Last spring, MMi reported that Alaska Airlines had begin issuing iPads to their pilots instead of the 25-pound paper flight manuals that had been required in the cockpit. At the time, AA was poised to become the first major domestic airline to make the switch to completely electronic manuals.
Alaska Airlines now has some company (in addition to American Airlines and Delta).
United Airlines 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," the company said in a press release this morning.
Distribution of the tablets 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."
According to details provided in the announcement, pilots will use 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."
Source: United Airlines
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