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US Air Force Buys iPads To Replace Flight Bags

Posted by samzenpus on from the brand-new-bag dept.

redletterdave writes "Following the precedent set by commercial airliners, the U.S. Air Force plans to buy up to 18,000 iPads for its Air Mobility Command (AMC), replacing heavy flight bags with light and efficient Apple iPad 2s for the crews that fly cargo aircraft. The devices will reportedly be used by the crews on the C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster aircraft. There are several benefits to using electronic flight bags instead of physical versions. For one, the iPad can instantly update charts electronically, while the AMC would require flying charts get reprinted every 28 days to stay up-to-date. By cutting publication printing and distribution costs, and exchanging 70 pounds of paper for a 1.3-pound iPad, the Air Force can save some serious cash, including more than $1.2 million worth of fuel per year."

8 of 348 comments (clear)

  1. Battery by Picardo85 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    But printed charts and manuals don't have an 8-10 hour battery time ...

    1. Re:Battery by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It's OK man - they can spend $1.2 million recharging them!

    2. Re:Battery by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      If you don't have electrical power in your plane you got much more serious problems than to worry about a dead iPad battery I believe.

    3. Re:Battery by Jane+Q.+Public · · Score: 4, Insightful

      They can probably keep them powered while they fly. MY concern would be that some glitch (or an EMP from solar storm, or something) would cause them to fail, in which case the only real backup is... a paper chart. Which would mean they have to buy charts anyway, and won't actually save any money.

      Maybe they think having 2-3 of them on board at a time constitutes "backup". Who knows? All I know is that I'd want a paper chart to be there. Just in case.

    4. Re:Battery by lightknight · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Seriously. Perhaps it is just a fantasy I've held since I was younger, but I would have thought the military would have developed their own systems, designed to survive Armageddon. The thought of a military officer touting an Apple iPad into battle is a little...strange; I mean, they are cargo aircraft, but still. All we need are some Hal-branded headphones, and Twitter-enabled position locators, and the image shall be complete.

       

      --
      I am John Hurt.
  2. Re:They should wait a few more months by grouchomarxist · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Have you actually gone through the military procurement system? They probably ordered these when the iPad (1) was announced.

  3. Re:Hrmm.. by Gordonjcp · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I have to say, it reminds me of the comment an ex-Signals guy doing his amateur radio licence at the local club made, along the lines of "a map with a bullethole in it is a map that's still mostly accurate, but a laptop with a bullethole in it is really just too big to be a useful paperweight"

  4. Really? by MikeMo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Really? Slashdot is going to argue over whether the military can figure out how to charge an iPad on a C-17? Really?