Posted on 04/29/2015 1:42:41 AM PDT by Mad Dawgg
Several American Airlines flights were delayed Tuesday night after a software glitch occurred in the Apple iPads provided to pilots, forcing authorities to return planes to the gates to fix the malfunction, the Verge reported. The affected flights reportedly included AA2413, AA2276, AA1654, AA235 and AA128.
Passengers were reportedly asked to exit the aircraft. American Airlines first confirmed the issue to a passenger, named Bill Jacaruso, who was traveling to Austin from Dallas/Fort Worth airport on flight AA1654.
“Some flights are experiencing an issue with a software application on pilot iPads,” Andrea Huguely, a spokeswoman for the American Airlines, told the Verge. “In some cases, the flight has had to return to the gate to access a Wi-Fi connection to fix the issue. We apologize for the inconvenience to our customers. We are working to have them on the way to their destination as soon as possible.”
Another representative for the airline said that the issue, which had affected "a few dozen flights," had been identified and that a fix was being worked on.
(Excerpt) Read more at ibtimes.com ...
Apparently a long time ago, and before iPads, the government determined that for safety reasons these planes should not be flown without the over 6,000 pages of information that the pilots were carrying onto the flight, every time they flew.
SO ... are you saying that the government should dispense with the requirement that these pilots have this information on these 6,000 pages ... OR ... are you saying that they should go back to carrying the over 6,000 pages of information, instead of an iPad for the pilot? ... LOL ...
United Airlines — Cleared for takeoff with iPad.
http://www.apple.com/ipad/business/profiles/united-airlines/
Countless business travelers rely on iPad as an essential flight companion. But at United Airlines, iPad isn’t just for passengers. Following extensive testing and FAA approval, iPad recently became standard equipment on the flight deck, providing pilots with one-touch access to charts, maps, and other crucial navigation tools that help keep United flights on track and on time.
“United has always been a technology leader in the airline business,” says Pete McDonald, Chief Operations Officer of United Airlines. “We’ve always had the most advanced aircraft, and our flight planning systems have always been the most efficient. iPad gives our pilots access to more accurate information more quickly. It’s the best, most comprehensive technology that not only United, but the FAA has approved and supported.”
“United has always been a technology leader in the airline business,” says Pete McDonald, Chief Operations Officer of United Airlines. “We’ve always had the most advanced aircraft, and our flight planning systems have always been the most efficient. iPad gives our pilots access to more accurate information more quickly. It’s the best, most comprehensive technology that not only United, but the FAA has approved and supported.”
Featherweight flight charts
In a business where extra weight translates directly into extra costs, choosing iPad means fewer pounds on every route United flies—not to mention less baggage for United pilots to lug through the airport.
“A pilot’s flight bag weighs about 45 pounds,” says Captain David Sambrano, who has flown United planes for 22 years. “With iPad, we get rid of that big 45-pound bag. Being able to take all those books and charts and bring it down to about a pound and a half is incredible.”
Eliminating all that paper translates into serious savings, says Captain Joe Burns, Managing Director of Technology and Flight Test, another 20-year United veteran. “With iPad we’re able to save 16 million sheets of paper a year. Just removing the weight of that paper works out to 326,000 gallons of fuel saved per year.”
But replacing traditional flight charts with electronic documents on iPad does more than merely lighten the load. It also helps United pilots pinpoint essential flight information the moment they need it.
“In the past we’d have to pull a binder out, find the airport and the approach code, pull the paper out, clip it onto a chart holder somewhere, then enter that data into the flight control computer on the aircraft,” Burns recalls. “We view iPad as a big safety and time saver.”
“The iPad display allows us to see the chart very clearly,” Sambrano adds, “and it’s readable in different types of lighting, which is extremely important. And you can get to that particular chart or that particular piece of information so quickly.”
In-air Apps
United Airlines is no stranger to mobile tools that ease the way for passengers, from mobile-friendly booking and travel management tools to boarding passes that can be scanned directly from an iPhone or iPad display. Bringing iPad into the cockpit signals a new phase in the airline’s commitment to technology that improves both efficiency and service.
