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FAA OKs iPad for Pilots’ Charts


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Valid, but in a squadron full of CSO's some bright dude will find a way & share it with the rest of us non-brainiacs. Thats why we have R&D.

Sorry dude, clicked the wrong button. Meant +1. Yea, someone with a 20lb brain will figure out how to have some fun with them.

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No. Its how I "study"/check out an approach for example, flying in no shit weather days to places I've never been. It aids me. Was just curious.

Yep, we got it the first time. Stop digging...

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  • 1 month later...

Heard from a reliable source that the AMC/CC asked how much AMC spends on FLIP in a year ($35M) and how much it would cost to buy every pilot in AMC an iPad 2 ($4M). Apparently $31M in savings was enough to convince the 4-star that the time for e-pubs has arrived and all AMC pilots will have one by Christmas. Can anyone confirm or deny?

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Heard from a reliable source that the AMC/CC asked how much AMC spends on FLIP in a year ($35M) and how much it would cost to buy every pilot in AMC an iPad 2 ($4M). Apparently $31M in savings was enough to convince the 4-star that the time for e-pubs has arrived and all AMC pilots will have one by Christmas. Can anyone confirm or deny?

Heard earlier today that the NGA FLIP filesize is ridiculously large, especially compared to Jepps (the figure quoted today was over 6GB just for the NGA FLIP for the AOR), and is a big roadblock in the approval process.

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Heard earlier today that the NGA FLIP filesize is ridiculously large, especially compared to Jepps (the figure quoted today was over 6GB just for the NGA FLIP for the AOR), and is a big roadblock in the approval process.

Jepp Mobile FD sits at ~600mb installed with around another ~600mb for the downloaded content (worldwide terminal and enroute charts).

Some days I wonder what it would cost the DoD just to have Jeppesen handle the [e-]publishing of all our terminal charts so that they were all in one standard format.

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Heard from a reliable source that the AMC/CC asked how much AMC spends on FLIP in a year ($35M) and how much it would cost to buy every pilot in AMC an iPad 2 ($4M). Apparently $31M in savings was enough to convince the 4-star that the time for e-pubs has arrived and all AMC pilots will have one by Christmas. Can anyone confirm or deny?

Heard a rumor today about getting them as well at my base...we will see what happens.

Edited by tunes
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Jepp Mobile FD sits at ~600mb installed with around another ~600mb for the downloaded content (worldwide terminal and enroute charts).

Some days I wonder what it would cost the DoD just to have Jeppesen handle the [e-]publishing of all our terminal charts so that they were all in one standard format.

Isnt' Jepp simply a publisher? In other words, don't they just take the NGA plate and apply its own formatting? In that case, wouldn't the government be paying a contractor to give it something the government already had? Actually, that sounds genius!

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Heard the same thing from the AMC iPad conference...except the iPads will be significantly locked down (aka no WiFi or non-approved Apps). No mention of Jepp Apps - though definitely needed. We use Jepp's when away from ETAR all the time.

So remove the functionality of an iPad and put just e-Pubs, FLIP, and maybe Jepp's :pissed: ... Big Blue/AMC mothership will screw this up somehow.

The Comm SQ is going to love Apple products on their network...not.

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  • 3 months later...

Jepp Mobile FD sits at ~600mb installed with around another ~600mb for the downloaded content (worldwide terminal and enroute charts).

Some days I wonder what it would cost the DoD just to have Jeppesen handle the [e-]publishing of all our terminal charts so that they were all in one standard format.

Why not be our flight planners as well? Aside from all the AOR OPSEC SECRET blah blah blah...

Edited by farva
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1) The article says they plan to purchase a minium of 63, maximum of 18,000 iPad (or equivilent). That is a pretty large range.

2) The article states they may purchase an iPad equivilent which to the DoD means SOS style eReader.

3) They make the claim that it will save 70 pounds each flight. Dollars to doughnuts, you are still required to carry the paper copy on board for the next 5 years which just doubles the amount of work required.

4) Either the AF is going to purchase a $6.9B military safe version of iTunes or these tablets will be so locked down that they will be worthless. Did anyone on this board ever use the T-6 pattern simulator called VIPERS (Virtual Interactive Pattern Environment and Radiocomms Simulator) that they handed out for a while on the over powered Alienware laptops?

5) What happens when the battery dies and I don't have a cigarette lighter in the cockpit to plug it in? Although my jet was but in the 50's, they never installed such an option.

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For all you UPT guys out there this thing is a pretty good safety net if your students forget to bring the Dash-1 or forget multiple terminal pubs. I am not saying that it replaces these pubs by any means, but I sure has heck would rather have an electronic copy in the event that we have an EP and then I found out that the stud forgot the dash-1 in the flightroom. Hopefully soon the EFB will find its way to the AF, but my over-cynical side tells me that it will be going through red tape for quite a few years. We might even have some ADLS CBT's to do on proper air force information usage with the iPad prior to being issued one for cockpit use.

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Why not be our flight planners as well? Aside from all the AOR OPSEC SECRET blah blah blah...

Congratulations, useless sarcasm man!

