American Airlines Receives FAA Approval for iPads in Cockpit

MacRumors · Dec 13, 2011, 02:21 PM

The FAA has granted approval to American Airlines to use the iPad during all phases of flight, according to ZDNet. The first iPad-enabled flights are set to begin Friday on American's Boeing 777 aircraft.

Quote:

On Friday, American Airlines is the first airline in the world to be fully FAA approved to use iPads during all phases of flight. Pilots will use iPads as electronic chart and digital flight manual readers. The airline will begin iPad operations on B-777 aircraft, and then implement across all other fleets. By using electronic charts and manuals, the safety and efficiency on the flight deck is significantly enhanced. Both the iPad I and the iPad II have been approved for use. Other airlines such as United, Alaska, and UPS are also reviewing this potential, but none have been approved to conduct flight operations in all phases of flight except American. This FAA approval cumulates the results from a 6 month test period whereby American flew thousands of hours with iPads to test and evaluate the product.

A number of aviators, including those in the Marine Corps and Alaska Airlines, have begun using iPads to reduce the number of paper maps flight crews must carry and fly with. The switch saves paper, and thus fuel, by reducing the weight of flight bags which can weigh several dozen pounds.

Article Link: American Airlines Receives FAA Approval for iPads in Cockpit

PlaceofDis · Dec 13, 2011, 02:23 PM

this is awesome. as someone who is working on entering the aviation industry, having iPads in the cockpit will only help pilots in so many ways. glad to see it being approved.

*LTD* · Dec 13, 2011, 02:26 PM

Wasn't there someone around here who said these things were just gimmicks?

ritsard · Dec 13, 2011, 02:31 PM

Pilots can now checkin using their favorite social network haha

Drunken Master · Dec 13, 2011, 02:32 PM

As long as they don't play Words with Friends!

(ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻

nagromme · Dec 13, 2011, 02:39 PM

Where can I get that awesome iPad dock that looks like a commercial airplane cockpit?

(P.S. Is that pilot flying in socks? I thought the iPad would allow time for things like shoes.)

Shrink · Dec 13, 2011, 02:40 PM

VERY DANGEROUS!!!

If there is an atomic explosion nearby, the electromagnetic pulse will knock out the iPads and, boy, will they be in trouble then.

Eauboy · Dec 13, 2011, 02:43 PM

I totally did not know that airplanes had tillers.

mp0890 · Dec 13, 2011, 02:43 PM

Great...so I can now use mine during takeoff and landing....right?

Alexs5 · Dec 13, 2011, 02:47 PM

Didn't American Airlines filed for bankruptcy?.... and they can afford ipads? lol

Peace · Dec 13, 2011, 02:47 PM

Cool. They can now navigate the planes to another air carrier since they are going bankrupt.

rickdollar · Dec 13, 2011, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by *LTD*

Wasn't there someone around here who said these things were just gimmicks?

Yeah, you know, gimmicks. Like digital photography.

Darreners · Dec 13, 2011, 02:50 PM

Didn't they just go out of business?

kdarling · 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacRumors

The FAA has granted approval to American Airlines to use the iPad during all phases of flight...

My question is, why was American so cheap the past decade that they had to wait until a less expensive tablet came along.

Military, charter and private pilots have been using EFBs since the mid-1990s, and tablets since about 2000. (I know, because I used one back then for flight planning and charts.)

Quote:

The switch saves paper, and thus fuel, by reducing the weight of flight bags which can weigh several dozen pounds.

Depends on how many backup paper sets they will now keep in the aircraft. And if every pilot only flies planes equipped with an iPad, and is thus able (and willing) to leave his paper behind.

I would also personally note that although it's often boring to keep paper updated, something can be said for being forced to notice that something has changed about an airport you frequent.

PS. I do love the spot they made to mount them!

