Air National Guard considers replacing manuals with tablets.

• Author: Insinna, Valerie
• Position: AVIATION

The Air National Guard is studying whether pilots may be able to replace paper copies of reference manuals with electronic versions stored on a tablet. Such technology could make it easier for pilots to look up technical information and reduce weight on aircraft.

The Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Command Test Center in Tucson, Ariz., is working alongside the Georgia Tech Research Institute on evaluating 24 commercial tablets' compatibility in the cockpit, including whether tablets need to be ruggedized to meet military specifications, said Air Force Lt. Col. Vincent Sei, deputy director of testing.

Additionally, Georgia Tech is building two software applications for use by the Air National Guard. The first is a technical order app that includes information on safety procedures and other information that can be used in an emergency such as an engine failure.

The test center originally looked at commercial document readers, but they did not allow pilots to rapidly access information. Georgia Tech's apps, on the other hand, were designed with "nice, big, pilot friendly buttons" that quickly take you to the appropriate pages and then back to the table of contents, Sei said.

Georgia Tech is also designing an app version of its FalconView mapping software, which includes flight charts and mission planning elements, allowing pilots to plan weapons delivery and aerial refueling, he said. This application could be used by the Army and Air Force, which have shown interest in developing the software and have...