WHY?

[flopter]

Asking...........Is it illegal for the Flight Capt of a Commercial Airline, to have Their Own small Personal Flight Nav Computer on a Commercial Flight deck? (Like ALL of us small aircraft operators use!).

[Duck Pilot]

Answer is probably no. AOC holder’s SOPs governs the operational use of EFBs.

However if the Captain was using it for non related operational things during a long haul flight for example, ie to read a digital book or magazine, it may be acceptable. All subject to the AOC holders SOPs.

Good question as I’m sure lots of pilots fly around with their iPads in their nav bags theses days.

[OK4Wire]

My flight ops department stipulates what I must carry with me, not what I shan't. That list would be very long!

"personal flight nav computer" Do you mean like Ozrunways? If so, then many have that or similar on their private iPads which of course go with them.

[Bend alot]

What company or regulator would put it on the line to make it illegal?

State when or how it could be used maybe.

[compressor stall]

UIn short it’s not illegal at all.

There are are limitations however for commercial ops and it depends on the class of EFB under CAO82.

If the iPad is being used for calculating aircraft performance etc, the data on it needs to be managed and ensured as up to date by the company. This is challenging with a personal iPad with privacy but there are ways around it

Secondly the ipad will need need to be approved for use with no EM interference and at altitudes (eg in a depressurisation). Airbus for example certify each model as such, but charge a fortune (read many thousands) for the paper proving it. And when the new one comes out you can’t buy the old models, so it gets challenging when a pilot upgrades a personal iPad that the company doesn’t have he documentation for.

Finally, the EFB performance software is bug tested by the OEM. This may or may not be completed when a new software release comes out. And almost certainly not with iOS patch fast fixes. As such you can’t update the iOS yet in case of bugs. But people will by accident (autouodate on anybody?). Then you’ve got a grounded aircraft. Much easier have company iPads and to lock them down and let the EFB techs update them.

But overall there is no law stopping a pilot using his /her own iPad for Jeppesen charts, Oz runways, etc in the cockpit, as that’s a different class of operation.

[NZScion]

Is OP talking about a whizz wheel (not an EFB)? If so there's hardly any point in a modern flight deck with dual FMCs etc. There are very few situations where a pilot would be required to calculate something which couldn't be done through the FMCs.

[Australopithecus]

There are several (rare) situations where a non-normal drag profile means that the FMC cannot provide a useful answer. The FMC cannot quantify the effects of drag, and it does not predict based on past or current performance.

[machtuk]

Having a personel iPad etc on the Flt deck and actually using it are two different things. There wouldn't be many pilots out there (not just limited to Capt's either) that don't have some electronic device wth them. One Co I used to work for didn't even allow newspapers etc on the flight deck! An iPad is a very useful tool, could even save the day! We all know that these devices don't cause any safety issues inc Mob devices unless you stuff it up, then there will be questions but we do have "just culture" right?! -:)

[Lapon]

Most operators including my own basically have policy to the effect of bring whatever you want but it's to be used for 'supplementary' purposes only. Only company approved docs and equipment can can used for navigation and operation matters etc.
There are usually words to the effect of only 'aviation related' publications may be read inflight. Whether or not that extends to the the Aviation job section in Fridays Australian is of course a matter of opinion.