United Airlines launches paperless flight deck with iPad

[Flying Wild]

United Airlines Launches Paperless Flight Deck With iPad -- CHICAGO, Aug. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- (http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/united-airlines-launches-paperless-flight-deck-with-ipad-128240343.html)


United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UAL (http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/prnews?Page=Quote&Ticker=UAL)) today announced that it is converting to paperless flight decks and deploying 11,000 iPads to all United and Continental pilots. The electronic flight bags (EFB) replace paper flight manuals, and as a first for major network carriers, provide pilots with paperless aeronautical navigational charts through an iPad app. Distribution of iPads began earlier this month, and all pilots will have them by year end.

"The paperless flight deck represents the next generation of flying," said Captain Fred Abbott, United's senior vice president of flight operations. "The introduction of iPads ensures our pilots have essential and real-time information at their fingertips at all times throughout the flight."

Navigational Charting App Breaks New Ground
The iPads are loaded with Jeppesen Mobile FliteDeck, the industry's premier app featuring interactive, data-driven enroute navigation information and worldwide geo-referenced terminal charts. The enhanced full-color, high-quality information display ensures the right information is displayed at the right time.
"We are proud to partner with United Airlines on a project of this magnitude with Jeppesen Mobile FliteDeck," said Mark Van Tine, president and CEO of Jeppesen. "Jeppesen and United share a long and storied history that includes development of numerous innovations for the aviation industry. We look forward to continuing this partnership in integrating our digital mobile solutions that increase efficiency, reduce costs and optimize operations."

Saving 16 Million Sheets of Paper and 326,000 Gallons of Jet Fuel a Year
Each iPad, which weighs less than 1.5 pounds, will replace approximately 38 pounds of paper operating manuals, navigation charts, reference handbooks, flight checklists, logbooks and weather information in a pilot's flight bag. A conventional flight bag full of paper materials contains an average of 12,000 sheets of paper per pilot. The green benefits of moving to EFBs are two-fold—it significantly reduces paper use and printing, and, in turn, reduces fuel consumption. The airline projects EFBs will save nearly 16 million sheets of paper a year which is equivalent to more than 1,900 trees not cut down. Saving 326,000 gallons of jet fuel a year reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 3,208 metric tons.

iPad Improves Efficiency and Safety
With iPad, pilots are able to quickly and efficiently access reference material without having to thumb through thousands of sheets of paper and reduce clutter on the flight deck. United and Continental pilots' work will be streamlined as they can immediately download updates on iPad to their electronic flight materials, rather than waiting for paper updates to be printed and distributed. In addition, by eliminating bulky flight bags loaded with paper, pilots will have less to lift and carry through airports and onboard the aircraft, reducing the risk of injury while on duty.


If using the iPad for viewing SID/STAR plates in the terminal area, airlines aren't really going to be able to require passenger electronic equipment to be switched off for takeoff/landing if the flight deck are using them...

[757_Driver]

If using the iPad for viewing SID/STAR plates in the terminal area, airlines aren't really going to be able to require passenger electronic equipment to be switched off for takeoff/landing if the flight deck are using them... :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Theres more than one reason for that rule.
Go and have a chat with your local fire brigade and paramedics - they will be able to give you loads of gruesome stories about the effect of unsecured Items inside a car and the effects they have during a crash.
IF an aircraft has a high speed RTO or a problem on landing do you want the guy behind you sat with a phone or ipad on his lap - which is now airborne and heading towards the back of your head at 150 mph

[Noxegon]

If using the iPad for viewing SID/STAR plates in the terminal area, airlines aren't really going to be able to require passenger electronic equipment to be switched off for takeoff/landing if the flight deck are using them...

On the contrary, airlines can require whatever they like.

Case in point, when landing in DUB, mobile phones can safely be used during the taxi to the gate on CO and DL, but not on FR or EI.

[ECAM_Actions]

Whether we agree or not, the rulez are the rulez.

I suppose you want to leave your tray table down and the seat reclined too?

If you're getting in my way during emergency egress, I *WILL* walk on/over you to get out.

[kwateow]

No mobile phone is safe...

... if its owner is yelling in my ear "mama, I'm on the plane".

Ear Rage guaranteed.

