The iPad Gains Popularity Amongst Portable Cockpit Devices

The revolutionary iPad tablet computer from Apple lends itself well for flight planning use in the aviation industry, with 65% of pilots now using iPads in the cockpit - and that number is growing. Some of the benefits of the iPad include the large screen that makes it possible to read charts and text without zooming, as well as it being lightweight and easy to carry with a battery life of nearly 10 hours.

Mobile connectivity allows for easy chart updates and on-the-go weather briefings. It is also relatively cheap. It is also useful for other tasks apart from flying. It is easy to access pre-flight weather briefings and look at more weather graphics using an iPad.

Create An Ipad App

ARINC have created a new cockpit Application for the iPad, which attracted some 2,000 downloads during the three-month beta-testing period. The app gives pilots streamlined access to flight plans, weather information, charts, and NOTAMS through the ARINC Direct portal. It also updates and stores all flight-relevant information automatically eachtime a pilot logs on.

Additionally, pilots can update flight plans using the iPad touchscreen, and e-mail uploads using "sign and send" technology available with SwiftBroadband connectivity.

According to one company, 90% of requests for its services come from Apple devices, with only 8% of contact coming from BlackBerry and other Smartphone types.

So where does that leave other devices? Not entirely out in the cold it would seem. Many developers are creating cross platform apps that will work on different operating systems. And there is still the back of the aircraft to contend with. The Android Operating System is developing apace and Smartphone and tablet manufacturers are battling for a slice of the action on the ground, so it will be interesting to see how manufacturers will respond with connectivity offerings.

Setting aside what happens in the cockpit, Android has the largest user base of operating systems on mobile devices. Most chip sales today are going to mobile manufacturers. The industry heavyweight giant is producing Android OS variants, and the ensuing management of apps to support their software product.

It is not yet clear how all this will impact inflight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC). For the most part, IFEC manufacturers are small vendors compared to the size of the operating systems behemoths and, using the scale of the present compensatory judgements for these types of infringements, any compensation awarded would not cover the legal costs of mounting such a challenge.

Mobile cockpit connectivity is still a dark art, however, and earlier this year a proposed US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) advisory circular (AC) that could have limited general aviation operators' use of iPads and other devices was not intended to do so, according to the FAA. The agency is making revisions to the AC, "Guidelines for the Certification, Airworthiness, and Operational Use of Electronic Flight Bags EFB," to clarify that it is only applicable for Part 135 and 121 operators, not pilots operating under Part 91.

The iPad Gains Popularity Amongst Portable Cockpit Devices