Squawk ident
Do you carry a portable electronic device (PED) when flying? To you, what are the advantages of using independent PEDs in the cockpit? Do you have apps that communicate with your avionics directly?
We use Apple iPads together with ARINCDirect, ForeFlight, and Jeppesen apps. We also use Dropbox and GoodReader for document storage. No apps communicate directly with the aircraft avionics. In my opinion, having independent PEDs provides a good backup to the avionics and allows Internet connectivity in the air.
Brent Keyes
ATP. Gulfstream G550
Dir of Aviation
Moorland Promontory
Royal Palm Beach FL
Our legacy Citation Sovereign carries 2 iPads to access all things ForeFlight, especially ship position on great maps. The iPads give us superb situational awareness and access to weather. Unfortunately, the legacy Sovereign has legacy Honeywell Primus, avionics which do not play with anything else. Oh, that we could ever get a Garmin G5000 upgrade – but I don’t believe I’ll ever see that option.
Peter Ferguson
ATP. Citation Sovereign & Daher TBM 930
Chief Pilot
Carlisle Capital Corp
Portsmouth NH
Even though we use iPads for backup charts, we often use them as our primary since the avionics display of charts is awkward. None of our apps connect to any avionics, other than Wi-Fi connection to the Internet.
Andrew Bledsoe
ATP. Gulfstream IV
Captain
Private Company
Indianapolis IN
I use an Apple iPad with the ForeFlight app. An advantage is that our Garmin avionics allow us to alter our flight plan on the fly on the iPad and transfer it to the aircraft.
Kevin Molloy
ATP/Helo. Leonardo AW109
Pilot
WGB
Lagrangeville NY
Yes, we carry an iPad with Jeppesen charts, all the aircraft manuals in electronic form, and the operational flight plan as a PDF so we can fill it out on the iPad and send it to operations on completion of the flight. However, we don’t have direct communications with our Collins Pro Line 21 avionics.
Alberto Alexander
ATP. Challenger 300
Lead Pilot
Skyservice BAS
Dorval QC, Canada
All of our pilots are required to carry iPads. We can communicate with each other, and with the company, maintenance, dispatch – the list seems endless. Dispatch sends flight releases to iPads, which are then interrogated by the FMS and updated. Initial and updated plans, weather and various alerts are also available, and they’re invaluable. Aircraft manuals, training bulletins, and recurrent training schedules are also available to all line pilots. It’s hard to believe we used to carry 50-lb flight bags full of manuals. So much more is now readily available to the crews.
Russ Feddersen
ATP. Airbus A300, Boeing 777/767/757/737/727, Citation I & I/SP, MD-80, DC-9, & Learjet 35A/25D
Former Line Captain (777)
United Airlines
Rockport TX
Certainly, I use an iPad with the ForeFlight app. It connects to Garmin transponders through a Flight Stream 110 module and provides ADS-B In data. ForeFlight can display the aircraft’s position on a map, as well as the other aircraft around us including tail/flight numbers and ground speed, radar imagery, and text weather from an airport’s ASOS or AWOS. It’s fantastic! Both pilots in our flight deck use it, so we both have the information we need. I can also use ForeFlight in the same manner on my iPhone as a backup.
Grant Gordon
ATP. Citation XLS
Chief Pilot
Eagle Carports
Mount Airy NC
ForeFlight and ForeFlight Sentry are what I use. With this combination I have navigation in the event of a total electrical failure.
Curt Harms
ATP/CFII. Citation I/SP
Chief Pilot
PT Air
Pipersville PA
Apple iPad using ForeFlight with Jeppesen charts is what we work with. Advantages include having planning and performance outside the aircraft, then being able to sync to load into the avionics. Also, having another screen and weather source is always nice. We use ForeFlight weather via onboard Internet.
David Morris
Comm-Multi-Inst/CFII. Pilatus PC-24
Senior Pilot
U-Haul
Chandler AZ
Yes, I carry 2 independent devices. Doing so ensures that I receive consistent information. In addition, the devices augment the panel of the aircraft I’m flying to some extent.
Andrew Holbert
ATP. Falcon 2000EX/LXS & King Air 350/300/200
Manager/Crewmember
Aviation Services Group
Little Rock AR
We utilize 2 iPads as our Class 3 EFB in our Falcon 2000. We use a mounted iPad in each of our turbine helicopters, which talk directly to the Garmin avionics through an app. Outside of that, all our other tasks involve the onboard avionics.
Stephen Polk
ATP. Airbus H120/H130 & Falcon 2000LX
Dir of Aviation
Central Romana Corp
Miami FL
Certainly. Each pilot on the Gulfstream G650 has to carry a PED – an iPad, with all of the documentation and checklists on it.
Jerry Harrington
ATP/CFI. Gulfstream G650ER
Chief Pilot & Av Dept Mgr
Benson Pacific
San Diego CA
Apple iPad with the ForeFlight app is what I use. It’s great as a chart backup.
Glen William
ATP. Gulfstream V
Captain
Private
Loxahatchee FL
I have a PED with Jeppesen worldwide charts, relevant QRH, checklists, and nav apps, used as backup. It has no communications with aircraft systems.
Christian Fournier
ATP. Gulfstream V/G550/G450
Captain
Horizon
Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
iPads are what we use when flying. The benefits are that we obtain quick verification of updated clearances, frequencies are easy to find, and the iPad serves as a backup in case of loss of electrical power. There is no direct communication with avionics.
David Mullens
ATP/CFII. Challenger 300
Captain
Business Jet Services
Dallas TX
Sure, I carry a PED when flying. I use it only for reference and as a backup. My philosophy regarding PEDs is the following: 1 All functionality that is required to fly the aircraft in an adequate manner must be provided by the certified onboard devices. 2 Communications between the instrument panel and the PED are disabled, meaning no Wi-Fi and no Bluetooth. The only communication between the instrument panel and the external world should be the corresponding comms/nav frequencies and through SD-card-type mechanisms, the latter to be utilized just for downloading data such as database updates. In other words, the certified aircraft systems must be independent, self-sufficient, logically secure, and totally independent of any outside source. 3 For security reasons, the SD card mechanisms must be scanned every time just before connecting to the instrument panel device receiving them, just to prevent any malware transfer from external sources. Flying is not the best time to deal with disruptions due to malware activity. I have never read about this point in the myriads of articles written about PEDs. They just talk about goodies but not limitations or weaknesses. Up to now, I have over 1500 hours of flight time utilizing glass cockpits, and not a single problem. I enjoy my robust glass instrument panel, but we must understand its limitations. We don’t want the blue screen of death at FL300.
Omar Villarrubia
ATP/Helo. King Air 200
Contract Pilot
San Juan PR
We do use PEDs, and I find that they increase situational awareness by confirming what the aircraft system displays. No, our aircraft is not able to communicate directly. It would be beneficial, though.
Stephen Stott
ATP/Helo. Airbus EC225
Helicopter Pilot
Air Center Helicopter
Charleston SC
Yes, we use an iPad and Stratus. As a contract pilot, I fly many aircraft that have different avionics. Unfortunately, there is no direct communication with them.
David Loe
ATP. Citation V & King Air 350
Contract Pilot
Aviation Place
Kissimmee FL
Joe Abrahamson
ATP/A&P. Challenger 350
Chief Pilot
GPG
Phoenix AZ
Yes, I use an iPad. I find it quicker and more accurate, and it has up-to-date information. I have massive amounts of info at my fingertips.
Porter Isom
ATP. Citation X+ & Gulfstream G600
Captain
Madrone Advisors
Fort Collins CO