part 135 ipad application

dell30rb

dell30rb

Final Approach
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My dad's company has designed an app (works on both ipad, and PC) that is a simple way to "push" documents and other information to an ipad or PC. It was designed with an outside sales force or traveling service providers in mind.

In a nutshell the app allows someone at HQ (with little IT skills necessary) to keep their outside employees up to date with current documentation (forms, legal documents, pricing sheets, service bulletins, company policies, calendar etc..). It can handle audio, video and web links as well. The client app (on an ipad or PC) will automatically sync and download the information, so that outside employees can quickly get the most up to date forms and documents from their home base. It is a cloud based (or it can be set up behind a firewall on a dedicated server) subscription service. For a company with 10 clients (devices), it would cost approx. $100/mo


I was wondering if it might have an application in the charter or airline world, considering many pilots use ipads for charts and other information. My question for those who have worked in the industry, is what sort of communication goes on between traveling pilots and their headquarters? Is there a bunch of e-mail going back and forth with docs and etc.. attached? Also, what company documents are you required to keep with you and have up to date at all times?

This product might be an easy way to keep things like passenger lists and requests, schedules, weight and balance, maintenance schedules, hotel reservations and company HR docs up to date and organized. Its very intuitive and easily customized.
 
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Skylane81E said:
The amount of info we pass around free email works perfectly
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I'm just curious what you pass around. This is an easy way to do it and to ensure the client (pilots) always have up to date stuff and do not have to search around in their inbox, and possibly use out of date info. Document control is a big deal, where safety and quality control are concerned.

Basically you could create a folder for every aircraft and drag/drop relevant docs (pax lists, itinerary, hotel reservations, maintenance schedule) in there. If there is a new version, it gets updated automatically and the pilot is notified. Also can be used to keep company wide info up to date. Policies, op specs, schedule, et cetera.
 
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They get one sheet for each flight with all the details on it, they do the W&B, flight planning and such themselves. So basicly just who/what is going where when.
 
We call dispatch for departure and arrival notification and receive trip sheets via email. Other than that all of the paperwork is just aircraft documents and weight and balance.
 
HPNPilot1200 said:
We call dispatch for departure and arrival notification and receive trip sheets via email. Other than that all of the paperwork is just aircraft documents and weight and balance.
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Thanks.

It would be a good way to keep up with trip sheets, and aircraft documents. Especially if you have multiple pilots flying multiple a/c. Also if there are any particular company or regulatory documents pilots are required have with them.

I know e-mail is free but this is not expensive and it does keep things organized, preventing a mistake from using an old version of an itinerary or w&b sheet, and keeping everything in one place. Keeps you from having to fish around in your inbox for stuff.

I don't know about aviation documents, opspecs and what not but for many industries document control is a big thing - not only must you have the required document for the manufacturing step or the calibration of a device, but you must have a way to prove it is the current and updated version. This program is designed to eliminate guesswork, and gives an easy way for folks on the road to keep everything current.

I guess the reason I thought it might work well for pilots is because many companies are going to the ipad for charts these days. It would be a good compliment for companies who already use the ipad
 
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You could host a private web page with links/docs that is updated in similar fashion. for a lot less than $100 a month and not be limited to ten clients. email is free.

Where's the value? My email is pushed to my pad. I have a browser. What am I paying for again???
 
Everything in one place, controlled by your dispatcher. Its an organizational tool. You (the pilot) can't screw up by losing an e-mail or opening an itinerary that has been replaced by a newer version. Also if there are required documents (A POH could be loaded, a copy of your medical, latest weight and balance info for the aircraft) you'll never get caught without them.

It makes things easy on the dispatcher. They can simply save the trip sheet directly or drag and drop it into the folder for each aircraft. This could prevent a simple mistake like e-mailing the wrong pilot, for companies that have several pilots flying different a/c all the time. I know this seems like an easily corrected mistake, but not making a mistake in the first place is key to profitability. Ever hear of six sigma?

Sure you could set up a website but a dedicated app works better on the ipad. Thats why we have apps on our ipads. Also, the data is downloaded automatically so you can use it with no internet connection. If you need to look something up at 40,000 feet, or on the ramp in podunk for instance. I don't think a website would send you a push notification either would it?
 
