PhoneArena is looking for new authors! To view all available positions, click here.

Phone Links

more » more »
  • Home
  • ›
  • News
  • ›
  • American Airlines gets FAA approval to replace charts and manuals with the Apple iPad

American Airlines gets FAA approval to replace charts and manuals with the Apple iPad

Posted: , by Alan F.

Categories:

Share:

Discuss 8
American Airlines gets FAA approval to replace charts and manuals with the Apple iPad
The next time Alec Baldwin is on a long flight on American Airlines and starts jonesing for some Words With Friends game play, he could walk into the cockpit and see if any of the flight crew will lend him an Apple iPad to use. While a passenger like Mr. Baldwin, no matter how rich and famous he is, cannot turn on his mobile device during the flight for fear of interfering with the plan's avionics, the FAA has just ruled that American Airlines can replace the flight manuals and navigational charts on flights with the Apple iPad.

The manuals and charts being replaced are what you normally see pilots carrying around in their satchel. Replacing them with the Apple iPad would amount to such a large difference in weight that American Airlines will save $1.2 million a year in jet fuel costs. American is the only airline that has approval to make the switch and the iPad is the only tablet allowed to be used inside the cockpit during a flight.

The FAA is allowing the Apple iPad to replace paper charts and manuals on American Airlines

The FAA is allowing the Apple iPad to replace paper charts and manuals on American Airlines

The program started last year when American Airlines and UAL were to test out the program to replace the bulky manuals with the sleek tablet. The test was later expanded on American to cover all aspects of a commercial flight. The iPads are loaded with a special app approved by the FAA called the iPad electronic flight bag which replaces all of the flight charts and manuals usually used by pilots for navigation and other important functions.

The program will start on American Airlines' fleet of 777 aircraft and will roll out to the rest of the airline's fleet by the end of the year. By next year, American Airlines hopes to have stopped the paper revisions of navigational charts and flight manuals.
"With this approval from the FAA, we will be able to use iPad to fully realize the benefits of our Electronic Flight Bag program, including improving the work environment for our pilots, reducing our dependency on paper products and increasing fuel efficiency on our planes."-Captain John Hale, American Airlines vice president

source: electronista

Share:

Discuss8

8 Comments

  • Options
    Close




Want to comment? Please login or register.

1. wendygarett (limited) 5 days ago posted on 11 Sep 2012, 01:14 1 5

I'm glad those pilots are not fandroids :D

Reply

6. SuperAndroidEvo posted on 11 Sep 2012, 12:34

You know what is going to happen right? A pilot is going to crash a plane because he is too busy playing Angry Birds than actually flying.

I don't know if it's a good Idea to use any tablet. I don't care if it's an Apple iPad or an Android tablet.

Stay tuned, some pilot will mess up.

Reply

7. downphoenix posted on 11 Sep 2012, 14:35

Maybe if it was a tablet that was specifically designed for their jobs. That would rule out Ipads since they can't be restricted in this manner. An android tablet could, due to its open platform, ironically can be restricted for this type of use better than an ipad.

Reply

2. hosker (unregistered) posted on 11 Sep 2012, 01:34 1 1

Fandroids attack!!!!!
Bring your notes, your 1,2,3,
The beans,the widgets...I want this ipad to LAG like theres no tomorrow.

Reply

3. plgladio posted on 11 Sep 2012, 01:52

Its AA wish to chose the tablet, they are ready for iPad same like their country. Fandroids will wait for other airlines running out there apart from AA.

Reply

4. khonhe posted on 11 Sep 2012, 01:53

Apple iPad not to buy one tablet

Reply

5. android_hitman posted on 11 Sep 2012, 02:38

this is pretty stupid actually ...

Reply

8. zibbyzib2000 posted on 11 Sep 2012, 15:13

So how much do these flight manuals actually weigh if they are gonna save 1.2 million dollars a year???

Reply

Want to comment? Please login or register.

Hot Phones

  • Samsung Galaxy S4Samsung Galaxy S4
  • Apple iPhone 5Apple iPhone 5
  • Samsung GALAXY Note IISamsung GALAXY Note II
  • HTC OneHTC One
  • Sony Xperia ZSony Xperia Z
  • Google Nexus 4Google Nexus 4
  • LG Optimus GLG Optimus G
  • Nokia Lumia 920Nokia Lumia 920