Authorization Will Remove 120 Pounds Of Paper From Each Flight

Flexjet on Tuesday announced that it has received conditional authorization from the FAA for the use of Apple iPads as Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs) for fractional flights conducted under Part 91 Subpart K. The Phase 5 authorization comes after six months of validation testing of the device across Flexjet’s fleet of aircraft and acceptance of its standard operating procedures. The company’s complete transition from paper to electronic navigational charts is planned for January 2013.

“The FAA validation test was critical to the success of Flexjet’s Electronic Flight Bag program, and we are quite pleased with the results collected during the test period,” said Thomas Cantabene, Chief Pilot for Flexjet.

The Electronic Flight Bags’ mobile technology replaces paper-based reference materials with real-time data and increases situational awareness for those operating the aircraft. Each iPad device weighs approximately 1.35 pounds, significantly less than the more than 120 pounds in printed materials typically required per flight.

“Flexjet’s interest in Electronic Flight Bags extends beyond the use of just navigational charts in flight,” added Deanna White, President of Flexjet. “Looking to the future, our ultimate goal is to integrate a number of aspects of our offering into the device to increase productivity and eliminate costs, while improving on the already stellar customer service for which we are known.”

FMI: www.flexjet.com