Commercial airlines look to Apple's iPad for paperless cockpits

Commercial airlines look to Apple's iPad for paperless cockpits
AppleInsider | Commercial airlines look to Apple's iPad for paperless cockpits

With the Federal Aviation Administration granting early approval for the use of the iPad in airplane cockpits, major commercial airline companies like Delta are exploring the possibility of using Apple's touchscreen tablet to ditch paper maps entirely.

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This could make my job allot easier.

Last week I asked a friend who recently got his flight license about the FAA-approved app for the iPad and he said they were already all digital in his cockpit. His GPS flight unit has all his maps in it.

This is going to sound a bit absurd, especially coming from a guy who loves all things tech, but... I get scared when I read about things like this. I like knowing that there is a certain level of "security" from keeping proven working things around. For instance... Pen and paper. I have everything available at my disposal tech wise which I could use to take notes, and back those things up in various locations. But still, I like to keep stuff written down, as well.

I like paper books. I like physical road maps as a backup to gps. I like vinyl and CD's. The list could go on and on in the same context. Don't get me wrong, I think that it's important that aviators should be able to have their work made easier since they have to spend so much time in those cramped cabins.. but I just hope that the FAA doesn't seek to totally abandon time proven and tested tools such as physical charts and maps for the simple fact that while technology can make our lives easier, it can also:

Physically fail for various reasons
Make us lazy beyond belief
cost us more money to maintain and run. Granted, the money thing is the least important since we need to fuel technology in order to progress (IMO) as a race. I'm babbling. Tired.

Doug

Doug b said:

This is going to sound a bit absurd, especially coming from a guy who loves all things tech, but... I get scared when I read about things like this. I like knowing that there is a certain level of "security" from keeping proven working things around. For instance... Pen and paper. I have everything available at my disposal tech wise which I could use to take notes, and back those things up in various locations. But still, I like to keep stuff written down, as well.

I like paper books. I like physical road maps as a backup to gps. I like vinyl and CD's. The list could go on and on in the same context. Don't get me wrong, I think that it's important that aviators should be able to have their work made easier since they have to spend so much time in those cramped cabins.. but I just hope that the FAA doesn't seek to totally abandon time proven and tested tools such as physical charts and maps for the simple fact that while technology can make our lives easier, it can also:

Physically fail for various reasons
Make us lazy beyond belief
cost us more money to maintain and run. Granted, the money thing is the least important since we need to fuel technology in order to progress (IMO) as a race. I'm babbling. Tired.

Doug

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I agree, slowly but surely, we will see the prices of plane tickets rise, so the airlines can pay for the new iPads. There is a few risks that come with the iPad, but there are also benefits. Like saving tree's.

But at the same time, it is cool that Apple technology is creeping into are life more and more. (Not like it already is.)

- Kyle

Doug b said:

...since they have to spend so much time in those cramped cabins...

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I think you may rather be missing the point here Doug. As pilots, we manually update our documents (literally 1000's of pages over a year) every 28 days. I'm talking pages of paper that have to be manually sorted into their correct location within the overall document... a system fraught with the potential for error, with potentially catastrophic results. Imagine the case of searching for information needed "right this second" on a page inadvertently mis-filed... admittedly, a relatively low potential, but a potential none the less. Further the mass of the updates alone is best measured in Kg's per annum, not to mention the inconvenient weight and dimensions of the updated documents -and the time spent making manual revisions!

Aviation as an industry is (has been) frequently a driver of technological advance, particularly in reference to it's own needs. The development of GPS is a prime example -although it's wider adoption and approval by the regulatory authorities has been mired in a nonsensical bog of regulatory red-tape and political correctness. That has to an extent been mitigated by the sheer availability of very competent receivers and swift adoption by the grass-roots aviation users.

So too with the iPad in the cockpit. I personally do not have one -although I have many aviation apps already on the iPhone 4 I purchased just 5 days ago. I'm astounded by the range of apps available -not to mention the quality and usability of those apps! The iPhone is already the hardest working item of technology I own! For the reasons outlined above, I can see that the iPad has an appropriate and useful place in the wider aviation environment, and certainly within the cockpit!!!

You can be assured that the regulators world-wide (and most pilots too) tend to take a very "belt and braces" approach to their activities. On that basis alone you can be assured the iPad would never be a "stand-alone" system of information provision within an active aviation environment. The backups could include additional iPads (!), laptop computers, on-board hard-wired Flight Management Systems (FMS) and appropriate power systems -or even those trusty, crusty old mark 1, mod zero paper documents we all love to hate.

Really good info there RS. And hey, I'm not against you here. I thought that was clear. I obviously don't know the intricate details that go into what you guys do on a daily basis, and appreciate you taking the time to point out a few of those things. It was silly of me to imply that backup resources wouldn't be readily available.

Doug.

Yeah, it was clear you support the technological advance Doug b, apologies if it appeared I was hopping on you

You provided an interesting perspective and insight for me (as a pilot) into an "outsiders" perspective of both our work practices and environment! I hope my few words have provided some perspective from "the other side of the fence"! What I forgot to mention earlier is, all those documents we update are -for the most part- paid for out of the pilot's pocket, as is the not inconsiderable expense of the annual update service. Further, any time spent updating the documents is on your own time also. Those may seem like minor considerations, given the widely-held belief that pilots are paid CEO-size fortunes... regrettably, the simple truth and reality is that the spotty 16 year-old serving me a burger at Macca's on the way home is most likely earning better money over the year than I am.

Having said that (and yes, it is a hard, verifiable fact), that wee cramped cabin I spend so much time in is where I chose to spend my days, a long time ago. It's not a decision I have ever had cause to regret, despite the massive erosion in working conditions and remuneration over the years, and sometimes lengthy periods of unemployment. I work with a brilliant crew of people who, like me, are there because it's their passion; the view from my "office" window is unparalleled -as it is ever-changing; I meet people from all walks of life and every country of the planet personally, on a daily basis...

Would I change career paths? Not in a million years! Would I do it again, could I have my time again? Without hesitation Would I recommend my children embark on the same path? Hmmm... much as I would like that to be an unequivocal "yes", in honesty I can't. I would encourage them to a trade or other professional qualification first, then encourage them to aviation as a hobby or 2nd career with their original career path as a solid backup.

Life's what you make it. I love my profession

Take care man

roflitskyle said:

I agree, slowly but surely, we will see the prices of plane tickets rise, so the airlines can pay for the new iPads. There is a few risks that come with the iPad, but there are also benefits. Like saving tree's.

But at the same time, it is cool that Apple technology is creeping into are life more and more. (Not like it already is.)

- Kyle

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the stuff required to make the ipad is worse than the stuff saved by not printing the maps. Plus I'd be worried about if the ipad runs out of battery or doesnt work.