I've been surfing various blogs on OSH 365 today and tripped over this one, which is yet another attempted "food fight" started by Bill. Bill, keep up the good work, this is a fun topic! Here's my 2 cents for what it's worth. Since it's legal to use electronic devices in place of paper, and it's a lot easier, then we can expect that it will replace paper over time. Given the wide variety of aviators and aircraft along with a wide variety of missions it's fairly clear that some can and do operate using only paper on-board and mostly looking out the window. I'll bet Ron hasn't taken that chart out from under his butt in flight for years. He doesn't need an IPad, he barely needs a com radio! He's flying for fun!!! I bought a "mini" IPad last year and have been using Wings X, I started out just using the moving map page and comparing it to what I saw out the window. You don't have to keep your eyes glued to the screen to hold a heading, you can find a spot out in front of the windshield to fly toward and then just check the moving map like you would a heading indicator or compass...it's not a big distraction. Most of my flying is like Ron's and I have lakes, towns, railroad tracks, and such that aren't going to disappear if the battery goes dead. The IPad battery has a 10hr charge and the IPad has a small "battery %" window in the upper left corner of the screen so you know how much time you've got b/4 you go flying. I have slowly gained confidence in the device and my ability to use it, I have taken it on several X-country flights and it really improves my situational awareness. I tend to stay ahead of the airplane better, and it allows me to look out the window for the shear pleasure of it. I did experience a "black screen" last July while parked on a ramp in Indiana with temps in the 90's. I put the IPad in the FBO's refrigerator for about 10 minutes and it came back to life b/4 I took-off. It was a good lesson, now I take it with me when I leave the plane, end of problem. I tend to agree with Jim Hardin that the problems you state are more in the mind then real. Bill, if your interested check-out Austin Meyers "Xavion" video just Google "Xavion" and see where this stuff is going!!

Joe