Avionics News July 2014 - 32

iPAD LIMITATIONS

Continued from page 31

or egress. As defined by the FAA,
"critical phases of flight include all
ground operations involving taxi,
takeoff, and landing, and all other
flight operations conducted below
10,000 feet, except cruise flight."
When so mounted, Class 2 EFBs
"may connect to aircraft power, data
ports (wired or wireless) or installed
antennas, provided those connections
are installed in accordance with AC
20-173." Class 2 EFB components are
not part of aircraft type design, so they
don't need an STC.
Class 3 EFBs are purpose-built units
permanently mounted and installed

according to applicable airworthiness
regulations.
Software is what makes an iPad an
electronic flight bag that stores and
displays an array of aviation data like
sectional, en route, and instrument
approach charts and performs basic
aviation calculations, such as fuel burn
and performance data. The apps that
deliver paper-replacement services fall
into two categories: Type A is primarily
intended for preflight planning on the
ground and during noncritical phases
of flight. Type B apps "provide the
aeronautical information required to
be accessible for each flight at the
pilot station and are primarily intended
for use during flight planning and all
phases of flight."

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32

avionics news

july

2014

GIS Ad Five
Sep 14, 2008

In other words, if pilots want to
use their instrument charts en route
and on approach, they will need some
sort of iPad mount. This also goes
for EFBs that include airport moving
map displays. In addition to providing
an easy view of charts displayed
on the iPad, without restricting the
pilot's field of view or egress, the
mounts must also meet the airplane's
g-loading requirements, according
to Peri. Given its size, mounting an
iPad in a Cessna 172, for example, is
going to block the pilot's view of some
part of the instrument panel. A better
choice, he continued, would be an iPad
mini, which is about the same size as
an instrument approach chart, making
a yoke mount an efficient, economical
solution for some aircraft.
Preparing for Murphy
The reliability of commercial
technology like the iPad has increased
greatly throughout the years, according
to Peri, and today users rarely think
about the unit failing. "But if you're
going to use it during a critical phase of
flight, you'd better think about it," he
said. Murphy's First Law of Aviation
dictates that technology fails when you
need it most. "What are you to do if the
battery dies?" he asked. "What are you
going to do if it reboots on short final?"
Predicting the failure of any COTS
technology is impossible because
it is not built to aviation standards,
Peri noted, where each unit is exactly
like the unit the FAA subjected to
a rigorous test program. All of an
iPad's components meet the specified
electronic requirements, but who
supplies those components changes?
And this variability increases the
chances of failures, so pilots should be
ready when Murphy strikes.
Continued on page 34

http://www.georgetowninstruments.com

Avionics News July 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News July 2014