Photo courtesy Alaska Airlinesa
By John Cook, GeekWirea
Alaska Airlines plans to outfit all of its pilots with iPads by mid-June, becoming the first major airline to replace paper manuals with Apple's devices in the cockpit. The rollout means pilots will be swapping 25-pound flight operation guides for a device that weighs a little more than a pound.a
“We’ve been exploring the idea of an electronic flight bag for several years, but never found a device we really liked,” said Gary Beck, Alaska Airlines’ vice president of flight operations, in a news release announcing the plan. “When the iPad hit the market, we took one look at it and said this is the perfect fit.”a
The iPads will come with an app called GoodReader, which contains PDF versions of 41 flight systems and performance manuals, reference cards and other materials. They also include links and color graphics. The airline says the electronic flight bag will save about 2.4 million pieces of paper.a
Other advantages include reducing weight on the aircraft, leading to more fuel efficiency, according to the airline.a
And with some flight bags weighing as much as 50 pounds, the airline also said the iPad could reduce muscle injuries that occur when pilots attempt to carry the bulky flight manuals through the airport.a
As a Class 1 device, the iPad must be stowed during takeoff and landing — even by pilots — under FAA regulations. So don’t worry about your captain playing a game of "Angry Birds," at least not during the approach to the airport.a
John Cook of GeekWire can be followed on Facebook and Twittera
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