A paperless flight deck beckons…
Given our own mission at PrivateFly.com – to allow private jet customers to search, compare and book a private jet charter online with as little paper changing hands as possible – we are always keen to celebrate advances in technology in our industry at large.
So it was with much excitement that I read that US charter operator Executive Jet Management will soon be ditching paper in the flight deck – in favour of the Apple iPad for their in-flight map needs. This follows months of consideration and testing by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and by the operator’s own pilots, culminating in approval being granted for pilots use the 9.7-inch Apple iPad and a map application titled ‘Mobile TC’ for flight mapping.
Currently other National Aviation Authorities, including the UK’s CAA (Civil Aviation Authority), do not allow pilots to use iPads in the flight deck but hopefully this development in the US will act as a catalyst for similar approvals in other countries. It’s fantastic to see tablets and smart phones being embraced by our industry. At PrivateFly we launched an iPhone app last year, allowing travellers to search for private jet charter prices on an iPhone and immediately receive a cost estimate including images and specifications of aircraft. This remains the only phone app in the world to give instant private jet prices for any global trip.
Of course nothing stands still in technology and the team are continally looking to develop and improve both the app and our overall web platform. Hopefully before too long we’ll be able to give customers the option to search, book and confirm their private jet flight from start to finish – all from their phone. It’s not possible yet but we’re working on it. I’ll keep you updated!
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