FAR 121.306 provides guidance:
Emphasis mine. In other words, an air carrier has the authority to make the determination of what is exempt from being turned off during flight. In this case, UA has made the determination that their EFB is exempt.
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United Airlines Deploying 11,000 iPads to Pilots as Electronic Flight Bags
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FAR 121.306 provides guidance:
Emphasis mine. In other words, an air carrier has the authority to make the determination of what is exempt from being turned off during flight. In this case, UA has made the determination that their EFB is exempt.
I don't want the risk of this happening to INCREASE.
Do you forget the train accident a couple of years back that killed so many people ?
Why did it happen ?
The engineer was TEXTING !
And buy the way, your more likely to be killed by a Toaster than an Airplane, I just want to keep it that way
Do you forget the train accident a couple of years back that killed so many people ?
Why did it happen ?
The engineer was TEXTING !
And buy the way, your more likely to be killed by a Toaster than an Airplane, I just want to keep it that way
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Don't worry, since we keep the cockpit door closed the entire time, you won't see a thing.
But you don't just tap into the power with an outlet.
So while a large plane can generate tons and tons of power (the 787 is greater than 1MW), you don't just have a 12V cigarette lighter to plug into. You will have a few accessory loads, these tend to be maxed out shortly after the plane ships. Likewise, adding new loads to the plane is a PITA.
So while a large plane can generate tons and tons of power (the 787 is greater than 1MW), you don't just have a 12V cigarette lighter to plug into. You will have a few accessory loads, these tend to be maxed out shortly after the plane ships. Likewise, adding new loads to the plane is a PITA.
Some of the comments here make me laugh.
I am an aircraft engineer for KLM, let me clear up a few myths that seem to be circling around the members here.
EFBs are NOT used for navigating. It contains everything from aircraft maintenance manuals, to operating manuals, to checklists, to reference airport maps. By no means is this required to navigate an airplane from A to B.
We here at KLM use Boeing's integrated EFB systems, which are a lot more expensive but this was before the iPad was even around. The iPas is a very cheap solution of you have a massive fleet like Delta or United and don't have an EFB system yet. Boeing's EFB looks very much like an iPad, it's a 10" touch screen as well.
One advantage of the integrated Boeing EFB system is that it can display the inflight security cameras. Also, I am not sure if the iPad is linked to the Maintenance Manuals, which are updated live in Boeing's EFB. So, say for example there is a logbook entry about a display not working, and I fix the display, the logbook entry disappears.
I don't see us switching to iPads soon because of our integrated systems in the Boeing 777, but it might be possible in the future for our Boeing 737 fleet (which do not have EFB as a retrofit option I believe).
I am an aircraft engineer for KLM, let me clear up a few myths that seem to be circling around the members here.
EFBs are NOT used for navigating. It contains everything from aircraft maintenance manuals, to operating manuals, to checklists, to reference airport maps. By no means is this required to navigate an airplane from A to B.
We here at KLM use Boeing's integrated EFB systems, which are a lot more expensive but this was before the iPad was even around. The iPas is a very cheap solution of you have a massive fleet like Delta or United and don't have an EFB system yet. Boeing's EFB looks very much like an iPad, it's a 10" touch screen as well.
One advantage of the integrated Boeing EFB system is that it can display the inflight security cameras. Also, I am not sure if the iPad is linked to the Maintenance Manuals, which are updated live in Boeing's EFB. So, say for example there is a logbook entry about a display not working, and I fix the display, the logbook entry disappears.
I don't see us switching to iPads soon because of our integrated systems in the Boeing 777, but it might be possible in the future for our Boeing 737 fleet (which do not have EFB as a retrofit option I believe).
Then i have no objection anymore. Good to see they havent lost all sense just yet :- )
"No electronics during start / landing" is mostly so that the idiots in their seats are not detracted by their electronic toys and will hear any announcements that are being made during that critical time. Since having an iPad in the cockpit doesn't increase the IQ of the passengers, you'll still have to turn off your stuff.
The iPad is a totally useless device. No USB port or Flash support. How could an airline pilot possibly use a device without those two basic components? I'm keeping watch to see if there is a sudden increase of commercial airline crashes that will be caused directly by use of the iPad. EVERYONE knows that Apple products are nothing but overpriced "toys" and they're not to be entrusted to protecting human lives.
Word has it that the iPad is just being used as a temporary placeholder for the coming Windows 8 tablet which will do everything better than the iPad and the pilots will be able switch back and forth between Microsoft Office and Flash videos on those long international flights to keep them entertained. Let's see the iPad do that.
/s
Word has it that the iPad is just being used as a temporary placeholder for the coming Windows 8 tablet which will do everything better than the iPad and the pilots will be able switch back and forth between Microsoft Office and Flash videos on those long international flights to keep them entertained. Let's see the iPad do that.
