A few weeks ago, Field ID CEO Somen Mondal blogged about the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to let pilots use iPads in cockpits during commercial flights. Given our dedication to paperless safety management, we thought it was a great move with interesting possibilities for the future.
Now, the U.S. Air Force is ready to put as many as 18,000 iPads into the hands of its flight crews and trainers. Yesterday, Information Week reported that the Air Force will purchase up to 18,000 iPad 2 devices for $9.36 million. The Air Force Mobility Command will use the devices as electronic flight information manuals. This means they will store flight training and operation manuals – and officially move from paper-based documents to electronic docs in aviation.
The Air Force isn’t the only U.S. government agency looking at the device. The Department of Defence gives iPads to soldiers in Afghanistan for mapping and GPS. The Department of Veteran Affairs is putting iPads into the hands of doctors. The U.S. Marine Corps and the Department of Navy have considered both commercial and ruggedized tablets. And the Bureau of Indian Affairs is putting iPads into the hands of school children.
We speak with companies about moving from paper-based safety management to paperless solutions like Field ID every day. Most managers of safety and quality assurance/quality control programs agree that using paper is cumbersome and has many disadvantages. Moving to a cloud-based solution is a welcome thought. And for many, achieving that move with an iPad is something to get excited about.
And the adoption of iPads by the U.S. Air Force is a welcome thought too. Security issues that could have stopped this deal from happening were ultimately resolved. For anyone who still feels this user-friendly device might not be reliable for certain commercial or organizational purposes, a vote of confidence from the U.S. Air Force goes a long way toward putting concerns to rest.
