Alaska Airlines ditches paper flight manuals for iPads

May 28th 2011
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Alaska Airlines ditches paper flight manuals for iPads

The iPad has already gotten the go-ahead from the FAA in its place for paper flight charts and maps, and now Alaska Airlines has become the 1st major US airline to hop on board the paperless bandwagon. While it is not quite able to ditch paper navigation charts just yet (though it is into consideration), the airline has announced that it’s going to be replacing its traditional flight manuals with iPads, that will be loaded up with the GoodReader app and PDFs of 41 different manuals and other materials. Consistent with the airline, that fluctuate will bring about savings of about 2.4 million pieces of paper, and it says the price of the project might be offset by fuel savings from the reduced weight, and extra savings which might be expected from “fewer back and muscle injuries because of pilots carrying flight bags,” that may weigh as much as 50 pounds. Let’s just hope those newly lightened flight bags still have room for a charging cable.

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Alaska Airlines Pilots Go Lean and Green With iPads

First major domestic airline to apply iPads to interchange flight manuals

SEATTLE, May 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — As a part of an ongoing effort to apply technology to improve flight safety, improve efficiency and protect our surroundings, Alaska Airlines is issuing iPad tablet computers to its pilots. The 1 1/2-pound iPads replace as much as 25 pounds of paper flight manuals that pilots are required to hold once they fly.

The iPads are being distributed to all Alaska Airlines pilots, a process with a view to be complete by mid-June. This follows a successful trial by 100 line and instructor pilots and Air Line Pilots Association representatives, who evaluated the feasibility of using iPads as electronic flight bags this past winter and spring.

Alaska Airlines is the 1st major domestic airline to make use of the iPad to exchange paper manuals.

“We’ve been exploring the belief of an electronic flight bag for several years, but never found a tool we actually liked,” said Gary Beck, Alaska Airlines’ vp of flight operations. “When the iPad hit the market, we took one examine it and said it’s the correct fit.”

The iPads contain an app called GoodReader it truly is loaded with PDF versions of 41 flight, systems and function manuals, reference cards, and other materials. The electronic manuals include hyperlinks and color graphics, enabling pilots to locate information faster and easier. Updating these reference materials can now be accomplished with one tap at the iPad screen rather than the previous, labor-intensive technique of replacing individual pages with new ones. The iPad is regarded as a category 1 electronic device, meaning that is stowed during takeoff and landing under Federal Aviation Administration regulations.

Along side replacing paper manuals, Alaska Airlines is exploring the replacement of paper aeronautical navigation charts with electronic versions at the iPad, eliminating the necessity for each pilot to hold their very own copy. The 2 initiatives, dubbed “Bye, Bye, Flight Bag,” will save about 2.4 million pieces of paper.

The price of the project is predicted to be offset by lower paper, printing and distribution expenses and reduced fuel consumption as some weight is faraway from the aircraft. Further savings are expected from fewer back and muscle injuries attributable to pilots carrying flight bags which can tip the scales at 50 pounds or more fully loaded.

Note to media: A high-resolution photograph of an Alaska pilot with the iPad at the flight deck of a Boeing 737 comes in the airline’s online newsroom image gallery at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), together serve 90 cities throughout Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. For reservations, visit www.alaskaair.com. For more news and knowledge, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.

SOURCE Alaska Airlines

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