iPad overheat with Foreflight

[Birdseyeview]

I've been using an iPad mini (generation 2) with Foreflight installed in a Guardian flush mount tray in my instrument panel. This tray also has a small air cooling fan that blows cooling air onto the back surface of the iPad. When I'm flying with the iPad charger plugged in the iPad gets hot and I get the warning to shut it down typically 15-20 minutes after the flight starts. When I fly without the charger plugged in the overtemp never seems to happen but the battery loses half its charge within 2 hours of flight. I've done some of the things suggested on the internet to reduce the heat build up in the iPad, such as: close down all iPad apps not needed to run Foreflight; shut off background app refresh on the iPad; I installed a larger cooling air fan then the one that came with the Guardian iPad tray; I try to never let the iPad sit in direct sun. I don't know if a newer generation iPad will run cooler or not but I hate to buy one and find out it doesn't improve the issue. I'm also planning to purchase a charger (cigarette lighter to USB adapter) with less current capability that won't charge the iPad as quickly and I'm hoping that it will cool things down, even if it doesn't fully recharge the iPad in flight.

Has anyone out there had similar iPad overheat issues and reduced or solved it somehow?

[Shadowrider]

If mine sits in the sun or I am flying with direct sunlight on it, it would overheat. One thing to try is keep it fully charged before flying. I go to settings, general, and all the way to the bottom to shutdown. Shut the ipad down after flying so it wont drain your battery for your next flight that will require it to be charged. I also 3d printed a part and used air off the naca that keeps is cool also. Not sure if it has more airflow than the fan from gaurdian? Try flying with it fully charged before you fly and see if that helps?

[jrevens]

Larry,
Have you considered having the battery replaced in your iPad? You can do it yourself pretty cheaply but it’s a little tricky. Apple charges around $100. You might find that your battery has lost quite a bit of its capacity & a new one will last quite a bit longer without charging. I used to have a Gen. 4 that the battery had lost a lot of its capacity. I now have a Gen. 6 mini that I can charge while flying, but it isn’t on the panel (sits on the seat next to me in its case) and it hasn’t overheated once yet (i.e. to OSH & back to Denver). Overheating is definitely a weakness in the iPad design, IMHO.

[Birdseyeview]

John,

Although I don't know this for sure my sense is that my older iPad is just not very efficient when it comes to running a power hungry program like Foreflight. The vintage microprocessor is probably not as efficient as the newer ones and is overheating since it does get warm, even when its not being charged. Charging it in flight just makes the heat buildup worst. It's interesting to hear that your generation 6 doesn't overheat, even while charging. Do you know the amp capacity of your charger? How much memory did you get?

If I have to put money into a new battery for my old iPad I'd probably just pop for a new iPad altogether. I was just hoping that somebody out there had found a "magic bullet" that would work with my older iPad. The old iPad works great otherwise but I did just notice on Foreflight's website that they are not planning to support operation with iPad generations 1, 2 and 3 much longer.

[PapuaPilot]

That's what happened using Garmin Pilot and my first gen iPad, they said it was no longer being supported. It was getting very slow too. Getting a new iPad is a good idea and don't skimp on memory.

[jrevens]

John,

Although I don't know this for sure my sense is that my older iPad is just not very efficient when it comes to running a power hungry program like Foreflight. The vintage microprocessor is probably not as efficient as the newer ones and is overheating since it does get warm, even when its not being charged. Charging it in flight just makes the heat buildup worst. It's interesting to hear that your generation 6 doesn't overheat, even while charging. Do you know the amp capacity of your charger? How much memory did you get?…

Larry,

My USB charging port is supposedly 2.1 A, and the iPad has 256 GB capacity. 128 GB would have been plenty for me but they don’t offer that on this generation. It jumps from 64 to 256.