[White Knight]

IF an aircraft has a high speed RTO or a problem on landing do you want the guy behind you sat with a phone or ipad on his lap - which is now airborne and heading towards the back of your head at 150 mph

Blimey fellah... That would be some serious stopping power!!! Even my glorious large Airbus (332/343/345) with 3,000 PSI at Autobrake MAX and full reverse isn't going to stop "just like that". Agreed you might get that kind of flying missile in the cabin if you stop dead - like flying into a mountain - but methinks you'll be past caring anyway heh??????

Over to you:E:E

[stephenwilliams40]

Let's hope they don't leave them lying in the sunlight on top of the panel. A few days ago I suffered the consequences and went for the approach charts to be greeted with a message "I-Pad shutdown due to excessive temperature.
Good job I had some paper on board!

[MikeNYC]

Amusingly, the press release says they're using Jeppeson Mobile FliteDeck, yet the linked picture (from the web version) shows the Captain holding an iPad running ForeFlight. D'oh. :ugh:

[compressor stall]

If using the iPad for viewing SID/STAR plates in the terminal area, airlines aren't really going to be able to require passenger electronic equipment to be switched off for takeoff/landing if the flight deck are using them...

How about you toddle off and read the FAA regs and advisories on this issue. :ugh:

[Airspeedintervention]

Good luck getting the geo-referencing to work in the 777. I have yet to find a portable gps that will work in that environment without shutting off the windshield heat. Furthermore most of the little airplane drivers that I know of have to use an external bluetooth gps in order to get Foreflight and other similar apps to work on iPad during flight.

[EW73]

Forgive my ignorance here, but I just can't get my head around the need for:
* Inst Appr plates
* normal checklists
* non-normal checklists when required,

and how these will all be available at the same time in the flight deck with a couple of ipads!
Not even taking into account the failure rate of those things!

Cheers...:ooh:

[Capn Bloggs]

The iPads are loaded with Jeppesen Mobile FliteDeck, the industry's premier app
I don't think so. The version of FD I saw last month had an Airway Manual section that was a dog's breakfast. Not laid out like the real airway manual but worse, no change bars. How on earth are we supposed to find out what the changes are in the rules and regs without change bars?

Jepp has had many months to develop the "premier app". So far, FAIL.

[aterpster]

The Jepp Mobile (iPad) FD is a major suck. The enroute maps are the same old half-a** maps from FliteDeck of 5 years ago. MEAs come and go, you can miss some critical MEAs unless you zoom in really close. Cumulative DME readings are missing, which would matter to some but not to others.

[captjns]

Approach plates SIDS STARS good. The rest should be vaporized,

[ReverseFlight]

I don't think iPads or their variants can ever completely eliminate cockpit paper. Although pilots will not have to lug around tons of paper, there should always be a set of backup paper versions in the cockpit just in case.

Personally I would refer to look at plates, longer normal / non-normal checklists and FCOM volumes in the iPad, but have paper versions for the turnaround checklist and evacuation procedure. Some degree of cross-referral would be a better compromise in this electronic vs paper debate.

[GlueBall]

there should always be a set of backup paper versions in the cockpit just in case.

But if each pilot has an I-Pad, then you would have a "backup" and two "backups" in case of 3 pilots. ...Or are you saying that you would still need a paper backup in case of all the I-Pads going inop on the same day? :{

[Denti]

We use a mainly digitized environment on our flightdecks for years now. No paper plates nor any paper manuals except a QRH for every pilot. EFBs are windows based tablet computers, route manual is the Lido eRoutemanual, a w&b program that directly interfaces with a Boeing performance software and all company manuals. Pilots have personalized USB-drive on which they load the complete briefing package during briefing and later on transfer it to the EFB. If that is done the current routing, airports and alternates can be loaded in the Lido application with a single touch.

We are not allowed to use the EFB in flight below 1000 feet, however we are now slowly switching from the old EFB class I to a fixed installation EFB class II based on the same system but with a direct interface to the FMC, primarily position information for moving map functionality.

I wish we would switch to iPads as personal IT devices additionally to the EFBs as it is better in some regards, especially reading company manuals.

[ReverseFlight]

GlueBall: Both, really. It's just common sense.

I think it would make sense if there is at least one backup iPad in the cockpit (in case you spill your coffee over yours and it goes u/s).

There should be at least one paper version of all manuals, plates etc in the cockpit, not so much anticipating that every iPad crashing all the same time (unlikely) but what if there is a common software glitch when cruising at FL350 (they should all be using exact the same version, correct ?).

