This makes a big difference, especially on IFR en route charts, which are mostly white.įoreFlight’s Aeronautical Maps layer also offers a Dark Map Theme (enabled from the Map Settings) that will activate a dark blue map background that’s easier on the eyes at night. Just make sure that when you open ForeFlight again the next day to bring this back up again for normal viewing. Directly under this control is an option to invert chart colors, which will provide a dark view for sectional and en route charts. This works in conjunction with the iOS screen brightness setting but allows you to dim the screen even more. On the Maps screen, tap the Settings button (gear shape) at the top, and adjust the slider labeled Screen Brightness. Fortunately, most apps provide options for night (or dark) modes, along with a setting that allows you to dim the screen even further to a level that’s easier on the eyes: In-app screen dimming. In our experience even the lowest screen brightness setting can still be too bright once your eyes adjust to low light at night, especially when viewing the congested yellow areas of a sectional or a bright white instrument approach chart. You can also set this feature to come on automatically based on time of day (this can be adjusted by tapping the Options menu underneath it).ģ. This can make a big difference at night, cutting down on a lot of night vision-destroying light. from here, you can change the Appearance setting from Light to Dark, which will make most background and menu colors black instead of light gray. After setting the screen brightness to the lowest value, go into the main iPad settings and choose Display & Brightness. To adjust this, bring up the iPad’s Control Center by sliding your finger down from the top right corner of the screen and use the brightness slider.Ģ. That way the screen won’t come on at full brightness when you turn it on for the first time in the airplane and ruin your night vision. Here are some things to consider the next time you go flying at night with your iPad.ġ. Dim the iPad screen. Before heading out to the dark cockpit, make a point to set the iPad’s screen brightness control to the lowest possible setting. While you’ll still need a flashlight for preflight and as a backup lighting source ( we really like this one by the way), the days of holding a mini-Maglite in your mouth and shining it down on a paper sectional are gone thanks to the iPad’s backlit screen.īut just because the iPad solves part of the night lighting equation doesn’t mean you can just hop in the airplane and start using it the same way you do during the day. But there are some real advantages to flying after sunset, including smoother rides and less traffic. Before the iPad, we relied on flashlights and other gadgets to light up the cockpit and view charts in the dark. For most general aviation pilots flying at night is a pretty rare event, making up less than 10% of hours logged.

Justin time pilot