[Gavin Otto]

From today's Herald Sun

Qantas pilots to be given iPads in cockpit to help navigate flights.
The airline plans to give 2200 pilots the iPads with wireless connectivity, installed with its own Manual Library, Forms & Flight Plan app.

It will also be installed with the Jeppesen Mobile Flight Deck Pro app, providing terminal and route charts designed to work with Boeing aircraft.

Boeing 737 pilots will get iPads first followed by B767, B747, A330 and A380 pilots.

The tablets will cut save $500,000 in printing costs but equally importantly, cut a precious 20kg off the weight carried - in paper - on each flight.

It comes as manufacturer Airbus this week unveiled its own iPad app for pilots, a "Fly Smart with Airbus'' which puts manuals and operating systems designed with work with the specific aircraft - the A320, A321, A330 and A380 in Australia - which the crew will be flying.

Licenses for the "Electronic Flight bag'' app is available exclusively to Airbus customer airlines and have been ordered for its flight test and training crews.

But Qantas has already taken a step ahead and hopes to begin issuing its own iPads by September, subject to approval by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. Virgin Australia is still examining how well iPads can perform.

Qantas will do simulator tests and trials on flights without passengers will be completed first.