[blue up]

It is a dark, dark night (dark, cold and empty as a managers' heart) as you battle Greek ATC to go direct to the initial approach fix at XXX in the midst of TS and RA, the likes of which would make a Hadj pilot whince. Tossed like a green salad, you lumber towards the inbound track (LNAV, VNAV? Good boy!) with the autopilot and autothrottle pondering whether to play fair.
You look to your left and see the haggard face of an old man, sweat trickling down his forehead, worry lines creased and wrinkled. He looks to his left to see what you are staring at and he sees the same image but realises it is his own reflection in the dim light of the overhead lamp. Both of you wonder why the hell you didn't take voluntary severance when it was offered.
Vectored through a CB you start a roller coaster ride that has you bouncing off the speed limits during flap deployment and your rattling eyeballs faintly register CMR plus a couple of hundred kilos (Thank goodness you loaded an extra half ton, eh?) as the LNAV decides to widen out the turn just as you approach the inbound course, leaving you now at 90 degrees to the inbound track with 2 miles to go. ":mad:, :mad: and double :mad:" spouts your LHS guru as he tries to stab his gnarled fingers at the HDG SEL buttton.
"ApPr..ooooh...ching GL...idepaaaa...aath" says you as your diaphragm takes a pounding from the windshear, anchored down as you are by only a food-encrusted seatbelt and the ever tightening grip of 'Mr Pinchy' biting the seat fabric through the bottom of your lovely polyester trousers.
"B:mad:s to this" shouts your colleague "set the missed approach altitude and let's get the :mad: out of here!"
You look down at you iPad thingy and realise that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to get the E-Jeppessen downloaded via a program written by the same bloke who wrote E-flightdeck, E-journey log and the company expenses expenses thingamajig.
"Hang on mate whilst it get it out of hibernation mode!":E

The CVR stops recording.




Don't shoot! I'm an unarmed Luddite!

[Capn Bloggs]

Love ya work, Blueup. :D We'd calmly look down at our data card and set the written-in-during-the-app-brief Missed App Alt. :ok:

Let's face it, ipads are Job's way of making a squillion. Having two identical consumer devices as the sole source of "Critical to Flight Safety" data is a bit sus IMO.

I agree with Denti that they are good for ops manuals and the like. And the chief pilot could put out video memos!

[swish266]

Guess updating them iPads will be a huge hassle w/o an USB port.
Or maybe Ole Steve will do a Limited edition for United...
:ugh:

[EW73]

For what it's worth...

Baloney...I'm with Capn Bloggs

Sounds like you never had your approach/taxi plates organized very well!

EW73

[ReverseFlight]

Having two identical consumer devices as the sole source of "Critical to Flight Safety" data is a bit sus IMO.That's exactly what I meant in post #18 when I mentioned software glitches. Just to compare, the program for the 2 ELACs and 3 SECs on the A320 are written by 5 different software manufacturers in case of redundancy, I believe.
Many of your points relate to fear of change!No, I disagree. I love the iPad and the expandable plates are a feast for the eyes. I too detest the paper version and hope their days are numbered.

[aterpster]

swish266:

Guess updating them iPads will be a huge hassle w/o an USB port.
Or maybe Ole Steve will do a Limited edition for United...

All updating is done either by wi fi or 3G. Even the initial apps can be installed via wi fi, although it best be a fast connection.

[swish266]

Our preflight includes updating the onboard laptops via USB stick, loaded at ops.
Looks like UA don't mind paying top buck for secure access to all its info, sensitive or not...

[Capn Bloggs]

Looks like UA don't mind paying top buck for secure access to all its info, sensitive or not...
People can't get access to your ipad if you don't want them to. You have log on to their wifi network before they can get access.

[swish266]

Hackers do networks all the time. Even the Pentagon was not spared.

[Non Zero]

... yes but due to the fear of a second economic recession United wants you to buy your own ... cheap bazzdart!

[compressor stall]

Guess updating them iPads will be a huge hassle w/o an USB port.

Yep, it's a real hassle. Sitting on the couch yesterday in my hotel room staring out over the water, I noticed the little red icon in the top right of my screen.

I pressed it, and it showed me that an update was pending. I pressed the button saying update charts, and they downloaded automatically over the next five minutes. (140mb).

Unfortunately the biggest hassle was having to get off the couch to get another beer. :uhoh:

[aterpster]

Reverse Flight:

No, I disagree. I love the iPad and the expandable plates are a feast for the eyes. I too detest the paper version and hope their days are numbered.

If you are young enough you will see Jeppesen charts that will make the present fixed graphics Jeppesen chart a pain. The future will be database Jeppesen charts, which will remove all non pertinent data once you have selected an IAF.