Jeppesen does have a military flight planning cell and they could be set up on the proper network. The commercial Jeppesen flight planning software is far superior to CFPS for mobility (excluding airdrop and air refueling). I have not yet seen the Jeppesen military software, but supposedly it does all the rest of the stuff needed for AD or AR.

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First of all, have all nga flip on the device plus Foreflight, Wingex Pro, and a Garmin aps on it as well. My assessment after having used it for a couple months is viable and highly effective. Filed twice from the iPad without talking to FSS without a problem. That's with minamal effort, exposure and (admittedly) knowledge on the capes of the device. Looks like a lot more posibilities that are yet untapped. Those of who have flown/fly acft that are less than 40 years old have compatible outlets on the ACFT...also, if you use common sense, you'll charge it up before each flight you plan on using it on. Seems like a no brainer. Flew last sortie using it exclusively for checklists, pubs and approach plates. Up until Dec 2011 I didn't see the point...now I'm a convert...

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Air Force Unit Cancels iPad Procurement

Special Operations Command had planned to acquire nearly 3,000 iPads to transfer paper-based flight information and technical manuals to an electronic format.

By Elizabeth Montalbano Information Week

February 23, 2012 09:00 AM

The Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) has shelved plans to procure nearly 3,000 iPads to help it do away with paper-based flight information and technical manuals.

The command disclosed the cancellation in a notice on FedBizOpps.gov.

AFSOC spokesperson Capt. Kristen Duncan said the unit cancelled the procurement because its acquisition strategy for it was not consistent with the way the Air Force generally acquires IT products and services. The command continues to evaluate the use of tablet devices for its personnel and will eventually put out another RFP for tablet devices.

"AFSOC's goal is to provide...an Electronic Flight Bag that is equally cost effective, secure and provides the best technological capability available to our airmen," she said.

Duncan added that the cancellation has nothing to do with a published report about the procurement's specification that GoodReader software--which was developed in Russia--will be used with the devices.

The unit had planned to procure 2,861 black iPad2 devices from an authorized Apple reseller to maintain and update the Department of Defense's (DOD's) Flight Information Publications (FLIP) via a "global electronic update infrastructure," according to an earlier notice posted on the site.

The AFSOC's move will not affect a similar one at another Air Force unit, the Air Mobility Command, which also plans to use iPads or equivalent tablet devices for electronic flight materials.

A spokesperson from the Mobility Command said via e-mail Wednesday that it is moving ahead with its plans to procure between 63 and 18,000 tablet devices to act as "electronic flight bags" and has put out a request for proposals.

Apple's mobile OS, iOS--which both iPhones and iPads use--has not officially passed security clearance for use in the federal government. However, Apple is working with the DOD and other government agencies to address the security issue.

Early last year Apple submitted cryptographic modules for iPhone and iPad security to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as part of the validation and certification process required under the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002, which sets security standards for products and services used within the federal government.

Later that year, NIST itself procured 5 iPhones and 55 iPad 2s to begin its own testing to devise the best ways of securing them for government use.

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) also recently released a General Mobile Device (Non-Enterprise Activated) Security Technical Inplementation Guide (STIG) providing security policy and configuration requirements for smartphones or tablets within the DOD as long as they are not connected to a DOD network or enterprise nor process sensitive or classified DOD communications, said DISA spokesperson Alana Casanova via email.

Further, DOD CIOs who want to test iOS can receive what's called an "interim approval to operate" go-ahead to test the devices with DOD email and websites in a controlled environment, she said.

In the meantime, another tablet device already has passed security inspection at the DOD--an Andriod-based Dell Streak. The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) has published a Security Technical Implementation Guide (STIG) for the Dell Android mobile platform based on the device, a move that will allow the DOD to distribute the devices to personnel this year.

Edited by Daredevileng1
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Congratulations, useless sarcasm man!

Jeppesen does have a military flight planning cell and they could be set up on the proper network. The commercial Jeppesen flight planning software is far superior to CFPS for mobility (excluding airdrop and air refueling). I have not yet seen the Jeppesen military software, but supposedly it does all the rest of the stuff needed for AD or AR.

Congratulations, anus so tight when you fart only dogs can hear it man!

FYI, that wasn't sarcasm. Some of the flight planning I've seen from TACC rivals that of my daughters finger painting (re: filed directly through the eye of a typhoon). I imagine Jeppesen could produce a far superior product.

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Congratulations, anus so tight when you fart only dogs can hear it man!

FYI, that wasn't sarcasm. Some of the flight planning I've seen from TACC rivals that of my daughters finger painting (re: filed directly through the eye of a typhoon). I imagine Jeppesen could produce a far superior product.

Grass is greener dude. Be thankful for the infrastructure you have, in this case someone doing a big part of your job for you. If you want to do it yourself, join AFSOC.

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Makes sense....if there's a new one coming out within a week....we'll buy them now! F. The contractor's going to be making a pretty penny when the price drops after the new one is relased.

They bought 63 now and it's taking "Executive Technology" 30 days to deliver?

THIS is what's wrong with aquisitions...moving slower than the rest of the world.

OODA (and not the bloated Air Force AFSO abortion that is counter to the very essence of Boyd's OODA)

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