14 DAY TRIAL // Alaska Airlines and American Airlines have received approval from the Federal Aviation Association to replace 40-pound heavy flight manuals with 1.5 pounds of iPad goodness.
Softpedia reported in May tht Alaska Airlines had already received F.A.A. approval to allow its pilots to consult digital flight, systems and performance manuals on the iPad.
The move reportedly cut some 25 pounds of paper from each flight bag.
“The iPad allows pilots to quickly and nimbly access information,” said Jim Freeman, a pilot and director of flight standards at Alaska Airlines. “When you need to a make a decision in the cockpit, three to four minutes fumbling with paper is an eternity.”
Now, the New York Times reports that American Airlines won F.A.A. approval last month.
Its pilots are to use the iPad to read aeronautical charts. The iPad is also expected to cut medical costs for any injuries or damage associated with pilots lifting heavy bags.
“Cockpits are small, and lifting that thing up and over your seat causes damage, particularly when you consider a lot of pilots are over 40.”
According to the NY Times report, these bags can be as heavy as 40 pounds.
The F.A.A. also said pilots would not have to turn off the device as the planes take off or land.
The Association has found that Apple’s post PC device does not impair the functioning of onboard electronics.
However, Alaska Airlines pilots will still have to put away their iPads during critical phases of the flight, just like the passengers.
John W. McGraw, the F.A.A.’s deputy director of flight standards, said that “Each airline must submit a unique proposal on how they want to use the iPad and prove that both the device and software application are safe and effective for that proposed use.”