An iPad or other tablet is pretty much a requirement for modern pilots. The amount of information it provides is indispensable whether you’re doing some work in the pattern or blasting off on a cross country flight. But how do you keep your tablet visible and useful in the cockpit? MyGoFlight offers a variety of mounting options for their tablet mounting system, one of which is their glare shield mount.
The concept is pretty simple. Most aircraft have a glare shield that runs along the top of the instrument panel and keeps the glare from ruining your view of your instruments. If you’re looking for a position to mount your tablet where it will be visible, useful, and not go anywhere, then this glare shield seems like a pretty good option.
I’ve had two versions of this mount so far. Originally the attachment system was completely made from plastic and it wasn’t sturdy enough to keep the tablet mounted correctly. The latest version fixes this by using an aluminum mounting system instead. For those using things like their kneeboard sport case the mount snaps easily into place and holds on securely. It’s also more compact and looks better with the lime green accents.
The mount uses a claw to attach to whatever you want to mount your iPad on. The inside of the claw has some rubber material to improve the grip, and there’s a cam on the screw mechanism to get that little bit of extra pressure when attaching it to your mounting location.
Something to consider before you drop the cash on this mount is exactly where you intend to attach it in the airplane. Some places won’t work very well, like the glare shield of this Cessna 172R. The glare shield is simply too squishy and too flexible to provide a solid mounting location. On the other hand the glare shield of my old Piper Cherokee was perfect, thin enough to allow the gripper to work and rigid enough to keep the iPad from bouncing all over the place.
Things that work well: thin glare shields, fixed pipes, and certain rigid tubes. If you’re in a Piper Cub you’re probably in a target rich environment for places to attach this thing securely. Otherwise make sure to check your plane before pushing the purchase button.
It works exactly as advertised, and it does the job exceptionally well. I really like the tablet mounts that MyGoFlight have created and the mounting ecosystem they have designed around those cases work exceptionally well for the use cases for which they were designed. Just make sure you buy one that will work in your intended aircraft.
MyGoFlight Sport Mount Glare Shield Flex Mount
Price: ~$144 (MyGoFlight)
Overall: * * * * (4/5)
Here’s the caveat: know what you’re doing before you order. It doesn’t work on every glare shield, but if you have a spot that works for you then this might be exactly what you need.