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dell30rb said:
Everything in one place, controlled by your dispatcher. Its an organizational tool. You (the pilot) can't screw up by losing an e-mail or opening an itinerary that has been replaced by a newer version. Also if there are required documents (A POH could be loaded, a copy of your medical, latest weight and balance info for the aircraft) you'll never get caught without them.

It makes things easy on the dispatcher. They can simply save the trip sheet directly or drag and drop it into the folder for each aircraft. This could prevent a simple mistake like e-mailing the wrong pilot, for companies that have several pilots flying different a/c all the time. I know this seems like an easily corrected mistake, but not making a mistake in the first place is key to profitability. Ever hear of six sigma?

Sure you could set up a website but a dedicated app works better on the ipad. Thats why we have apps on our ipads. Also, the data is downloaded automatically so you can use it with no internet connection. If you need to look something up at 40,000 feet, or on the ramp in podunk for instance. I don't think a website would send you a push notification either would it?
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If only I could get our scheduling software to do that easily. Ours is set up to email to crew so exporting to PDF is about 7 more mouse clicks for every trip sheet and GenDec. Sigh.
 
100bux a month to push maybe a couple of of single page docs per flight?

Currently the pilot sits down at a computer before the trip, prints his itinerary, figures the weight and balance then goes out to the plane and begins the flight.

Spending any money over free for no real world increase in productivity will not work.

Not to mention that at least for us the procedure is spelled out in our ops manual and to change it would require approval from the feds.

I'm sure it's a wonderful ap, but forcing it into an aviation use...
 
Skylane81E said:
100bux a month to push maybe a couple of of single page docs per flight?

Currently the pilot sits down at a computer before the trip, prints his itinerary, figures the weight and balance then goes out to the plane and begins the flight.

Spending any money over free for no real world increase in productivity will not work.

Not to mention that at least for us the procedure is spelled out in our ops manual and to change it would require approval from the feds.

I'm sure it's a wonderful ap, but forcing it into an aviation use...
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Ever have trouble finding a working printer on the go... or a decent computer with internet? Most FBO's have them but some are really old and crappy equipment. If you have an ipad already as many pilots do, why not use it?

If you save every pilot 5-10 minutes per flight definitely worth it. How bout the time it might save the dispatcher, too.

Also figure in the cost of a single mistake of, possibly a pilot opening an old trip sheet, not having the most current w&b and getting ramp checked, a simple, single mistake that could have been prevented by better organization could cost thousands and pay for years of the app's use.
 
Skylane81E said:
100bux a month to push maybe a couple of of single page docs per flight?


I'm sure it's a wonderful ap, but forcing it into an aviation use...
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They already have this and similar products being used by pharmaceutical companies to keep up with document control, and have a reputation established in that industry. Its priced accordingly but each account is individual and the price is negotiated. I'm sure he would be glad to do an extended free trial or something like that for an aviation company just to get some feedback and develop the product further.

And, i'm not forcing anything. I just had a lightbulb go off on easter when my dad brought out his ipad and said "hey, check out our new app!". The entire reason I bought an ipad is for aviation... I know 135 guys and airline guys are required to keep up with a bunch of documentation, and many are using the ipad for charts anyway.
 
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dell30rb said:
Ever have trouble finding a working printer on the go... or a decent computer with internet? Most FBO's have them but some are really old and crappy equipment. If you have an ipad already as many pilots do, why not use it?

If you save every pilot 5-10 minutes per flight definitely worth it. How bout the time it might save the dispatcher, too.

Also figure in the cost of a single mistake of, possibly a pilot opening an old trip sheet, not having the most current w&b and getting ramp checked, a simple, single mistake that could have been prevented by better organization could cost thousands and pay for years of the app's use.
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Print from our printer before departure, old data goes away, we have had one delay due to paperwork, an extra passenger showed up and required a rework of the data, pilot had to start from scratch, but would have anyway.

I will grant that we are a smaller operation, but the volume of paper is so low that even if it did get streamlined it would be such a small change ans to border on nil.
 
HPNPilot1200 said:
If only I could get our scheduling software to do that easily. Ours is set up to email to crew so exporting to PDF is about 7 more mouse clicks for every trip sheet and GenDec. Sigh.
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What is a GenDec?

I might set up an example demo for a charter company and want to make it look as realistic as possible.
 
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