The Best Safety Device




The best safety device in any airplane is a well trained pilot, but sometimes it's the resources a pilot uses that make them a safe pilot. In aviation they teach us to always use all of our resources to help us make the best decision in the cockpit.  In today's aviation, many general aviation (recreational) pilots are using electronic tools often called electronic flight bags to help them plan their flight. They're using anything from mobile apps, to ipads. Ipads could help these recreational pilots make flight plans, check for weather updates, & thunderstorms with precision. For recreational flyers weather is still the leading cause for accidents. However, some studies show that having these electronic tools like ipads can help improve the safety & situational awareness in the cockpit. The FAA allows these devices to be used by recreational fliers like general aviation. However, they still forbid such devices in the airline cockpit because of the potentional of the batteries catching fire. Also, the industry got some negative publicity because of those two NorthWest Airlines pilots that over flew their airport because they got distracted by their laptops. Some airlines like Jetblue allows a limited role for the electonic flight bag. On Jetblue, they use their laptops to calculate weight & balance of the aircraft. There is a lot of potential for these electronic flight bag tools. Besides, weight & balance calculation, these devices can plan fuel calculation ,landing, & other performances that makes pilots jobs easier. I especially like the feature of getting current live radar for thunderstorms. This can come in handy prior to departure to plan the best route after departure that can help you avoid storms. The potential is unlimited, but first the FAA must continue research to see how these electronic devices can be implemented in the cockpit without creating a hazard. Example, how would a decompression impact the batteries, under what condition does these batteries catch fire. This all must be examine before this equipment is implemented.   
 

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