/s
Irony. A device the FAA claims will crash a plane if passengers use it on take off and landing will now be used by pilots to keep it in the air.
Seriously, I'd hate to be at United's next stockholder meeting. There are going to be a lot of p.o.'d dweebs asking why United didn't just supply pilots with netbooks.
Seriously, I'd hate to be at United's next stockholder meeting. There are going to be a lot of p.o.'d dweebs asking why United didn't just supply pilots with netbooks.
I always assumed it was peanuts...
Personally, I do wish they keep a hard-copy. If only to have paper to light fires on a deserted island if you survive a crash...
That is really cool. I think a lot of industries are going to see the benefits of tablet computing. POS systems are a no brainer. So is this. What else? I see many manual-heavy industries going this route.
Part of me hopes there will be two iPads per flight to have a backup
This was my concern; I would think it obvious that redundancy is vital in this situation, but airlines will cut costs (i.e., corners) wherever possible...
This is reassuring..
Hah Hah
No, the pilots are under the same restrictions; they can turn on their iPads at the same elevation that passengers are allowed to turn on their electronic devices, and must shut them down at the same point in the descent that passengers do.
Ah, thanks for the first-hand knowledge and clearing up of what was apparently many posters' (and my) concerns. Good to know!
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The iPad is a totally useless device. No USB port or Flash support. How could an airline pilot possibly use a device without those two basic components? I'm keeping watch to see if there is a sudden increase of commercial airline crashes that will be caused directly by use of the iPad. EVERYONE knows that Apple products are nothing but overpriced "toys" and they're not to be entrusted to protecting human lives.
Word has it that the iPad is just being used as a temporary placeholder for the coming Windows 8 tablet which will do everything better than the iPad and the pilots will be able switch back and forth between Microsoft Office and Flash videos on those long international flights to keep them entertained. Let's see the iPad do that.
/s
Failed beyond repair.
Not quite.
UA is saying they understand the impact of their EFB being turned on durring specific flight phases.
It is a question of what has been tested. Yes, the iPad has gone through various decompression tests, EMI emission and susceptibility testing and flight testing.
This is an area where Apple's slower iteration of hardware will help immensely. Some of this testing will have to be repeated for every release of hardware. If hardware only lives for 4-6 months, then it becomes prohibitive to keep up with the paperwork (even if you are doing a qual by similarity). If you can only do this once every 12-18 months, it makes life much cheaper and easier.
UA is saying they understand the impact of their EFB being turned on durring specific flight phases.
It is a question of what has been tested. Yes, the iPad has gone through various decompression tests, EMI emission and susceptibility testing and flight testing.
This is an area where Apple's slower iteration of hardware will help immensely. Some of this testing will have to be repeated for every release of hardware. If hardware only lives for 4-6 months, then it becomes prohibitive to keep up with the paperwork (even if you are doing a qual by similarity). If you can only do this once every 12-18 months, it makes life much cheaper and easier.
Key here is "interference". If you and i use the same electronic device, and that device is exempt on basis that it has been determined not to interfere, what are the basis for disallowing my use while allowing yours?
Sure, one might argue (or even show) that "more devices, more issues", but then that FAR-thing needs to be rewritten for clarity.
This is complete **** ****!!!!!!! One would have to be a complete moron to navigate without the use of paper charts and as far as saving fuel you gotta be kidding me!!!!!! I wouldn't step foot on a plane if I knew they were only relying on an iPad!!!!!!
Actually, the Flight Management Computer contains all of the enroute, terminal arrivals and departures and is programed separately from approach charts, however approach selection is made through the same FMC and provide some of the data.
Flight plans are uplinked to the FMC and contain all vertical and lateral profiles, but are easily modified from the FMC data base.
The iPad will be used for approach charts, aircraft manuals and company manuals.
Keep in mind that this has been an ongoing study and was approved by the FAA.
No worries.
I'm shocked! I would have expected them to go with the HP Touchpad instead
With a price of $99, think of all the money the airlines would have saved instead of throwing away a bundle on those overpriced $500+ iPads. If they'd gone with the reasonably-priced TouchPad even the stewardesses would have been walking around with them. Once those TouchPads got Android OS support and rooted, there'd be no limit to what pilots could do on flights. Then they wouldn't have that control-freak Steve breathing over their shoulder all the time checking to see if they were using approved apps. That would certainly be worth not having any support at all.
Because your device was not tested in the configuration the pilots were. You will not be int he cockpit and there can be other entry points of EMI throughout the aircraft.
Haha that's pretty much impossible because pilots honestly don't do a thing. Everything is done with autopilot now. All they have to do is punch in where they're going the the plane gets them there. So I see this iPad thing as an excuse to play Angry Birds haha