Excellent news has arrived in a new report today as the US Federal Aviation Administration has certified the iPad 2 for use in airplane pilot cabins. Pilots will use the iPads to replace flight bags, replacing huge amounts of paper maps, safety checklists, charts, weather info, and more.
The report comes to us from the New York Times, and serves as a strong indication of the influence that the iPad is having in all sorts of industries, wedging itself into new places all the time. This follows a report from May that Alaska Airlines had approved the device for in-cockpit usage.
The FAA has authorized several commercial and charter airlines to use the iPad to replace flight bags. Even private pilots have begin carrying iPads, which can run any of hundreds of already-available apps to make life easier for pilots. The approval also means that the iPad has been cleared as not interfering with any airplane electronics.
With the iPad’s 10-hour battery life, this also means that pilots will be able to use the device even on long flights (I imagine that they will also devise ways to keep the iPad powered and charged in-flight).
I’m thrilled to see the iPad getting into new places – I think it speaks volumes about the device’s versatility and ultimate usability above other platforms. Your thoughts? Sound off in the comments!
