Alaska Air carriers ditches paper flight manuals for iPads

Alaska Air carriers Aircraft pilots Go Lean and Eco-friendly With iPads

Initial domestic air travel to make use of iPads to change flight manuals

Dallas, May 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Included in a continuing effort to make use of technology to improve flight safety, improve efficiency and safeguard the atmosphere, Alaska Air carriers is giving iPad tablet computer systems to its aircraft pilots. The 1 1/2-pound iPads replace as much as 25 pounds of paper flight manuals that aircraft pilots are needed to transport once they fly.

The iPads are now being distributed to any or all Alaska Air carriers aircraft pilots, a procedure that'll be complete by mid-June. This follows a effective trial by 100 line and instructor aircraft pilots and Air Line Aircraft pilots Association reps, who examined the feasibility of utilizing iPads as electronic flight bags earlier this winter and spring.

Alaska Air carriers may be the initial domestic air travel to make use of the iPad to change paper manuals.

"We have been exploring the thought of a digital flight bag for quite some time, but never found a tool we actually loved," stated Gary Beck, Alaska Airlines' v . p . of flight procedures. "Once the iPad hit the industry, we required one view it and stated this is actually the perfect fit."

The iPads contain an application known as GoodReader that's packed with PDF versions of 41 flight, systems and gratifaction manuals, reference cards, along with other materials. The electronic manuals include hyperlinks and color graphics, enabling aircraft pilots to locate information faster and simpler. Upgrading these reference materials is now able to accomplished with one tap about the iPad screen rather than the first kind, labor-intensive procedure for changing individual pages with brand new ones. The iPad is recognized as a category 1 digital camera, meaning it's stowed throughout takeoff and landing under Federal Aviation Administration rules.

Along with changing paper manuals, Alaska Air carriers is going through the alternative of paper aeronautical navigation charts with electronic versions about the iPad, getting rid of the requirement for every pilot to transport their very own copy. Both initiatives, named "Bye, Bye, Flight Bag," helps you to save a couple of.4 million bits of paper.

The price of the project is anticipated to become offset by lower paper, printing and distribution expenses and reduced fuel consumption as a few pounds is taken away in the aircraft. Further savings are required from less back and muscle injuries triggered by aircraft pilots transporting flight bags that may tip the scales at 50 pounds or even more fully loaded.

Note to media: A higher-resolution photograph of the Alaska pilot using the iPad about the flight deck of the Boeing 737 will come in the airline's online newsroom image gallery at world wide web.alaskaair.com/newsroom.

Alaska Air carriers and Horizon Air, subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (New york stock exchange: ALK), together serve 90 metropolitan areas throughout Alaska, the low 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. For bookings, visit world wide web.alaskaair.com. For additional information and news, go to the Alaska Air carriers/Horizon Air Newsroom at world wide web.alaskaair.com/newsroom.

SOURCE Alaska Air carriers

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