Posted on 04/29/2015 1:42:41 AM PDT by Mad Dawgg
Several American Airlines flights were delayed Tuesday night after a software glitch occurred in the Apple iPads provided to pilots, forcing authorities to return planes to the gates to fix the malfunction, the Verge reported. The affected flights reportedly included AA2413, AA2276, AA1654, AA235 and AA128.
Passengers were reportedly asked to exit the aircraft. American Airlines first confirmed the issue to a passenger, named Bill Jacaruso, who was traveling to Austin from Dallas/Fort Worth airport on flight AA1654.
“Some flights are experiencing an issue with a software application on pilot iPads,” Andrea Huguely, a spokeswoman for the American Airlines, told the Verge. “In some cases, the flight has had to return to the gate to access a Wi-Fi connection to fix the issue. We apologize for the inconvenience to our customers. We are working to have them on the way to their destination as soon as possible.”
Another representative for the airline said that the issue, which had affected "a few dozen flights," had been identified and that a fix was being worked on.
(Excerpt) Read more at ibtimes.com ...
Wow. ebooks. What will Steve Jobs think of next?
Cockpit Chronicles: The iPad Flight Bag Is Finally Here (Video)
http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/american-us-airways-merger/73912-american-ipad-flight-bag-finally-here.html
The long awaited, previously announced iPad Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) has finally been approved for most of our airplanes at the company. In fact, we’re the first U.S. airline to receive FAA approval for the use of the iPad as a replacement for all of our paper Jeppesen approach plates.
The process started in 2007 when we were allowed to use laptops to hold our company manuals. This meant we could leave three to four manuals at home that weighed about ten pounds. When the iPad came on the scene, we were allowed to use it as an alternative to the laptop. That left only our “Jepps,” two to three large manuals that weighed even more than the company books, for us to lug around.
Some airlines went a different route, investing in a built-in laptop solution called a Class II EFB that included Jepp support. This 2009 cockpit video by Gadling shows how Virgin America deployed that solution.
Later, our company worked with Jeppesen and the FAA to offer an iPad that would be provided to every pilot and a RAM mount that stays in the aircraft. In addition, the company also provided us with a Hypermac backup battery that’s capable of extending the life of the iPad for an additional 24 hours.
Since both pilots will be carrying an iPad, coupled with the extended batteries, the FAA feels this is as redundant as the regular manuals.
A few weeks ago we saw our first mounts in our MD-80, so I felt a video tour might explain how the setup works and just what it replaces.
CLICK HERE FOR YOUTUBE VIDEO
So far American has approval for the 777, 737, MD-80 and is just awaiting approval for the 757/767 fleet. Hopefully, this will be just in time for my return to that airplane, as once you use this setup, you won’t want to go back to the paper.
To get that approval, American had to have the iPad tested in a hypobaric chamber to simulate how the device would handle during a rapid decompression. They also had to arrange for mount testing with the FAA, which is ironic since our manuals weigh far more than the iPad and aren’t secured in place. Many takeoffs have resulted in a book or two sliding off the side table and onto the floor.
Next up on the list are the reams of dot matrix printed paperwork we take with us on the flights that I covered in a previous video. Once that is accomplished, and weather is incorporated into the iPad, we can finally claim to be flying in the seemingly mythical “paperless cockpit” that has long been the goal since sometime just after the Wright Brothers took to the air and discovered how difficult it was to fold up their maps in the open cockpit.
[Photo/Video credit: Kent Wien]
Related: “Cockpit Chronicles: Paper Makes an Airplane Fly”
“Cockpit Chronicles” takes you along on some of Kent’s trips as a captain co-pilot on the MD-80 757 and 767 based in New York. Have any questions for Kent? Check out the “Cockpit Chronicles” Facebook page or follow Kent on Twitter @veryjr.
They should sue Apple.
For some reason, it bothers me that an airliner can run out of fuel without the pilot being alerted well ahead of time. Planes don't have a fuel gauge?
According to Cigar Reveler's clone, Apple/The Chinese Communist Party pays chinese ipad assembly line slave workers $52/hour.
Funniest thing I have heard all week!
http://www.ibtimes.com/chinas-foxconn-workers-still-arent-earning-enough-money-952864
I see...
hahahah
Very informative.
I’ve flown a lot in the past few years. This actually helps me to feel pretty good about being in seat 28A.
Thanks a lot.
What I find amazing is pilots have been flying planes for over 100 years here in the USA and now apparently American Airlines pilots can't fly without a handheld Gizmo and somehow this is supposed to be considered progress.
It makes you wonder if pilots are getting dumber?
Maybe instead of buying a Gizmo they should have paid for more flying lessons.
Just think ... Star Trek ... :-) ...
As usual, the details are left out and those who are educated beyond their intelligence feel the need to spout off.
The FAA defines what an operator can and can’t do when using an electronic flight bag based on hardware, software and the type of operation (Part 91, 121, 135, etc.).
Easy to research this info.
I use an IPad with Foreflight software and an ADS-B tie-in for my commercial flying job. With it, I’m able to access a wealth of up-to-date flight information and enhance situational awareness. I’ve been using it for 3 years and I like it.
-FAA rated pilot since 1978 with nary a lapse in currency.
I see so the Enterprise wouldn’t fly if Spock’s Tricorder wasn’t working? hahahahah
They couldn’t fly without over 6,000 printed pages before ... LOL ... now it’s just an iPad instead of all those pages!
AND ... it’s not American Airlines, but it’s the FAA testing and giving approval to American Airlines, Executove Jet Management, United Airlines, Continental Airlines, Alaska Air, Delta Airlines and others ... :-) ...
No paper star charts ... LOL ...
Ahhh there it is! The gub'ment has now deemed it is impossible to fly the plane without an iGadget...
Yep, more proof this country is royally F%%%ed...
Yeah, I really don’t know why there are some Freepers so against technology which has given our civilization such great advances and made life a lot easier and safer. I guess some people still like the horse and carriage, too (in Pennsylvania ... :-) ...).
Our society has a ways to go before the Enterprise. The iPad is a step ... :-) ...
I find it amazing the government has deemed that if you use an iGadget to help you fly you can't fly without it.
I could understand it if it was proprietary platform designed for our nations aviation system with redundancy and protocols to keep an update from glitching the system and stopping flights. But we are talking about a device that is used to play angry birds and watch funny kitty vids on youtube, And can get a live update anytime Apple decides they want to do one.
I just can't see basing our nations air travel on a system that can be shut down by getting a bad live update.
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