“United flies to 61 countries on six continents,” Sambrano says, “and no matter where I am in the world, I have all that flight planning information at my fingertips on iPad. Having the best technology allows you to make the best decisions to fly efficiently and arrive safely. If you have an accurate display like iPad on board, you’re able to plan a better route.”
The airline’s in-house development team has created several custom applications that help pilots quickly locate flight information on iPad. For example, the Content Locker app automatically pushes the latest flight data to each iPad, so pilots don’t have to spend time searching for and uploading the correct materials before each flight. They also have access to the Jeppesen Mobile Flight Deck application, which displays approach charts and en route chart data on iPad.
“Other applications include our flight operations manual, aircraft flight manual, and worldwide operations manual, which encompasses all the charts and approach plates we routinely use,” says Burns.
iPad also supports United’s stringent security requirements with both built-in security settings and compatibility with third-party Mobile Device Management (MDM) systems. “Security is paramount to United Airlines,” Burns notes. “We’re very confident that both the data and the device itself will stay secure throughout our operation.”
Smooth flying with iPad
With iPad and custom apps onboard, United is ready to launch a new era of flexible, compact resources for its flight staff. “iPad is a breakthrough from a technology and efficiency standpoint,” says McDonald. “I’m very proud that we’ve been able to put something as sophisticated and efficient as iPad in the hands of our pilots.”
The pilots couldn’t agree more. “With iPad we have a device that’s almost custom-built for our application,” Burns says. “One that’s lightweight, runs on battery power for a long time, is easy to program, and give us the information we need at the moment we need it.”
Most importantly, iPad helps the airline do what it does best: get people to their destinations safely and on schedule.
“One of the greatest things about being a pilot is being able to connect people,” says Sambrano. “We’re able to bring businesses and families together across the globe, and we’re able to bring our soldiers back home to their families. iPad helps us do this-and in my opinion, there’s no better job.”
Ummm ... when did our system get shut down by iPads? ... LOL ...
What, you never heard of a plane being grounded because the map was broken?
Ahh the title of the thread should give you a clue. Planes didn't fly because Apple did a live update.
In addition to the many airlines in the USA using IPads to put all their 6,000 pages of info that the pilot had to carry on before, the partnership of IBM and Apple are also developing enterprise apps for use in the airline industry, “on the ground” ... :-) ...
These iPads are just doing amazing things for productivity.
AND ... I’m typing this on an iPad, too! ... :-) ...
— — —
IBM launches three more iPad apps in Apple partners
http://www.techrepublic.com/article/ibm-launches-three-more-ipad-apps-in-apple-partnership/
Continuing in its quest to launch 100 iPad apps by the end of 2015, IBM revealed three new iPad apps this week as part of its MobileFirst for iOS platform.
The partnership with Apple, initiated in the middle of last year, already saw the launch of 10 apps back in December across a number of verticals including airlines, banking, retail and insurance.
Now, IBM has launched new transportation, retail, and banking apps. Let’s take a closer look.
Passenger Care
First up is Passenger Care, aimed at airline customer service agents. Rather than keep airline representatives stationary at gate counters, this app is meant to allow them to move around the airport, helping travelers rebook flights or change their seats from almost anywhere in the terminal — or just to help people find the nearest restroom.
As someone who saw first-hand this week what cancelled flights can do to an huge and busy airport, anything to help improve airline customer service will be welcomed with open arms.
Five planes are “our system”?! ... LOL ...
Jet Blue Joins the Mile-High iPad Cockpit Club, Will Supply Realtime Info to Pilots During Flights
http://www.mactrast.com/2013/06/jet-blue-joins-the-mile-high-ipad-cockpit-club-will-supply-realtime-info-to-pilots-during-flights/
Jet Blue Joins the Mile-High iPad Cockpit Club, Will Supply Realtime Info to Pilots During Flights
Jet Blue has joined the Mile-High Club. No, not that one. The airline has joined the likes of American Airlines, United, and British Airways in issuing iPads to its pilots to replace the heavy flight bags they traditionally carry. However, they are taking the idea one step further than the other airlines.
