Company Issued Operating Manuals

[distracted cockroach]

Evening Troops,
As a cost saving exercise the Air NZ group has recently done away with "hard copy" manuals for pilots, replacing them with a CD-Rom of pdf files. This is for FCTM, QRH, SOPs, Tech Manual/FCOMs etc (still have paper copies on the aircraft)
Personally, I find having to use a CD every time I want to look something up at home is a p in the a, and as a result, I don't read as much as I used to, or as I should.
Is this the way of the future or am I just being old fashioned? What does your airline issue you with?
Look forward to your opinions.
DC

[Hippolite]

Roach

I am afraid that you are bing a bit old fashioned. Personal preference aside, many companies are now issuing CD Rom format manuals. It makes the whole update process much simpler since all amendments can be done and a new CD mailed out with the amended areas explained. One of the biggest issues of trying to issue amendments to paper manuals is to get the acknowledgement slips returned. With an electronic format, a simple email acknowledging receipt is sufficient.

I like electronic format, becuse its instantly searchable as well. That's my personal preference.

HH

[ennui]

Some organisations these days initially issue current paper manuals with the CD and let you make up your mind as to whether you want to keep them current at your own expense (paper, ink cartridges, office, electricity).

Means you actually have to spend some of the money that your accountant should be claiming for your tax return.

[distracted cockroach]

Thanks for your opinion HH, and yes, I'm sure the company loves the convenience of a new CD being sent out when each amendment is due BUT the acknowledgement slips is a red herring, as we still have those for the CD (and there's no reason why they couldn't use an e-mail acknowledgement of a paper amendment)
My primary concern is ease of use. Yes a CD is instantly searchable, which is nice, but it doesn't help when you are trying to look something up in the aircraft and have become so unfamiliar with the format of the paper manuals that it takes much longer than it used to.
Not all of us have a computer that we can carry around with us, so you are restricted to using your manuals at your computer desk. You can't take the QRH outside to have a read on a nice day, or throw Vol 1 in your overnight bag to enjoy during those long hotel room overnights.:8
Also, the very act of amending a paper manual enforces observation of the amendment content, whereas a CD arrives, gets thrown on the desk and promptly forgotten.
Also, when in one of those "study frenzies" (route check or sim coming up!), I always used to have several paper manuals open at once, cross referencing topics and procedures. Unfortunately I haven't worked out how to have more than one screen going at a time with the CD, and it's a pain.
As I said, I'm not against technology per se, despite my ageing shell, but I find I tend to read and know the books less well now than I did when we had "proper" manuals, and frankly that's a concern.
Oh for the old days, with a nice neat set of Boeing/Airbus/DHC/McD manuals on the office book shelf.

Oh, and by the way, the company automatically assume you have a computer. If not, bad luck! You need to get one and under kiwi law I don't think it's tax deductible (or if someone can confirm it is, I need one of those newfangled tiny laptop thingies:ok: )

[Capn Bloggs]

Manuals on CD are a cheap-skate way of complying with the requirement to issue crews with manuals. I agree they are convenient for searching (if you don't even know where to start??!!) and nice to have in your PDA when some smart-arse argues, but there is no substitute for browsing through the paper version.

We should get both, with email acknowledgement. The library just needs to put a unique serial number on yoru amendment/replacement CD so they know you're not telling porkies.

[distracted cockroach]

Question for Womeera
I originally put this topic in the GA and Questions forum in error, so deleted and put in in Reporting Points, as it is an airline oriented topic as opposed to GA or Regional.
Somehow it has found it's way back here again.
What gives?
DC