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Garmin's new nav system can emergency land small planes
Flying in a small plane is thrilling (and at least slightly terrifying) when things go as planned. It's another story when the pilot of the small plane is, for whatever reason, suddenly unable to fly or land it. Most passengers would have no idea what to do. And for that reason, Garmin has introduced Garmin Autoland. With the push of a button, equipped planes can navigate and land themselves.
Airbus shares a glimpse of its flying taxi interior
Airbus has been working on its Vahana project for years. It's an attempt to create an autonomous passenger drone network that could operate like a flying version of the Waymo's self-driving cars. In January 2018, the company's flying taxi took to the skies for the first time. Now we're getting a glimpse of what the interior might look like. In a blog post, the Airbus Vahana team shared photos of Alpha Two -- its first demonstrator with a finished interior.
United flight crew inadvertently shares cockpit codes online
You don't need lax airport screening to create security risks aboard flights. As the TSA found out, you just need someone to post the wrong details on the internet. The Wall Street Journal has learned that a United Airlines (yes, it's in the news again) flight attendant mistakenly posted cockpit door access codes online. While the Air Line Pilots Association says the situation has been resolved, the codes haven't changed yet. Until then, pilots will have to be extra-cautious -- they're already supposed to look at would-be visitors, but they just got a reminder that they can't take a valid code for granted.
Within two years, every Delta pilot will be using a Surface 2
In an unexpected turn, Delta has informed employees that it will be issuing a Surface 2 running Windows 8.1 RT to every pilot over the next two years. The airline ran an Electronic Flight Bag pilot program with iPads back in 2011, but for reasons unknown, that popular slate has since been scrapped. According to WindowsITPro, Delta had since planned to move forward with Nokia's rumored tablet, but has opted for the Surface 2 instead. The decision follows a move to equip flight attendants with Lumia 820 handsets, which will be used for processing payments and tracking passenger information. Considering the importance of a reliable cockpit device, however, this Surface 2 news is arguably far more significant.
JetBlue invites iPads into the cockpit
Another airline has just announced that iPads will become part of standard cockpit equipment for its fleet. Long Island City, NY-based JetBlue will be equipping pilots with iPads and three core apps to lighten their load and help them in getting passengers to their destinations safely and on time. The apps help pilots look at real-time weather, let them do their pre-flight planning and provide access to digital airport and aircraft charts. The real-time weather app will receive data via satellite WiFi provided by the LiveTV systems on each aircraft, providing what JetBlue refers to as "the fastest access in the air." JetBlue believes that the FAA will allow other apps into the cockpit in the future, including instrument approach and taxiway charts. American Airlines announced this week that it had completed a systemwide rollout of 8,000 iPads for use on the flight deck, and is expecting to save over $1.2 million in fuel annually thanks to the elimination of heavy flight bags on its aircraft. Trees will also be happy with American's rollout -- the company says that they've eliminated 24 million pages of paper documents.
ToughWriter prototype brings color printing to the cockpit, we go hands-on
You might be surprised to hear that many current aircraft already have the ability to print documents at 30,000 feet. Long-haul airliners like the Boeing Dreamliner and Airbus A340 A380 ship with a ToughWriter flight deck printer installed and ready to go, but the device has been limited to black and white output, which can be a bit restrictive when it comes to spitting out charts and weather information. Astro-Med, the company behind the cockpit printer currently churning out reports in thousands of commercial, business and military planes, has a spiffy new model on the way. We spotted an early prototype on display at the Paris Air Show this week, and while it's still a ways off from being cockpit-ready, the device works quite well, printing to ZINK paper at about 30 seconds per page, compared to 5 seconds for the monochrome version. Unlike the printers we're accustomed to using on the ground, a ToughWriter must be installed before an aircraft is certified, so it's really something you need to factor in before the FAA signs off on your plane. In other words, don't expect to simply swap in this new color model once it hits the market. It's also an expensive acquisition -- it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect pricing in the $25,000 range, though that detail has yet to be announced. The version we saw in Paris is very much a work in progress -- it far exceeds the maximum size allowed, and it's heavier than the targeted 10 pounds, too. It does print quite nicely, though, and once engineers manage to squeeze the printer into a smaller housing, it'll likely include AirPrint so pilots can print from their iPads, and possibly Android wireless support, too. Astro-Med reps weren't able to tell us when the color ToughWriter will take to the skies, and considering the certification involved, it could be a few years out. Catch it in action in the gallery below.%Gallery-191672% Update: We originally reported that the monochrome ToughWriter model is installed in the Airbus A340, however the correct aircraft type is A380. The error has been corrected.
