iPads for NZ Commercial Cockpits
NZ pilots to trade air charts for iPads
BY MICHAEL FIELD
Pilots flying New Zealand skies might soon be able to toss out bulky briefcases stuffed with maps and checklists and instead use an iPad in the cockpit.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said it was considering following an American lead where the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given the go-ahead in a trial for a limited number of airlines to allow pilots to swap 15kg of paper for 600g of iPad – known as "electronic flight bags".
Communications manager Bill Sommer said CAA has received inquiries from air operators asking for permission to also make the swap.
"The CAA is considering the introduction of an Advisory Circular that would allow the use of iPads and similar devices for use on aircraft by operators as Electronic Flight Bags," he said.
New Zealand authorities were seeking guidance from FAA and European Aviation Safety Authority guidelines.
Alaska Airlines will try the iPads which can draw on around 250 general aviation apps that simplify pre-flight planning and assist with in-flight operations.
"The iPad allows pilots to quickly and nimbly access information," Jim Freeman, a pilot and director of flight standards at Alaska Airlines, which has given iPads to all its pilots, told the New York Times.
"When you need to a make a decision in the cockpit, three to four minutes fumbling with paper is an eternity."
New Zealand will model its proposed circular on one issued by the FAA which said the major motivator for them was "to reduce or eliminate the need for paper and other reference materials in the cockpit". It said there were systems being developed for iPads that support the functions of all phases of flight operations.
The FAA said that in the transition to a paperless cockpit, aircraft operators would need to find a way to provide a reliable backup. Suggestions included "paper products" be carried by a crew member. Another was to have an on-board fax machine to get paper to the cockpit if the iPad failed.
The FAA also considered where an iPad be mounted in flight and even the kind of colours used in aviation apps. It stipulated that red "should be used only to indicate a warning level condition" and banned the use of flashing text or symbols.
CAA has called for submissions on its proposed circular.
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- Sunday Star Times