It is great to see the 'info pad' working in the cockpit of the A320FBW. Don't make the mistake I did while in flight. With little to do while on a long flight I explored the screen and clicked at the bottom right hand side of the screen. The display changed to 'copyright and licence' page and I could find no way back!

Been there, done that lol.

13 minutes ago, Car147 said:

Been there, done that lol.

same here. FBW says on Github they cannot change it since the logo and link to leaflet has to be there for license reasons. 

Good to know.

I know this is not the forum to discuss bugs with Fly Pad but they should perhaps implement an onscreen keyboard. When entering my Simbrief Username into it, the sim was doing crazy things, including taking me right out of the cockpit because the keyboard keys activate other sim commands. Not a biggie as I presume it is only ever done once. That and I could not see what I was typing because it is white font on a white text box (maybe it is better in daylight, I was doing it at night).

2 hours ago, RaptyrOne said:

they should perhaps implement an onscreen keyboard

already covered over at their github page

I might be in the minority here....don’t get me wrong the iPad is cool, However I don’t really see the point of it. We already get weather/fuel loading and soon payload adjustments via the MCDU. In real life pilots are using it for navigation as it’s an electric flightbag to view charts etc. even if they were to connect navigraph to it I can’t see anyone using it unless you’re flying in VR? I don’t follow the progress other than watching first look previews on YouTube so please let me know if I’m missing something.

 

But Like I said I do think it’s neat and maybe there doesn’t need to be a point to having it as we are getting it all for free....

1 hour ago, environmental_ice said:

I might be in the minority here....don’t get me wrong the iPad is cool, However I don’t really see the point of it. We already get weather/fuel loading and soon payload adjustments via the MCDU. In real life pilots are using it for navigation as it’s an electric flightbag to view charts etc. even if they were to connect navigraph to it I can’t see anyone using it unless you’re flying in VR? I don’t follow the progress other than watching first look previews on YouTube so please let me know if I’m missing something.

 

But Like I said I do think it’s neat and maybe there doesn’t need to be a point to having it as we are getting it all for free....

IRL via the MCDU would still be through either ACARS/D-LNK type setup and requires separate radio equipment and subject to delays as well as connection type certifications.  It probably also requires their dispatcher to run those numbers and send them back.  Those are several processes that can take time.

EFBs can run aps that can be authorized in the operators GOM then certified by their regulatory agencies.  In other words, they can run their numbers instantly.  Now how or if they can then push those numbers back to the MCDU/FMC depends on the type of EFB probably, and any required type certs for connections to the avionics, etc.  In any case EFBs are much quicker.

Also, EFBs aren't for navigation nor do they provide that service.  Charts (paperless cockpits), also require operators certification.  I believe in most cases they are required to have 2 EFBs in order to qualify for paperless cockpit.

I think you might be confusing what we do in sim land, versus IRL; like connected flight decks, etc..  The interesting thing is; life is starting to imitate art when it comes to modern day avionics.😀

Edited February 5, 20215 yr by Jeff Nielsen

1 hour ago, Jeff Nielsen said:

I think you might be confusing what we do in sim land, versus IRL; like connected flight decks, etc..  The interesting thing is; life is starting to imitate art when it comes to modern day avionics.😀

I wouldn’t say i am confusing the two. I’m more drilling in the point that the things in real life concerning the iPad, there would be no purpose to do in the sim as we aren’t sending numbers to anyone. We don’t have a dispatcher on call. There’s no “company”. I have very little knowledge on the things that airlines do on their iPads/tablets in the flight deck but just from being a spectator I did notice airport diagrams on one before and approach charts which for us I could see the only real benefit of having an iPad but like I said unless I’m missing something what other purpose would we have for it in the sim because unless you’re in VR nobody is going to be loading up navigraph on it. I guess I’m really just trying to figure out the point of the iPad in the sim is.

Looks like I got my question answered with the iPad having a pushback function as that is at least something I can see myself using. 

10 minutes ago, environmental_ice said:

guess I’m really just trying to figure out the point of the iPad in the sim is.

Give it some time. As mentioned in another FBW EFB post, it just came out some 3-4 days ago. Give it time to „ripe“. If you don’t want to use it then just don’t. So far I like the SimBrief import and the map with weather overlay. What would be the biggest help for me is adding charts at some point, subject to licensing. But as long as ILS freq are not always added/tuned automatically after selecting an approach it would help me to dial the freq manually. So far I have to google the eg LOWW or EKCH charts which is perfectly fine but a „break“ in immersion.

28 minutes ago, environmental_ice said:

I wouldn’t say i am confusing the two. I’m more drilling in the point that the things in real life concerning the iPad, there would be no purpose to do in the sim as we aren’t sending numbers to anyone. We don’t have a dispatcher on call. There’s no “company”. I have very little knowledge on the things that airlines do on their iPads/tablets in the flight deck but just from being a spectator I did notice airport diagrams on one before and approach charts which for us I could see the only real benefit of having an iPad but like I said unless I’m missing something what other purpose would we have for it in the sim because unless you’re in VR nobody is going to be loading up navigraph on it. I guess I’m really just trying to figure out the point of the iPad in the sim is.

I think I see what you're saying now.  I see why you might be saying what you're saying.  I can't say I disagree looking at it from your point.  

In the sim and IRL there are so many ways to do the same thing.  I think it comes down to the pilot and how you like to do things, I guess.