By: Aseem Gaurav on May 29, 2011
Alaska Airlines has announced that it is dumping paper flight charts and maps for its pilots in favor of electronic documents stored on company-issued iPads. With this the Seattle-based carrier has become the first major US airline to join the paperless bandwagon.
The carrier said it is making the switch "as part of an ongoing effort to use technology to enhance flight safety, improve efficiency and protect the environment."
Clearly, the highly popular slate by Apple was the first choice of the carrier’s top bosses as it decided to go digital.
The iPads will be distributed by mid-June to pilots and the move is follows a trial by 100 line pilots, instructor pilots and Air Line Pilots Association representatives who evaluated the plan over the past winter and spring. The device weighs only 1.5 pounds as against the traditional manual’s 25 pounds.
"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. "When the iPad hit the market, we took one look at it and said this is the perfect fit."
The carrier will provide the pilots an iPad with GoodReader installed with PDF versions of flight, system, and performance manuals in addition to reference cards and other materials. It says that it will now be a lot easier for pilots to find information than the traditional paper documents as the electronic manuals include hyperlinks and color graphics.
The US Federal Aviation Administration considers the iPad a Class 1 electronic device, which means it must be stowed during takeoff and landing.
However, it is still not clear whether pilots will receive first-generation iPads or iPad 2s – but the carrier said the move will save 2.4 million pieces of paper. "The cost of the project is expected to be offset by lower paper, printing and distribution expenses and reduced fuel consumption as some weight is removed from the aircraft. Further savings are expected from fewer back and muscle injuries caused by pilots carrying flight bags that can tip the scales at 50 pounds or more fully loaded," says Alaska Airlines.
It is not just airlines even medical firms have issued thousands of iPads to their sales staff to spruce up pitches to doctors. Abbott Laboratories (ABT), Medtronic Inc. (MDT) and Boston Scientific Corp. (BSX) are among the drug and medical-device firms making the move.
Alaska Airlines has announced that it is dumping paper flight charts and maps for its pilots in favor of electronic documents stored on company-issued iPads. With this the Seattle-based carrier has become the first major US airline to join the paperless bandwagon.
The carrier said it is making the switch "as part of an ongoing effort to use technology to enhance flight safety, improve efficiency and protect the environment."
Clearly, the highly popular slate by Apple was the first choice of the carrier’s top bosses as it decided to go digital.
Image courtesy: Alaska Airlines
"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. "When the iPad hit the market, we took one look at it and said this is the perfect fit."
The carrier will provide the pilots an iPad with GoodReader installed with PDF versions of flight, system, and performance manuals in addition to reference cards and other materials. It says that it will now be a lot easier for pilots to find information than the traditional paper documents as the electronic manuals include hyperlinks and color graphics.
The US Federal Aviation Administration considers the iPad a Class 1 electronic device, which means it must be stowed during takeoff and landing.
However, it is still not clear whether pilots will receive first-generation iPads or iPad 2s – but the carrier said the move will save 2.4 million pieces of paper. "The cost of the project is expected to be offset by lower paper, printing and distribution expenses and reduced fuel consumption as some weight is removed from the aircraft. Further savings are expected from fewer back and muscle injuries caused by pilots carrying flight bags that can tip the scales at 50 pounds or more fully loaded," says Alaska Airlines.
It is not just airlines even medical firms have issued thousands of iPads to their sales staff to spruce up pitches to doctors. Abbott Laboratories (ABT), Medtronic Inc. (MDT) and Boston Scientific Corp. (BSX) are among the drug and medical-device firms making the move.