TheMirrorsTruth · Dec 13, 2011, 03:14 PM

iPod is to CD wallet as iPad is to flight bag (i.e. charts, maps, manuals, etc)

ritsard · Dec 13, 2011, 03:24 PM

I thought the ipad used the flight control app to fly the plane hehe jk

Cereal · Dec 13, 2011, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eauboy

I totally did not know that airplanes had tillers.

You know, I was thinking the same thing but then realized it might be the steering mechanism on large aircraft. A little google search and wala - a steerable nose wheel!

Here's a picture along with the empty space for an iPad.

JonneyGee · Dec 13, 2011, 03:47 PM

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/9A405)

Quote:

Originally Posted by mp0890

Great...so I can now use mine during takeoff and landing....right?

THIS. The pilot can use an iPad whenever but if I pull one out I'm a safety risk? The FAA is so full of it...

morespce54 · Dec 13, 2011, 04:03 PM

[Insert joke about pilots playing "FlightControl" here]

Cjm1 · Dec 13, 2011, 04:07 PM

Didn't they just go bust? and yet there spending thousands on iPads. how people spend there money these days!

People say money is what makes the world go round, but in this day and age its whats stopping it!

*LTD* · Dec 13, 2011, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cjm1

Didn't they just go bust? and yet there spending thousands on iPads. how people spend there money these days!

People say money is what makes the world go round, but in this day and age its whats stopping it!

The full story:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...7AS0T220111130

Not quite "bust", but not quite rosy, either.

kdarling · 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonneyGee

THIS. The pilot can use an iPad whenever but if I pull one out I'm a safety risk? The FAA is so full of it...

This is one specific aircraft model that has been tested with two iPads in known locations.

Another model and/or one with more iPads around, is not the same setup and hasn't been tested.

For example, during recent testing for in-flight WiFi service, it was found that one particular Boeing model's cockpit displays could go blank if the WiFi power cranked up with more users.

That's the kind of situation that the FAA wants to avoid... and as a passenger with my family aboard, so do I.

Edit: I bet they added another item to their preflight checklist: make sure cockpit iPads are in Airplane Mode! No WiFi, no Bluetooth radios.

hortod1 · Dec 13, 2011, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eauboy

I totally did not know that airplanes had tillers.

The tiller is for nose-wheel steering while on the ground during taxi.

hob · Dec 13, 2011, 04:56 PM

Isn't it crazy that it took

to come along with the iPad before air crews through "we could save fuel by not carrying all this paper". I'm amazed terminals weren't in use 5 years ago for this sort of thing...!

Machoo · Dec 13, 2011, 05:44 PM

Well I'm pretty stoked about this. As a private pilot I am using my ipad for preflight, weather, and charts. It has been working very well. I have only tested it in the simulator. I wanted to make sure it works as it should and that I feel comfortable with it. After several flights I am sold big time! It saves so much time. It is more than paper savings for me, and I will still fly with paper backup so I will not even realize that savings. I am most happy about the way it is so easy to access information very quickly without juggling papers, charts, or books in the cockpit. Just one device strapped to your leg. My first flight with it in the cockpit is this weekend!

Dec 13, 2011, 02:23 PM	#2
PlaceofDis macrumors 604 Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Chicago.	this is awesome. as someone who is working on entering the aviation industry, having iPads in the cockpit will only help pilots in so many ways. glad to see it being approved. __________________ dim my eyes on the waves of confessions...
	0

Dec 13, 2011, 02:31 PM	#4
ritsard macrumors member Join Date: Jun 2009	Pilots can now checkin using their favorite social network haha __________________ ritsard go ahead dream it, i will make it come true
	1

Dec 13, 2011, 02:32 PM	#5
Drunken Master macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jul 2011	As long as they don't play Words with Friends! (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻ __________________ MUJI Fans 無印愛好者
	6

