e-pubs

[Guest Justshootme]

All,

Squadron CC is making the push...wants us using e-pubs in flight (since Buffs carry a library of T.O's). So, regardless of your opinions on the principle of the thing (everyone has one), Has anyone used these with any success/failure? Anyone know of any readers in particular that work well?

Thanks for the inputs.

-JSM

[Dead Last]

https://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Amazons-Wirel...e/dp/B000FI73MA

The question is how are you going to get around the whole, no thumbdrive/external hard drive issue? If you have found a way please pm me.

cheers

[SUX]

Just think of how much fuel you will be saving by not carrying all the paper pubs on the jet.

[PirateAF]

We pick up a hardbook (super duty laptop) at baseops for every local or mission sortie.

We just read the pubs through Adobe - works great...you can search through hundreds of pages just by searching for a term.

I love it. Never need to crack open the paper pubs on the jet.

All laptops have latest copy of epubs.

The question is how are you going to get around the whole, no thumbdrive/external hard drive issue? If you have found a way please pm me.

cheers

We are using 6 GB spinning hard drives - they are about the size of two thumb drives. Still very portable.

[Swizzle]

In the Herk we use e-pubs on thumb drives. On the C-130E, the nav brings a laptop (Toughbook), then we can view the pubs through it. We have to use a USB pigtail though. The Toughbook's USB port are recessed into the hard frame and our thumb drives don't fit. The USB pigtail does fit obviously.

I've been on a crew and we used it once. Though, several times we've referenced the paper copy of the T.O. -1 the Flight Engineer is required to bring.

To get around not being able to stick your thumb drive in a networked gov't computer, my squadron has taken a computer off the network and placed the e-pubs on it via an external hard drive (non-flash = not banned, generally). From there aircrew can update their poobs with a thumb drive. Wallah.

[XL0901]

All,

Squadron CC is making the push...wants us using e-pubs in flight (since Buffs carry a library of T.O's). So, regardless of your opinions on the principle of the thing (everyone has one), Has anyone used these with any success/failure? Anyone know of any readers in particular that work well?

Thanks for the inputs.

-JSM

When I was casual at a -135 unit (yeah I know...but hear me out) I was a SELO and was apart of an AFSO21 project that delt directly with Epubs. The outcome was that every sortie would carry a PFPS computer (Toughbook) with Epubs loaded on it. Other than the issues people have with epubs it seemed to work pretty well other than the specifics of finding an AC power source on the 135. There were still paper requirements but it ended up reducing a 73 pound pelican case of pubs down to a helmet bag weighing 22 pounds. The final step was recommending to the AMC/A3 the procurement of Ebook type systems to display epubs and incoperating them in to a knee board type product. May be a while but I think we will be using such tools eventually.

[BQZip01]

All,

Squadron CC is making the push...wants us using e-pubs in flight (since Buffs carry a library of T.O's). So, regardless of your opinions on the principle of the thing (everyone has one), Has anyone used these with any success/failure? Anyone know of any readers in particular that work well?

Thanks for the inputs.

-JSM

I'm in a BUFF squadron and we apparently did some basic testing with such a system. You don't need to have a thumbdrive if you connect them directly to the network and store them in such a way where they receive updates. PM me and I'll be happy to give you details.

[C17Driver]

We've reverted to burning our e-pubs on a disk since the banning of thumb drives took hold. The biggest downside is the limit on space on the disk.

[XL0901]

We've reverted to burning our e-pubs on a disk since the banning of thumb drives took hold. The biggest downside is the limit on space on the disk.

Altus was doing that and decided it took too much time/money to keep handing out updated disks. So in their wisdom what do they do?...Hand out thumb drives, that we can't use on the computers. Brilliant!

[Guest Form 8]

My base is starting to use them. Altus (-135's) were starting to use them when I was there last. I know a few other tanker bases that carry a toughbook and e-pubs. They do carry a paper Inflight -1 so you can reference checklists/EP checklists in flight.

Edited March 8, 2009 by Form 8

[JarheadBoom]

-Toughbook on every flight (that can never be connected to the network again).

-Epubs on a non-networked computer in the SQ msn planning area.

-Thumbdrives updated from the above computer.

Works, but can be a pain in the ass. The FE still has to carry all the aircraft pubs, so 90% of the time we just use theirs, and only go to the epubs for something obscure.

Supposedly, something better/easier is in the pipeline... but I ain't holding my breath.

[Techsan]

@ Travis, we're researching a Kindle-type electronic reader that will be capable of carrying all of our epubs/checklists AND FLIP. So, hopefully we won't ever have to carry pubs or a worldwide bag of FLIP. Its and 8.5 x 11 touchscreen reader, so would be easy to read. The plan would be for each crew member to have one. A lot of up front costs, but we think it may save money in the long run since you won't needs boxes full of paper pubs every couple months.

Right now though, the AD crews are doing epubs on disks, and the reserves are doing the thumb drive epubs updated through a non-network computer. We've looked into getting the i/o magic 8 GB hard drive (network friendly), but not sure what ever came of that.

[disgruntledemployee]

...capable of carrying all of our epubs/checklists AND FLIP.

Pardon me gents, but those pubs have more purpose than just providing information needed to fly the plane. Copilots need to lug that stuff...builds character. Also, the enroute charts not only help us get around, but come in very handy to block the sun (those OEM visors suck). And with electronic FLIP, I can't leave doodles and interesting messages on the approach plates. Oh, and imagine updating all that crap while on a mission and the base ops at XXXX won't let you plug in to their computers.

BTW, I've never had a paper chart die on me in a critical phase of flight.

Out.

[Techsan]

BTW, I've never had a paper chart die on me in a critical phase of flight.

Out.

If you are flying something with a pointy-nose, probably not a good idea having e-FLIP. However, when you roll with another pilot, FE, Boom Operator (and all have one) you'll be ok if one shits the bed.

[slacker]

Just think of how much fuel you will be saving by not carrying all the paper pubs on the jet.

If you say this to AMC, we'd have it tomorrow.

Thanks for the laugh, I hate fuel conservation.