TNW, via 9to5Mac:
The New York-based budget airline has been given approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, which will see its pilots receive custom-equipped iPads that serve up real-time information related to the flight.
Each JetBlue pilot will be trained to use three apps that are pivotal to their job – real-time weather, pre-flight planning and digital airport and aircraft charts – and the iPads will replace laptops and a “mound of paper manuals and charts” …
The FAA certified the iPad for use on flight-decks back in 2011, and other aviation regulatory agencies are taking the same approach, the British CAA also approved iPads for use by cabin crew.
Jet Blue is taking things a step further than most airlines, as it plans to allow pilots to connect to the airline’s on-board Wi-Fi, to allow pilots to receive updated weather reports and company documents during flights.
More airlines are expected to follow suit, and the FAA is also expected to approve gate-to-gate usage of electronic devices such as iPads by passengers.
UPDATE 6/26/13 - The original post listed Delta as a member of the “pilots have iPads on the flight deck” club, it has been corrected to “United.” Our source for the correction, who wished to remain anonymous, also tells us that United will be implementing a program similar to Jet Blue’s, but will be installing a separate Wi-Fi network for use only by the flight crew, to avoid connection issues.
Maybe they should have considered something that doesn't come with a built-in single point of failure.
Well see those pages didn't magically quit working and thus grounded the flight because someone decided to do an update.
You do understand that point right? The iGadget app glitched and the planes couldn't fly because of Gub'ment rules.
The phrase "single point of failure" comes to mind. If all the airlines adopt the iGadget and a bad update shuts down the system (remember iMaps?) then apparently under FFA rules the planes can't fly according to a Freeper claiming to be a certified pilot. If this is true it is the very definition of a single point of failure.
Maybe some rules about iGadgets for planes adapted to not get automatic system updates or app updates until they are approved by the FAA is an answer or just carry the damn hardcopy in case something goes wrong.
OT: Software glitches leave Navy Smart Ship dead in the water
These iPads aren't controlling anything, they are used for charts.
UK CAA Approves Gama Aviation for iPad EFBs
http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/2014-03-11/uk-caa-approves-gama-aviation-ipad-efbs
Gama Aviation has received approval from the UK CAA for flight crews to use Apple iPads for flight-planning and airborne chart purposes when flying G-registered aircraft.
Gama pilots will use iPads equipped with Jeppesen’s Mobile FliteDeck app. The iPads also feature the Airwatch Secure Content Locker, “a cloud-based library publication system that allows crews to download and manage operational flight-deck documents,” according to Gama.
So far 22 Gama pilots are trained to use the iPad EFBs, which also contain operating manuals, reference handbooks and checklists.
There are no updates that are forced updates by Apple on the iPad. So, it’s a no-brainier to have updates, checked and run through the paces.
This is only a problem in your head and not with the airlines or the FAA ... :-) ... You’re trying your darnedest to make that little pile of dirt that you’ve constructed in your head - into a mountain, but you just can’t shovel the dirt fast enough ... LOL ...
"Jet Blue Joins the Mile-High iPad Cockpit Club, Will Supply Realtime Info to Pilots During Flights"
TAG Aviation becomes first business aviation operator in the UK to introduce paperless cockpits - iPads to replace paper flight-deck documents
http://web.vistair.com/news/40/tag-aviation-becomes-first-business-aviation-opera/
TAG Aviation becomes first business aviation operator in the UK to introduce paperless cockpits - iPads to replace paper flight-deck documents
FARNBOROUGH, 15 July 2013 – TAG Aviation (UK) Ltd, part of TAG Aviation Europe, today announced the introduction of paperless cockpits, following UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) approval. It is the first business aviation operator in the UK to receive authorisation from the CAA for this industry-leading step.
TAG Aviation (UK) Ltd is now in the process of equipping crews across its managed fleet with iPads (Class 1 Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs)) loaded with Vistair DocuNet and Jeppesen Mobile FliteDeck applications.
DocuNet, a cloud-based library publication system, enables crews to download and manage TAG Aviation operational flight-deck documents using their iPads. Jeppesen Mobile FliteDeck allows crews to access aeronautical arrival and departure information for airports worldwide and can also be accessed via Class 3 EFB primary flight displays (on aircraft equipped with this capability).