Dec 13, 2011, 02:39 PM	#6
nagromme macrumors G4 Join Date: May 2002	Where can I get that awesome iPad dock that looks like a commercial airplane cockpit? (P.S. Is that pilot flying in socks? I thought the iPad would allow time for things like shoes.) __________________ nagromme What happens when corporations buy the government? Americans have returned to receiving 1960s wages, despite being twice as productive.
	2

Dec 13, 2011, 02:40 PM	#7
Shrink macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: New England, USA	VERY DANGEROUS!!! If there is an atomic explosion nearby, the electromagnetic pulse will knock out the iPads and, boy, will they be in trouble then. __________________ Two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe. -- Albert Einstein
	1

Dec 13, 2011, 02:26 PM	#3
LTD Banned Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Canada	Wasn't there someone around here who said these things were just gimmicks?
	2

Dec 13, 2011, 02:43 PM	#8
Eauboy macrumors regular Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Washington, DC	I totally did not know that airplanes had tillers. __________________ 15" UMBP (2009) Original nano
	0

Dec 13, 2011, 02:43 PM	#9
mp0890 macrumors regular Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: DC Area	Great...so I can now use mine during takeoff and landing....right? __________________ Black Unlocked 16 GB iPhone 5 - 2011 27 inch iMac w/ 12 GB RAM - White Wi-fi 64 GB iPad [3rd Gen] 📱 💻 🎧
	8

Dec 13, 2011, 02:47 PM	#10
Alexs5 macrumors newbie Join Date: Sep 2011	Didn't American Airlines filed for bankruptcy?.... and they can afford ipads? lol
	2

Dec 13, 2011, 02:47 PM	#11
Peace macrumors P6 Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Space--The ONLY Frontier	Cool. They can now navigate the planes to another air carrier since they are going bankrupt.
	1

Dec 13, 2011, 02:50 PM	#13
Darreners macrumors newbie Join Date: May 2009	Didn't they just go out of business?
	0

Dec 13, 2011, 03:14 PM	#15
TheMirrorsTruth macrumors newbie Join Date: Jul 2011	iPod is to CD wallet as iPad is to flight bag (i.e. charts, maps, manuals, etc)
	0

Dec 13, 2011, 03:24 PM	#16
ritsard macrumors member Join Date: Jun 2009	I thought the ipad used the flight control app to fly the plane hehe jk __________________ ritsard go ahead dream it, i will make it come true
	0

Dec 13, 2011, 04:03 PM	#19
morespce54 macrumors 65816 Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Around the World	[Insert joke about pilots playing "FlightControl" here] __________________ ..:.::.:.:.::..:.: Oh, I get it. It's very clever :.:.::.:.:.::.:..:.::..:.::.:..:.::.:.::.:.::.. DO NOT OPERATE YOUR COMPUTER UNDER THE INFLUENCE!
	1

Dec 13, 2011, 04:07 PM	#20
Cjm1 macrumors member Join Date: Jun 2010	Didn't they just go bust? and yet there spending thousands on iPads. how people spend there money these days! People say money is what makes the world go round, but in this day and age its whats stopping it!
	0

Dec 13, 2011, 04:56 PM	#24
hob macrumors 68020 Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: London, UK	Isn't it crazy that it took to come along with the iPad before air crews through "we could save fuel by not carrying all this paper". I'm amazed terminals weren't in use 5 years ago for this sort of thing...! __________________ see robmac.net for my work
	0

Dec 13, 2011, 05:44 PM	#25
Machoo macrumors member Join Date: May 2010	Awesome!! Well I'm pretty stoked about this. As a private pilot I am using my ipad for preflight, weather, and charts. It has been working very well. I have only tested it in the simulator. I wanted to make sure it works as it should and that I feel comfortable with it. After several flights I am sold big time! It saves so much time. It is more than paper savings for me, and I will still fly with paper backup so I will not even realize that savings. I am most happy about the way it is so easy to access information very quickly without juggling papers, charts, or books in the cockpit. Just one device strapped to your leg. My first flight with it in the cockpit is this weekend!
	0

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode