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Ipad use in airliner cockpits

Peter,

What you saw in that cockpit is not an iPad although many wish it was. It’s a Panasonic Toughpad. It’s just a computer basically as it runs Windows 7. It is equipped with the crappiest touchscreen you have ever seen in your life. It’s about on par with the 1990s touch screen with which you had to use a stylus. It does not have a stylus but it drives just about everyone mad.

The application that is running at the time of the photo is the Airbus LPC applications that does all the loadsheet and performance calculation. On there, Lido is also installed as well as the application used for company documentation. There is also a custom page with some quick access to documentation pages such as winter ops and CPDLC regions.

There is no GPS no connectivity no communication with the outside world. A network port exists but I’ve not seen it used.

Last Edited by antoinebk at 24 Dec 18:11
LFLP/LSGL

Peter wrote:

I took this rather poor pic last night. Can any airline pilot explain what function the Ipad is performing?

That doesn’t look like an iPad, they don’t have a row of buttons (on the lower bezel in the case of this image).

Interesting… IOS8 or higher so this must be quite recent. That’s a real heavy-duty approach, requiring a re-initialisation of the device. Doubly interesting since the Blackberry’s main USP for corporates was the “VPN” type security. How was this issue solved before?

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Peter wrote:

if you are to limit outside connections to a VPN then how do you lock the device down to only ever use the VPN?

It is possible with a company profile: https://www.howtogeek.com/218851/how-to-enable-always-on-vpn-on-an-iphone-or-ipad/

Thanks for that link NCYankee. Some interesting stuff there…

I wonder how the external GPS source is implemented. Would they really stick a bluetooth GPS on the top of the panel?

This bit sounds like the Garmin Safetaxi, or JeppFD (etc) displaying the airport chart

This bit sounds like prohibition on the crew doing their personal internet stuff on it and a fair degree of customisation e.g. if you are to limit outside connections to a VPN then how do you lock the device down to only ever use the VPN? This is an old problem in IT, and a lot of security breaches happened via a VPN being briefly unavailable and the OS switches back to the base connection

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Here is most current FAA guidance to airlines on use of EFB AC 120-76D EFB

What is really new is that US air carriers are now allowed to show ownship position on a map while airborne.

KUZA, United States

iPads are mostly used for technical information, manuals and the like. Never for navigation.

I took this rather poor pic last night. Can any airline pilot explain what function the Ipad is performing?

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Well, it’s more demanding than that of a cosy living room. And yes, given the certification rules, I consider aviation demanding. For better or worse. I don’t doubt it can get the job done.

I too still have my first one. I consider them disposable because of their poor serviceability, not because I’m careless and destroy one after another. But mine have overheated and show me no love when cold. I have operated tablets from about -25 to +42 °C (air temperature). And I certainly do things with the more rugged tablets I wouldn’t with an iPad.

I just don’t think they are best suited for the job and I’m surprised that they are so well accepted in such a demanding environment.

We are not ag flying, aren’t we? That’s the only demanding environment within GA I’m aware of. I’ve been using my private iPad for over three years now, every single day, everywhere. Single, twin, bizjet, train, car, hotel, home. I have no special case or protective bag other than the “Smart Cover” that came with it. Not even a screen protector The battery still lasts 3/4 as long as on the first day, it has never overheated nor did it freeze. I have never had GPS reception issues anywhere in any aircraft.
The same applies to the 18 iPads in almost daily use over our fleet since more than a year. Other than on very cold and hot days they are only removed from the aeroplanes for charging.

EDDS - Stuttgart
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