iPad Mini Passed by FAA for Operational Suitability

The iPad Mini with retina display will soon become a feature on the flight deck after being issued with a letter of Operational Suitability by the FAA for use with Jeppesens’ electronic flight bag (EFB).

‘We are pleased with the findings of the FAA evaluation team confirming the use of iPad mini and Jeppesen mobile EFB solutions,’ said Tim Huegel, director of Jeppesen Aviation Portfolio Management, ‘iPad mini and iPad mini with Retina display offer pilots the incredible detail and ease of use they need when leveraging our valuable data-driven apps and flight information in the cockpit’.

U.S. operators and air carriers must gain formal FAA authorisation for the use of electronic flight bag applications on the flight deck and Jeppesen will issue copies of the letter to those customers that express an interest in the use of the iPad Mini for specific use in their authorisation application.

Other providers of EFB solutions include ARINC Direct, recently acquired by avionics giant, Rockwell Collins. EFB solutions, such as iPad pilot apps, can minimise weight in the cockpit and bring a significant reduction of the pilot’s workload, offering sharing capabilities for flight information, changes to the flight plan and real-time weather updates, graphics and maps.

The advent of the iPad and now the iPad Mini on the flight deck moves the industry another step closer to the sought-after paperless cockpit.