Airbus A350 cockpit tour with test pilot Jean-Michel Roy (video)
What's it like to fly the A350? Only a handful of pilots know for sure, but Jean-Michel Roy has a pretty good idea. The Airbus test pilot has flown a variety of yet-to-be-certified aircraft over the years, and he'll soon step behind the controls of the company's answer to Boeing's Dreamliner, the A350. While the first batch of pilots are back at the aviation giant's Toulouse HQ preparing for the next test flight, Roy is schmoozing with customers a few hundred miles to the north, at the Paris Air Show. It's an arguably safer task for the industry vet, but something tells us he's itching to climb aboard this latest wide-body aircraft. We were hoping for such an opportunity here in Paris, but a delayed rollout means attendees will be lucky just to see the A350 perform an unscheduled flyover sometime over the next few days, with a cockpit mockup serving to satisfy airline execs for now. As deep-pocketed buyers queued up for a first look at the A350 flight deck, we managed to sneak a quick peek, with Jean-Michel Roy on hand to answer questions and provide a video tour. As you might expect, the cockpit is as modern as they come, with large LCDs taking the place of traditional avionics. In fact, the layout looks more like something you'd find on a stock broker's desk -- it's quite a contrast to the aging panels many commercial pilots still use today. The overhead system controls are presented in a layout similar to what you'll find on an A320 or A330, as is the flight control unit just below the windshield. The screens below, however, are much more accessible, offering up aircraft manuals, charts, checklists, camera feeds, weather information -- you name it. A trackball and keyboard make it easy to enter info, while side-mounted joysticks let the pilots control orientation while also serving to create a cleaner look and feel. Fly past the break for a first-hand look at this state-of-the-art demo deck.%Gallery-191609%
Gadling goes hands-on with the iPad flight bag
Flight bags are going digital, and American Airlines is on the forefront of this move away from a paper-laden cockpit. American has approval to use the iPad in its 777, 737 and MD-80 airplanes and is starting to install the iPads in the cockpits of its MD-80 fleet. A recent segment in Gadling's Cockpit Chronicles series by Kent Wien takes a closer look at this iOS-driven setup. Working with pilot manual company Jeppesen, American Airlines is loading up the devices with company manuals, Jeppesen flight manuals, Jeppesen approach plates and more. It is also equipping the iPads with Hypermac backup batteries for long flights and a RAM mount to secure the device in the cockpit. You can check out the cockpit setup in the video below and then hop over to the Cockpit Chronicles article for additional details on the system and its long approval process, which includes, among other things, hypobaric chamber testing. [Gadling is a sibling site of TUAW, as we are both part of AOL's network. –Ed.]
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter cockpit demonstrator hands-on (video)
We spend hundreds of hours on board a variety of airplanes each year, most often en-route to a trade show or product launch event, but occasionally we have a rare opportunity to hop on board military aircraft, to test out unrelated products, or, even more unusually, to take a seat behind the yoke. Sadly that's not what we're doing today -- well, not exactly. We are taking a closer look at the F-35 fighter jet at Lockheed Martin's Fighter Demonstration Center just outside our nation's capital, but, being in the middle of a corporate complex, there's no actual Lightning II on hand. We were able to take a simulated ride, however -- this isn't your ordinary 4D sickness-inducing amusement park thrill. The F-35 is by far the most advanced Lockheed jet to date, with updated radar, all-internal weapons, improved tracking systems, 360-degree infrared coverage with a visor readout, and a full-stealth design, not to mention the incredibly capable glass cockpit powered by more than 9.3 million lines of software code, and an overall smoother experience for pilots that could end up spending shifts of 12 hours or longer in flight. The F-35 has already seen plenty of field time in the US, with more than 500 flights already in 2012, and it's set to make its way to the UK armed forces next week and the Netherlands later this year, but while the aircraft is quite familiar to the pilots tasked with flying it, the public hasn't had an opportunity to experience Lockheed's latest airborne warrior. We flew a simulated mission within a grounded duplicate of the flyable F-35 cockpit, and the capabilities and improvements are quite clear -- you definitely don't want to encounter an F-35 from a previous-generation aircraft. The dual 8 x 10-inch touch-enabled displays combine to give you 8 x 20 inches of real estate, with dedicated modules for the weapons systems, targeting, and navigation easily accessible -- you can also move them to different panels depending on your current objective. A pair of joysticks at the left and right side provide direct access, letting you move a cursor to track enemy crafts or ground-based targets as well, and a very slick heads-up-display mounted in the helmet provides infrared mapping and instrument readouts. Overall, it seems to be an incredibly powerful system. Unfortunately, the mock-up on display here isn't accessible to the public, but you can join us for a behind-the-scenes look just after the break.%Gallery-160208%
Airbus Electronic Flight Bag apps save iPad savvy pilots time and paper
For a while now, iPads have been used to replace paper in a pilot's daily duties. Airbus is also looking to further the cause with its Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) applications for the Apple slate. Pretty soon, airlines will have an alternative to existing EFB tech that runs PC operating systems with the "FlySmart with Airbus" app suite. The apps will allow crews to calculate performance and consult manuals without the need to cart around several hundred printed pages. Of course, to gain access to said software in the App Store, you'll need to be a customer in order to obtain the requisite download permissions.
