iPad for reference manuals allows pilots to reduce paper and distribution costs

PanARMENIAN.Net - Alaska airlines is the first commercial airline to switch to paperless reference materials for pilots, replacing each flight bag with an iPad that contains hyperlinked color PDF versions of 41 flight manuals, aeronautical navigation charts, systems reference cards, and other materials. The documents are navigable through the 'goodreader' app.

Over the long-term, the project is expected to reduce paper and distribution costs (as the airline currently uses about 2.4 million pieces of paper on such materials), as well as reduce aircraft fuel consumption by the exchange of a 1.5-pound iPad for 25-pounds of reference manuals, and prevent back and muscle injuries to the pilots carrying the flight bags.

Alaska airline notes that to respect safety, all pilots are still beholden to the FAA regulation preventing the use of class 1 electronic devices during takeoff and landing, Designboom reported. With trial phases completed in winter and spring, the transition to paperless navigating is expected to be finished by mid-June.