TAG Aviation introduces paperless cockpits
It is the first business aviation operator in the UK to receive authorisation from the CAA for this industry-leading step.
Mark Blois-Brooke, chief pilot, TAG Aviation (UK) Ltd, with his iPad (Class 1 Electronic Flight Bag) in the cockpit of a Dassault Falcon 7X.
TAG Aviation is now in the process of equipping crews across its managed fleet with iPads (Class 1 Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs)) loaded with Vistair DocuNet and Jeppesen Mobile FliteDeck applications. DocuNet, a cloud-based library publication system, enables crews to download and manage TAG Aviation operational flight-deck documents using their iPads. Jeppesen Mobile FliteDeck allows crews to access aeronautical arrival and departure information for airports worldwide and can also be accessed via Class 3 EFB primary flight displays (on aircraft equipped with this capability).
“The introduction of paperless technology will ensure that pilots have up-to-date, essential information at their fingertips. Flights manuals, manufacturer's documents and aeronautical flight charts can be updated at the touch of a button instead of the time-consuming and wasteful process of manually updating hard copies,” said Russ Allchorne, vice president flight operations Europe, TAG Aviation. “At TAG Aviation, we are committed to identifying ways to pioneer standards in flight operations and wider business aviation practices to improve efficiency, safety and our environmental footprint.”
Ian Herbert, CEO of Vistair, commented: “This is a superb achievement demonstrating that TAG Aviation is both a leader and innovator in driving efficiency and value in the business aviation sector. At Vistair we are delighted that our technology has been instrumental in assisting TAG Aviation on its journey towards paperless flight decks and we look forward to continuing and developing our successful relationship."
Steve Card, director, Jeppesen business aviation client management, added: “Transitioning from paper to digital flight information is a significant achievement and we fully support TAG Aviation in their digital transformation. Integration of Jeppesen Mobile FliteDeck reduces pilot workload, increases operational efficiency, reduces fuel consumption and lowers costs by eliminating paper materials.”
In addition to a reduction in paper use and printing, TAG Aviation aims to achieve savings in fuel consumption by reducing the weight of each pilot’s flight bag taken onboard. On average, pilots have to carry hundreds of pages of operating manuals, navigation charts, reference handbooks, flight checklists, logbooks and weather information, which can weigh between 20 kg and 35 kg; significantly more than a 0.662-kg iPad.
TAG Aviation plans to introduce paperless cockpits throughout its worldwide managed fleet of 140 aircraft, subject to regulatory approval. In addition to its UK operation based in Farnborough, it has air operator certificates (AOCs) in Switzerland (Geneva), Spain (Madrid), the Middle East (Bahrain) and Asia (Hong Kong).
Mark Blois-Brooke, chief pilot, TAG Aviation (UK) Ltd (left) and Pascal Balin, standards captain, TAG Aviation (UK) Ltd (right), with their iPads (Class 1 Electronic Flight Bags) in the cockpit of a Dassault Falcon 7X.