How one helicopter pilot uses the iPad
In a short, but interesting article at GigaOM, writer Erica Ogg interviews her search-and-rescue helicopter pilot husband about technology in the cockpit. She talks to him about the iPad 2 and how the tablet has transformed his job. Not surprisingly, the iPad is used in everything from pre-flight preparation to a replacement for up to 40 pounds of flight manuals. You can read the full interview at GigaOM's website.
American Airlines pilots could use iPads as early as Friday
The FAA has given the nod to American Airlines to start using iPads in flight cockpits as early as Friday, a ZDNet source informed the site. American Airlines conducted a test program in June, which started with electronic charts and moved to replacing paper books and charts. A pilot told TechCrunch that they will be using JeppTC, a flight-chart app. While anyone can download the app, licensed pilots have access to extra charts. The iPads will be used on B-777 aircraft, then will expand the program to more flights. ZDNet also was told that United Airlines, Alaska Airlines and UPS are evaluating using iPads in the cockpit. Delta is studying it as well, however they're looking to use an Android product instead of the iPad.
Panasonic Cockpit digital dash prototype hands-on (video)
Sure, we may not see flying cars in our lifetime, but a mainstream digital dash is a definite possibility. The all-glass vehicle dashboard has been conceptualized by other manufacturers in the past, but this year it's Panasonic's turn to try its hand at building a multi-display system. The electronics maker brought its Cockpit prototype to the CEATEC floor, causing quite a stir among passersby. The dash itself was little more than a semi-functional mockup, presenting recorded rendered video on the main 20-inch LCD and dual 10.4-inch secondary displays. The main display's current objective appears to be improving safety, using a series of cameras to eliminate blind spots and alert drivers to other road hazards. Real-time driving stats are displayed atop a video feed, either from the rear camera (when in reverse), or one up front. We spent a few minutes behind the wheel of Panasonic's mockup, which consisted only of a pair of (rather comfortable) leather seats, along with a trio of LCDs, which the company claims are currently based on panels used in other Panasonic products, but may eventually utilize custom displays. This wasn't an actual vehicle prototype -- only the "cockpit" was on hand. The main display will (hopefully) focus the driver's attention away from distractions on those two smaller screens -- the one in the center can be used to control standard vehicle settings like climate and entertainment, while a second display positioned directly in front of the passenger seat can play movies and other content. Are we there yet? No, so you better get comfortable for the long drive ahead. Overall the setup looked like it could have potential, though Panasonic warned us not to expect anything final until the end of the decade (2018 at the earliest). Jump past the break for a Cockpit drive-by.%Gallery-135772%
Volvo unveils Concept You luxury sedan, dripping with touchscreens (video)
The Frankfurt Motor Show is underway in Germany, where Volvo has just taken the wraps off the Concept You -- a new luxury sedan that features some pretty nifty, touch-based controls. Directly behind the car's steering wheel lies a monitor that digitally displays your basic driving information, including speed and a map of your trajectory. The wheel also features some sensor enhanced panels, which you can use to adjust your radio or cruise control settings. A touch interface on the center console, meanwhile, uses an infrared sensor to pick up on any hand or eye movements before activating to bring up the system's infotainment control mode, which boasts an unreleased FreshAir subwoofer from Alpine. From here, you can surf the web, swipe through radio stations, check for safety alerts or control your air conditioning, using only your fingers or customized gestures. Plus, there's an extra touchscreen placed between the two rear seats, meaning your kids won't be left out of the action, either. Cruise past the break for an exclusive video of the Concept You's so-called smart pad technology, along with the full PR.
