Alaska Airlines To Replace Paper Manuals With iPads

Well it looks like Alaska Airlines will be replacing their flight manuals with iPads in an effort to enhance flight safety, protect the environment and improve efficiency. Apparently all the flight manuals and other system manuals that pilots are required to bring along on each trip has the potential to weigh up to 25 pounds, compared to the 1 1/2 pounds that the iPad weighs, that’s a lot of difference!

Alaska Airlines will be looking to recoup their losses through fuel saving by carrying a lighter load, and also they won’t have to pay medical bills for pilots who could be injured while lugging around 25 pounds worth of manuals.

According to the press release, “The iPads contain an app called GoodReader that is loaded with PDF versions of 41 flight, systems and performance manuals, reference cards, and other materials. The electronic manuals include hyperlinks and color graphics, enabling pilots to find information faster and easier. Updating these reference materials can now be accomplished with one tap on the iPad screen instead of the former, labor-intensive process of replacing individual pages with new ones.”

It’s interesting to note that even pilots are no exception to the rule where they have to stow away electronic devices during take off and landing as the iPad is considered a Class 1 electronic device.