FAA Approves iPads for Charter Pilots
Te ForeFlight app for iPad
The Federal Aviation Association approved the iPad as a navigation device on some charter flights.
On Februrary 1, the magical device was cleared as a navigation device. The FAA gave thumbs’ up to Cincinnati- based Executive Jet, who said it made 250 flights as part of the certification process.
Late last year, we wrote about a private pilot who was using his iPad with paper charts to guide the plane.
Pilots have been enthusiastic about the iPad and its ability to display radar and satellite weather maps in rich color, whether in the boardroom or on the ramp. The device can download and store charts, approach plates, taxi diagrams and checklists—or entertain passengers with an in-flight movie.
The FAA had already fast tracked pilot programs using the iPad for air traffic organization and understands the value of the “paperless cockpit,” but it was expected to be a long time before iPads were cleared as more than a helping hand on board.
Observers say this may clear the way for the iPad as a navigation device on commercial flights.
Via Bloomberg
Nicole Martinelli is a San Francisco native who has lived in Milan and Florence, Italy. She's written for Wired.com, The New York Times and Newsweek. You can find her on 