Last day for Bodega half-off sales on Mac apps
Update: If it wasn't clear originally -- you have to download the Bodega client first, and purchase the apps through its store. Some readers were confused by the link to the 1Password site, which was for illustration purposes only -- the discount on the Mac client is specific to Bodega. Today's the last day to grab some deals from Bodega. The would-be app store for Mac OS X software is offering a 50 percent discount on the following applications through the end of the day: 1Password ($19.97) Sandvox ($28.50) Cockpit ($12.49) MoneyWell ($24.99) Clean My Mac ($14.97) Brush Pilot ($7.50) Mac DVDRIpper Pro ($4.97) My Living Desktop ($17.47) This is a great deal on some really awesome software for your Mac. A good many of us love 1Password, and Sandvox is a great WYSIWYG web editor that's won an Apple Design Award. To take advantage of the sale, you need to purchase the software through Bodega, which is a free download.
Pilots: Take your iPad flying with the Tech Board iPro Kneeboard
With its beautiful display, capacious storage, and hundreds of thousands of apps, the iPad is an instant hit with both professional and private pilots. The iPad is much more readable than an iPhone, and it's easy to take PDF files of sectional and terminal area charts with you on the device. As with any electronic device in the cockpit of an airplane, pilots want to make sure that the iPad is secured while in flight so that it doesn't become a projectile in turbulence or abrupt maneuvers. They also want it right at their fingertips for instant reference. Take those seemingly conflicting requirements and what do you get? The Tech Board iPro Kneeboard from For Pilots Only. The all-metal iPro looks like it could withstand a CFIT (controlled flight into terrain), and includes a hinged cover that doubles as a clipboard for jotting non-digital notes. It's padded on the inside to protect the finish of your iPad, and there's an opening for a charger should you need to top off the iPad in flight. Like all kneeboards, the iPro has a strap that fastens around the pilot's upper thigh to hold the board in place. Kneeboards have been used for years by pilots for holding onto objects during flight, but the combo of the iPro and iPad are sure to make this a must-have accessory for pilots. We'd love to hear from TUAW readers who are pilots. How are you using the iPad in the cockpit? Leave your comments below.
Flying Magazine blogger wants an iPad in the cockpit
Here at TUAW, we've talked about some potential markets for the iPad; for example, the health care industry. Over at Flying Magazine's website, blogger Robert Goyer is lusting after the iPad as a tool in the cockpit. The iPhone has become a pilot's toolkit since the App Store opened, with apps like Flight Plan - Pilot's Toolbox [iTunes Link] and CoPilot - Flight Planning [iTunes Link] making it into the cockpit for private and commercial pilots alike. Goyer loves the idea that the iPad will have a much larger display than the iPhone and, most importantly for the quick pace of flying, that it's an instant-on device unlike many laptops. He thinks that the 3G models will be most useful for aviation since they'll provide online access to a plethora of aviation, regulatory, and weather-related data sources. What Goyer is looking forward to the most about the iPad is that extra screen real estate. As he says in his post, he'll likely go with a netbook for situations when he's not in the cockpit. But while flying, the iPad's "brilliant display" and GPS capability should make it "supremely easy to use" for pilots needing map apps. We can't wait to see what flies into view. [Thanks to @RyanACash for the Twitter tip]
Jumpgate Evolution lead producer on how the game is shaping up
We think that Jumpgate Evolution is a promising game, one that will inject aggressive joystick-style PvP combat into the MMO scene and provide a change of pace from the slower, more tactical sci-fi titles. Massively doesn't have an ETA on the game's launch yet, but we are following how the game is developing, as communicated in interviews with the gaming press and fansites as well. We recently mentioned Jumpgate Evolution's aims to establish a player-driven economy in the game, which we noted our readers had a mixed response to. We've also come across some more info about the game in an interview JGE lead producer Hermann Peterscheck gave to I4U News.
New Black Prophecy screens show cockpit views
One of the trends we're seeing in the next gen of sci-fi massively multiplayer online games is the ability to shift to first-person cockpit views of the action in space. Black Prophecy from Reakktor Media is one of the upcoming sci-fi MMOs that will be gunning for your game time and which incorporates cockpit perspectives of flight. The title seems to be all about casual, drop-in fun, where you can move between third person and first person perspectives when piloting your ship in space, regardless of which race you're playing. Reakktor Media released three images of Black Prophecy's cockpit views today, from the perspectives of the technologically superior Tyi, the biologically enhanced Genide, or that of a human. You can see them below the jump, or in higher res in our Black Prophecy gallery.%Gallery-46991%
Massively interviews NetDevil on PvP and more in Jumpgate Evolution
We got the chance to catch up with NetDevil Producer Hermann Peterscheck on everything Jumpgate Evolution this week. With the game coming up fairly soon, we thought up some rather specific questions that had been floating about in our brains over the past month or two. Exploration rewards, mining, cockpit view, PvP and more are waiting just after the break.%Gallery-18375%
