, Sporty’s Study Buddy app will help you ace the knowledge test by allowing you to study sample questions, and take simulated practice tests.

The best part is that all these resources are on one very portable device, and most likely always with you. And the great battery life of the iPad means you won't find yourself charging it every night.

Last, here’s a link to the page where you can download the PowerPoint slides from the Sun ‘n Fun iPad presentation: Flying with the iPad Slides. There you’ll find more information on how to preflight the iPad, along with tips & tricks for making the most of it in the airplane.

My biggest advice for pilots, though, is to not bring any electronic resource into the cockpit until you’re completely comfortable with everything else involved with flying an airplane. And this time might not come until many hours after your FAA checkride.