“The introduction of paperless technology will ensure that pilots have up-to-date, essential information at their fingertips. Flights manuals, manufacturer’s documents and aeronautical flight charts can be updated at the touch of a button instead of the time-consuming and wasteful process of manually updating hard copies,” said Russ Allchorne, Vice President Flight Operations Europe, TAG Aviation (UK) Ltd.
“At TAG Aviation, we are committed to identifying ways to pioneer standards in flight operations and wider business aviation practices to improve efficiency, safety and our environmental footprint.”
Ian Herbert, CEO of Vistair, commented: “This is a superb achievement demonstrating that TAG Aviation is both a leader and innovator in driving efficiency and value in the business aviation sector. At Vistair we are delighted that our technology has been instrumental in assisting TAG Aviation on its journey towards paperless flight decks and we look forward to continuing and developing our successful relationship.”
Steve Card, Director, Jeppesen Business Aviation Client Management, added: “Transitioning from paper to digital flight information is a significant achievement and we fully support TAG Aviation in their digital transformation. Integration of Jeppesen Mobile FliteDeck reduces pilot workload, increases operational efficiency, reduces fuel consumption and lowers costs by eliminating paper materials.”
In addition to a reduction in paper use and printing, TAG Aviation aims to achieve savings in fuel consumption by reducing the weight of each pilot’s flight bag taken onboard. On average, pilots have to carry hundreds of pages of operating manuals, navigation charts, reference handbooks, flight checklists, logbooks and weather information, which can weigh between 20 kg and 35 kg; significantly more than a 0.662-kg iPad.
TAG Aviation plans to introduce paperless cockpits throughout its worldwide managed fleet of 140 aircraft, subject to regulatory approval. In addition to its UK operation based in Farnborough, it has air operator certificates (AOCs) in Switzerland (Geneva), Spain (Madrid), the Middle East (Bahrain) and Asia (Hong Kong).
How iPads transformed the cockpit for busy Alaska Airlines pilots
http://www.citeworld.com/article/2115557/tablets/ipads-alaska-airlines-pilots.html
How iPads transformed the cockpit for busy Alaska Airlines pilots
In the old days of 2010, some 1,500 Alaska Airlines pilots were still carrying heavy flight bags loaded with flight maps, flight manuals, and loads of other paperwork that was subject to frequent updates. Pilots had to replace old pages by manually inserting thick envelopes of new information – some 5,500 pages a year.
Those updates took lots of time, and all of that paper was heavy and unwieldy, said Captain Jim Freeman, a pilot who has been flying for Alaska since 1984.
Even more important, though, was the realization that all of those paper manuals and maps, along with their constant and frenetic updates, were causing information overload for pilots who already had plenty to do in the cockpits of their aircraft — managing the demands of flight controllers, the weather, and increasingly crowded skies, said Freeman.
“We were burying people in paper and paper doesn’t really search well,” he said in an interview with CITEworld. “The problem was an information management crisis.”
Today, that’s all changed. Alaska Airlines pilots are all using Apple iPads loaded with flight manuals, aeronautical maps, and other critical apps so that they can receive faster, more reliable information updates while increasing their in-flight efficiency, according to Freeman. “It’s really change management inside a company. That’s really what the revolution with tablets is all about.”
A trial
The iPad deployment at Alaska Airlines began small in May of 2010. Based on Freeman’s suggestion, the airline distributed 10 iPads as part of a field test to see how they might be used. The airline was the first to move to electronic flight information for their crews.
During the flight trials, the company’s pilots carried their full complement of paper manuals and charts as they tested out the iPads, just in case the papers were needed. After just one month, the first officers in the crews were no longer using their paper charts. After another month, the crews didn’t even have to carry their paper charts anymore.
The first results of those initial tests were so positive that a trial involving 100 pilots was quickly set up in the winter of 2010. By then, the benefits of the iPads in the cockpits became obvious and efforts got underway to move all of the company’s pilots to so-called digital flight bags.