[FlightPathOBN]

With all of the money Jepp/Boeing makes, you would think they could afford some decent programmers....
hopefully, they are busy else-where...hopefully.

[Capn Bloggs]

With all of the money Jepp/Boeing makes, you would think they could afford some decent programmers....

As with everything these days, the aim is not necessarily to produce something that is good, only something that will maximise profit. If it takes years to get to the "final" version, so be it.

[lambourne]

If using the iPad for viewing SID/STAR plates in the terminal area, airlines aren't really going to be able to require passenger electronic equipment to be switched off for takeoff/landing if the flight deck are using them...

Actually NO they are not required to be off for cockpit crew. The passenger ban is due to the thought of MASS usage in the cabin. For the cockpit EFB's have been in use for quite some time. Welcome to the 21st Century.

[sAx_R54]

It is a dark, dark night (dark, cold and empty as a managers' heart) as you battle Greek ATC to go direct to the initial approach fix at XXX in the midst of TS and RA, the likes of which would make a Hadj pilot whince. Tossed like a green salad, you lumber towards the inbound track (LNAV, VNAV? Good boy!) with the autopilot and autothrottle pondering whether to play fair.
You look to your left and see the haggard face of an old man, sweat trickling down his forehead, worry lines creased and wrinkled. He looks to his left to see what you are staring at and he sees the same image but realises it is his own reflection in the dim light of the overhead lamp. Both of you wonder why the hell you didn't take voluntary severance when it was offered.
Vectored through a CB you start a roller coaster ride that has you bouncing off the speed limits during flap deployment and your rattling eyeballs faintly register CMR plus a couple of hundred kilos (Thank goodness you loaded an extra half ton, eh?) as the LNAV decides to widen out the turn just as you approach the inbound course, leaving you now at 90 degrees to the inbound track with 2 miles to go. ", and double " spouts your LHS guru as he tries to stab his gnarled fingers at the HDG SEL buttton.
"ApPr..ooooh...ching GL...idepaaaa...aath" says you as your diaphragm takes a pounding from the windshear, anchored down as you are by only a food-encrusted seatbelt and the ever tightening grip of 'Mr Pinchy' biting the seat fabric through the bottom of your lovely polyester trousers.
"Bs to this" shouts your colleague "set the missed approach altitude and let's get the out of here!"
You look down at you iPad thingy and realise that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to get the E-Jeppessen downloaded via a program written by the same bloke who wrote E-flightdeck, E-journey log and the company expenses expenses thingamajig.
"Hang on mate whilst it get it out of hibernation mode!"

The CVR stops recording.

Bravo!!:D:D:D:D:D:D

sAx

[ft]

There should be at least one paper version of all manuals, plates etc in the cockpit, not so much anticipating that every iPad crashing all the same time (unlikely) but what if there is a common software glitch when cruising at FL350 (they should all be using exact the same version, correct ?).

Oh, come on! Like if that would ever happen (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-02/iphone-users-left-sleeping-by-latest-alarm-clock-failure.html)!

No, it's time we ditch these old ideas of not relying on a single piece of software or equipment. Sure, redundancy was a Good Thing way back in the primitive 1990s, but today, in 2011, we've got modern technology which never fails. Every computer user knows that.

:}

[A and C]

A few weeks back I was radar vectored on to a VOR final approach track only to find no ident or indication on the VOR, I looked over to find the FO had the same problem, we checked the tuning of the VOR's............ Checked the approach plates.......... Just how could we have had a dual system failure ? Was it the new high tech iPads as fault? No ! We don't have them !

Fortunately we could make a visual landing, on the ground further investigation found that it was a dual mode failure............ Both Jepp books had been incorectly updated!!!!!!!!

No system is foolproof but the Jepps on an iPad are likely to be better than relying on some poor guy who has the worst job in the world......updating manuals!!!!!!!

[aterpster]

A and C:

No system is foolproof but the Jepps on an iPad are likely to be better than relying on some poor guy who has the worst job in the world......updating manuals!!!!!!!

I would agree with TC and paper enroute charts, but not with FD.

[Capn Bloggs]

No system is foolproof but the Jepps on an iPad are likely to be better than relying on some poor guy who has the worst job in the world......updating manuals!!!!!!!
You have someone to do it for you? Lucky you! :{

[Callsign Kilo]

Screw the E-updates. Will it have Angry Birds as standard?