[Archived]

I found that having my iPad velcroed on my steering wheel is easier and safer to use for navigation than if it were on my dash. Both require some driver input, but a brief look down is easier than fooling with something on the dash. Strategic placement still allows me to get to the horn and yet see the dash instruments. I will use it for other travel apps, ie, Trucker Tools, iExit, BeatTheTraffic. Just don’t allow it to be a distractor.

A few more things to add to Liam’s ideas: PDA monitoring of alarms, shore power cutoff, generator startup, cabin and bay temperature. Probably many others.

Kevin

[Archived]

Kevin,

You may want to explain PDA to Jon, he still has a flip phone!

[Terry]

Since I must maintain my status as the resident curmudgeon I will opine that “stuff” is good to have, but keep things in perspective.

When you sit behind the steering wheel you are responsible, first and foremost, for driving. Everything else you do, including looking at the dash, is secondary.

At another time in my life I had a neat plane with a lot of bells and whistles. One of the displays showed engine data. It displayed information about each cylinder and it did not take long before I recognized that as soon as one cylinder reading departed from normal it was very hard to ignore that display. My point is we are easily distracted from our primary task so be very cautious about what devices you use from the driver’s seat because they take your attention away from the real reason you are behind the wheel.

When my recent CAC failure showed up we were on our Maine lobster trip. Having learned as a pilot to focus on the primary job at hand (driving) I let Di have the Nexiq data reader and she could scan the data and tell me about it rather than if I tried to prop it on the dash so I could try to read it while avoiding the drivers that are out to get me.

Unless you can develop the discipline to ignore all distractions and focus on driving I would urge you clear the driver’s area of anything you can look at, play with. or use to control anything other than the bus.

I not only have a rotary dial on my cell phone, I don’t even turn it on while driving. We have a phone system dedicated to the coach, but if it rings I cannot even reach it from the driver’s seat. Less is more.

[Mark]

Getting old,

Only one way to get there, making choices with risk and reward. When we travel I use the old chart book that was the way we traveled years ago.

The evening before or the morning our chart is on the galley table. Making my choice on which way to go, mileage limit for the day, traffic through congested areas, weather, preferred over night stops. All of this will be the plan for the travel day.

My co-pilot will then use the fancy new latest and greatest tracking our route with suggestions. I do like the part in the electronic trip information where it shows construction areas. That information long before being in that area does influence route changes.

On our second to last trip while traveling 65 mph I was passed by an 18 wheeler. Seeing the driver with a hand held something and both hands on it meant he was driving hands free or using his knees. Just one question ….What if.

[Archived]

I use my ipad Mini attached to the yoke of the King Air I fly, which is a back up to charts, and Geo referenced approach plates, and all airport IFR info, and, a great scratch pad.

In the bus, I sit the same ipad on the dash pad on the left side, and it leans up against the windshield pillar. It doesn’t move, since it has a Otter Box case, which is a cover which doesn’t slide around.

I hand it to my wife to type in where we are going (if we don’t know), and then use it as a Nav source with real time radar as well.

I hand it to my wife, Because, as Jon said, the main thing is to “drive the bus”.

In the air, it’s “fly the airplane”…………which is much easier than in the bus.

The apps on the ipad for Love’s, and other truck stops, as well as campgrounds, all integrated with the Google map app, works very well while traveling.

[Peter]

Ditto on the plane being easier to fly than the bus is to drive.

Flying in the lee of Lake Erie out of Jamestown NY I had a lot of time on instruments and I felt a whole lot more relaxed even when the weather was at minimums than I do when I share the road with people that seem like they are out to get me.

[Clifford]

I agree Jon, Low IFR is way easier than driving a bus through downtown Atlanta!

[Archived]

The HOV lanes are my path of choice through ATL.