When the trials began, the iPads couldn’t be used for flight below 10,000 feet, where take-offs and landings are occurring, but that restriction was removed by November 2011, according to Freeman. The devices have been tested to ensure that they don’t interfere with the avionics systems in the aircraft used by Alaska. While they are used in the cockpit, the devices are placed in airplane mode and are not transmitting or receiving using WiFi.
By November of 2011, every Alaska Airlines pilot was using the specially equipped iPads. The move, said Freeman, has been ground-breaking for the company and its pilots.
“You take this application, you take a modern tablet, then with a few finger swipes and a couple of touches, voila, there’s your new chart,” he said. “Now you can see speed restrictions or whatever else is going on. You’re just faster about managing information. You’re always planning ahead and being able to react better.”
The iPads are loaded with a special Alaska Airlines version of flight management software called FliteDeck Pro from aviation training and navigation vendor Jeppesen. The app manages departures and arrivals, provides navigational charts en route, includes automatic updating, and imports other manuals needed by pilots, such as runway maps for each destination. Pilot training materials are also being placed on the iPads so that pilots can view them anytime for easier training and updates without requiring visits to training centers.
Even the small things are easier using the tablets. For instance, in the past when the weather was bad, pilots had to pull out a paper map along with a bright flashlight so they could see where they were heading, said Freeman. The flashlight or spotlight could be blinding due to their brightness in the darkened cockpit.
“Now you have a tablet that won’t be as bright and won’t ruin your vision,” he said. “It’s really an incredible idea to have these tablets. It’s a communicator. It’s an information manager.”
The airline also liked the idea of saving fuel by ditching the previously heavy flight manuals. Alaska’s pilots can now carry a small bag that incudes their iPad, a headset, and required paper charts that are still required if they are flying to Alaska or Hawaii.
Not everybody was on board at first
One important factor in the successful deployment was getting buy-in from the company’s executives.
“What we learned was you need really big executive support” for such a move, said Freeman. “It’s a big paradigm shift. One of the big things we had to do was to have a conversation with the legal department and with company executives. We had to learn how to get together and to find common ground.”
The next issue was deciding which tablets to use, but that was made easier after choosing the Jeppesen application, which at the time was available only for iPads, said Freeman. The Apple devices were also chosen because they would be easier to manage for privacy and security, he said.
Getting buy-in from the company’s pilots also took some work.
“You need to soak into the DNA of the users,” said Freeman. “The biggest thing is parallel run training, letting them learn with it, letting them carry their paper charts alongside the iPads to prove their worth at the beginning. We did a slow transition.”
The pilots are permitted to use their company-issued iPads for personal use as well, for photos and viewing movies, but are asked to use them responsibly. So far, email isn’t available using the iPads, but Freeman said he hopes those capabilities are introduced in the future.
“You give me a WiFi connection and a Starbucks and I can do anything I need to do,” he said. “It’s pretty powerful.”
One of the biggest compliments received so far about the iPads came in from a pilot who admitted that in the past, it was difficult to always keep up with the flight manual updates when they were paper-based, said Freeman. “What we’re finding is that people are actually reading more of the manuals now. It was kind of a pain to maintain and read all those documents. Now they’re looking at them more and we’re empowering our employees. It did change the way we do things.”
Other airlines are also working on their own tablet deployments or testing, said Freeman, including American Airlines, United Airlines and UPS.
Our system consists of a dozen flights or so?! ... LOL ...
FedEx and UPS are with iPads now, in the cockpit!
— — —
One-pound iPad replacing pilots’ 40 pounds of flight manuals
http://articles.philly.com/2011-07-17/business/29783701_1_ipad-pilots-faa-approval
FedEx and United Parcel Service use electronic flight bags. “It’s an efficiency improvement in our operations,” FedEx spokesman Jim McCluskey said. The technology “gives us the ability to update data in the field all over the world.” FedEx keeps paper charts and manuals onboard as a backup to the electronic data.
UPS has used electronic flight bags in 11 aircraft, and is seeking FAA permission to use the iPad in the cockpit of its entire fleet of 218 aircraft this fall, said spokeswoman Jackie Blair.
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