Flexjet secures FAA authorization for iPad2 as EFB, paperless cockpit solution

RICHARDSON, Texas, 12 Nov. 2012. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials granted conditional authorization to Flexjet, an exclusive fractional jet ownership company in Richardson, Texas, for the use of Apple iPads as electronic flight bags (EFBs) for fractional flights under 14 CFR 91, Subpart K.

This authorization follows six months of validation testing across Flexjet’s fleet of aircraft and acceptance of its standard operating procedures. The company plans complete its transition from paper to electronic navigational charts in Jan. 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,” says Flexjet Chief Pilot Thomas Cantabene.

Mobile EFB technology replaces paper-based reference materials, such as navigational charts and aircraft operating manuals, with real-time data, enhancing aircraft operators’ situational awareness.

Each iPad device weighs in at roughly 1.35 pounds, whereas printed materials typically required can exceed 120 pounds per flight. This weight savings can also result in more than half a gallon of fuel saved per flight hour.

“Flexjet’s interest in electronic flight bags extends beyond the use of just navigational charts in flight,” explains 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.”