How does your airline deal with manuals

[Deathrow558]

Hello!

I'm wondering how the airline you (I mean you the reader) work for deal with their manuals? FCOM's, FCTM's, Operations Manuals (more company specific), Aerads, AFM's etc etc.

We have *just* swithed from issueing the FCOM's in hard copy to every single aircraft, simulator, base and to every single PILOT to issueing it electronically to pilots. The bases, aircraft and sims still get a hard copy. The disc also includes our Operations Manual and the FCTM. We've had loads of complaints from crew saying they prefer to have it in front of them physically whilst studying rather than reading off a computer or printing it off but it's a step we've taken and in my opinion it's better.

So yeah, the way we work:

Pilots - Disc containing all manuals. Hard copy of the Flight Crew Training Manual (FCTM)

Simulators - Hard copy of everything for obvious reasons

Aircraft - Still hard copy of everything including Notices.

Bases - Hard copies of everything in A4 and A5 size.

All our Jepp Manuals, approach plates, Loadsheets etc are (thankfully) dealt with by an outside company.

Amendments to hard copies are done by me. Nothing short of a nightmare. But it has become easier now that I only issue one disc to pilots rather than 5 or 6 seperate manuals/amendments per person.

[411A]

CD's are the only way to go now, hard copies are in the airplane and head office....and that's it.
Seems reasonable to me.
Even the FAA has done this, quite a long time ago.

[Deathrow558]

Yeah it does frustrate me. It seems that, for whatever reason, upper management are against going electronic. I can't fathom why. It's cheaper and easier to control. The Sims still need hard copies of the FCOM's and some ops manuals but the pilots shouldn't really need anything in hard copy. They may WANT something physical in front of them but that is tough luck really. It doesn't affect performance, if they have a problem then the checklist is in the QRH in the flight deck anyway.

It seems to me more work than is necessary and I wondered how other airliners approached it.

[downsouth]

CDs... Everything in CDs... Ive been given paper manuals when I started my training though. I think now days new trainees get some stuff in paper as well but not just everything. Say, the QRH, SOPs, and some other stuff... I never received a REAL FCTM, I had to print it myself :8

I think that the only reason for this must be "economics"...

bye...

[Deathrow558]

Yeah well they get their SOP's when they do the induction course and I think for us this will always be in hard copy (only a small doc anyway)
Our guys won't even be getting the QRH's in hard copies (no need really. There's two on the aircraft and they can view it on the instranet system)
How does your airline deal with a/c copies, simulators(if you stock yours) and your bases?

[Nightrider]

CD??? Now even that is an antique relict. Just online update, all on the laptop, no paprs, CDs or whatsoever; aircraft and office copies black on white, that's it!
:mad:

[A Very Civil Pilot]

All on laptop, updated automatically.

The search function on pdf docs is a great help in looking what you want.

[fantom]

I don't think we have any Spanish pilots so the problem does not arise.

[Denti]

We still have paper manuals for each pilot (OM-A, B1 to B3, no route manual though). On board we have one set paper manuals and two sets route manuals, two EFB Class 1 on which are all manuals as well and of course we have all manuals and the route manual (EAG) accessible via intranet.

On dual FMC airplane we could do away with all paper documentation, however our old 733s are single FMC and most pilots still prefer paper charts over the electronic version on the EFB so we're quite happy to have our paper route manuals on board. Performance and W+B is only available via EFB though.

Most of us don't like the EFB (http://www.drs-ts.com/hammerhead.htm) since it is very bulky and that is not a good thing in the cramped cockpit of a classic 73.