UPDATE in OP - iPad newbie ISO your app and other recs

I don’t know if the new iPads have a headphone jack or not. If not, you can get a lightning port (charging hole) plug that has a headphone jack and use corded headphones/earbuds. Bluetooth drains your battery fast and ime AirPods are over rated and expensive.

I’ve been playing Woodoku.

Which airline are you flying with?

Air Canada has free wifi in-flight if you are an Areoplan member.  Easy to get.  Find out what aircraft you are on.
I watched Oppenheimer last Sunday flying home from Fort Lauderdale to Toronto.

I agree with wireless buds.

When I fly, I listen to music. I have Air Pods but they hurt my ears, so I recently got Bose BT noise canceling headphones (because I couldn't reconcile paying nearly twice as much for aesthetics of the Apple ones) The Bose sync so easily with my iPad and iPhone. Agree with BT. Wires are a PIA on a plane.

My iPad is my constant companion and I won’t ever travel without it. You can use any brand of wireless headphones or earbuds. I have multiple sets at various price points (mostly obtained in $9.99 Bags of Crap from Woot!) and they all work great. Make sure you pack a charger with a wall brick for not only your iPad but for your earbuds too. A lot of devices today don’t come with the brick anymore, just a USB cable.

Downloaded movies and tv shows are great airplane time wasters, but don’t write off digital books, magazines or music that you can download before heading to the airport too. Games are another good option, look for the ones that don’t require an internet connection to play. I’ve been playing BubbleCloud again but I’ve also liked playing word games or jigsaw or puzzle type games.

Sometimes when traveling there are helpful apps you can use once you’re at your destination (Disney parks apps come immediately to mind, but also some cruise ships, other theme parks, shopping malls and maybe national parks have apps with maps, information, etc.). Download those apps BEFORE you leave and while you are connected to power. Don’t plan on being able to do that on the go. Nothing is worse than trying to frantically download some travel app when you’re stuck in a place with a crappy or nonexistent wifi connection or an almost dead device battery and nowhere to plug in a charger.

If you are artistic and have an Apple Pencil, art apps are great too. I particularly love Procreate for that but there are a bunch of coloring apps too that could be kind of relaxing and fun.

ETA: I have a set of Soundcore Liberty Pro wireless noise cancelling earbuds that are every bit as good as my DD’s $200 AirPod Pros and they were nowhere near that price.

Oh, one other thing about earbuds vs headphones…you can’t lose a headphone down into the cracks around the airplane seat. My one fear about using earbuds on a plane is that they’ll fall out and I’ll lose them forever to the airplane seat. I can fall asleep with my headphones on knowing I won’t lose it.

I love my iPad! But not for reading—the glare really gets to my eyes when reading. I much prefer my Kindle Paperwhite and it’s worth traveling with both, imo. 

I also agree about the AirPods…I much prefer my wireless headphones (I also have Bose). I think my ears are just too dainty and delicate for AirPods. They hurt and fall out all of the time.

Air Pod Pros, with the appropriate fitting silicone tip, won't fall out. I fall asleep with mine in every night and there are still there when I wake up.

I found the original Air Pods incredibly painful to wear, but the Pros with the smallest available tip are great. The noise reduction feature on the 2nd gen pros is amazing for planes.

I like to listen to books or my podcasts when cleaning the house (or my continual unpacking) every single day. I bought these wireless ones last year and they are so much better than any of my previous purchases. They hold a charge for almost a full day and the little charging box can go with you for recharging for several days without needing to be recharged. But most importantly, do not fall out of your ears due to the soft bit that goes around your ear like a pair of glasses. I have a small ear opening and so many kinds of earphones either hurt my ears or fall out when I am walking around. This brand doesn’t hurt, doesn’t fall out, and is only $24 right now! They are so comfortable that I forget that I have them on. I once got into the shower before realizing I still had them on. Fortunately, it wasn’t a hair washing day so they didn’t get wet before I realized they were still on!

www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C7CQZYCG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1