The question of whether a cellular-equipped iPad is necessary for flight training, versus a Wi-Fi-only model, is a recurring one among student pilots and flight instructors, and the short answer for most training environments is that Wi-Fi-only will suffice. The primary use cases for an iPad in the cockpit during primary training are electronic flight bag (EFB) applications such as ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot, or FltPlan Go, which require georeferenced charts, weather data, and TFR information to be downloaded before flight. These apps are designed to work offline once the relevant data packages are cached, meaning the aircraft does not need an active internet connection in flight to display moving-map position, approach plates, or airport diagrams. The GPS positioning that drives the "own-ship" blue dot on the moving map comes from the iPad's internal GPS chip (present on cellular models) or an external Bluetooth GPS puck, not from the cellular data connection itself. This is the source of confusion: cellular iPads include a built-in GPS receiver as standard hardware, while Wi-Fi-only iPads do not, so the real question isn't about connectivity at all, it's about whether the device has a GPS chip.
For a Wi-Fi-only iPad to function as a capable EFB with accurate ownship positioning, the pilot needs an external GPS source. This is commonly solved with a portable Bluetooth GPS receiver (such as a Garmin GLO 2 or Bad Elf), or by pairing the iPad with an ADS-B In receiver that also broadcasts GPS position and weather/traffic data, such as a Sentry, Stratus, or similar device. Many flight schools and CFIs already equip their aircraft with panel-mounted ADS-B receivers or provide portable units, in which case a Wi-Fi iPad works identically to a cellular one for in-flight navigation purposes. Absent an external GPS source, a Wi-Fi-only iPad will still display charts and can be used for ground planning, weight and balance, logbook entry, and reviewing weather before the flight, but it will not show real-time position on the moving map in flight, which is a meaningful limitation for cross-country training and instrument work.
For working pilots and flight training organizations, this distinction matters because EFB reliability and situational awareness tools are now baked into ACS standards and everyday flying practice, not a luxury add-on. Instructors increasingly expect students to demonstrate proficiency with EFB weather briefings, TFR awareness, and moving-map orientation as part of scenario-based training, and an iPad that can't self-locate undermines that training value. At the same time, purchasing a cellular iPad purely for the built-in GPS is often more expensive than buying a Wi-Fi model plus a dedicated Bluetooth GPS/ADS-B receiver, and the latter option frequently delivers better GPS accuracy, weather via ADS-B, and traffic display, none of which a cellular data plan alone provides. Notably, activating an actual cellular data plan is rarely necessary in flight since data connectivity in the air is unreliable at altitude anyway.
This question reflects a broader trend in general aviation training toward EFB-centric cockpits, where paper charts have been almost entirely displaced by tablet-based systems, and where the underlying hardware ecosystem (GPS accessories, ADS-B receivers, app subscriptions) has become as important a purchasing decision as the tablet itself. Flight schools, part-135 operators, and even airline pilots using EFBs for personal charts face similar considerations regarding redundancy, battery management, and backup GPS sources, since FAA guidance and company SOPs increasingly assume a functioning EFB is part of the standard operating picture rather than a backup to paper. For a student pilot, the practical recommendation is to buy the cheaper Wi-Fi iPad and pair it with a portable ADS-B/GPS receiver, which delivers equal or better capability than a cellular model at a lower total cost, while also introducing the student to the ADS-B-integrated workflow they will likely use throughout their flying career.