Using a tablet PC when airborne?

It gets real interesting when you are bouncing around in turbulence.
I have an Apple Newton 2100 that I have used to record flight
information on. The Newton is kneeboard size.

Peter wrote:
Hi,

I've been told that airline operations increasingly use tablet PCs for
ground planning purposes, and perhaps also in flight.

Also some private pilots use the Jepp products in flight. I wonder
what tablet-type PCs they use - most current tablet products have 12"
screens which makes them too big to rest on one's lap alongside the
usual stuff.

I think the job calls for a compact 8" screen tablet, something like

http://uk.itronix-europe.com/product...booktablet.asp

I know a few IFR pilots who use the discontinued Fujitsu LTP-600

http://www.fujitsupc.com/www/product...stylistic_p600

and their consensus is that anything bigger is too big.

Any views here?

Finally, I know that in the USA one can get traffic data (via the Mode
S channel, I believe) and weather radar images (via commercial
subscription services). I know about showing this on multifunction
displays (I fly behind a KMD550 which takes a stormscope feed) but is
there any facility to display this data on a tablet PC or a PDA? It
seems a really obvious thing to do. Not here in Europe though - not
enough private pilots to make it worth anyone's while...

One would have to convert the data coming out of a Mode S transponder
(ARINC?) and feed it into the PC via bluetooth perhaps...


Peter.
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Victor J. (Jim) Osborne, Jr.



take off my shoes to reply

On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 10:08:20 +0000, Peter
wrote:

Hi,

I've been told that airline operations increasingly use tablet PCs for
ground planning purposes, and perhaps also in flight.

I just bought a Fujitsu ST4121 to display moving map software and XM /
WxWorx Sat weather. I have not flown with it yet, but believe it is
small enough, light enough, and thin enough to be effective in the
cockpit. Most importantly, it has a tranflective screen, so the
display actually gets brighter in sunlight. Anyway, I will give the
rec.aviation group an update once I do get to fly with it.

I had been using an IBM Thinkpad for this before, but it had several
shortcomings for this application.
#1. In bright sunlight - the screen gets washed out.
#2. At night - lack of brightness/dimness controls.
#3. The 'fold open' display is unacceptable for space reasons.

For those that have not flown with the XM Sat Weather (by WxWorx) - it
is amazing. It greatly increases my confidence while flying both VFR
or IFR XCs. The benefits of the nexrad radar are obvious, but I am
finding the graphical access to METAR and Winds aloft data to be
beneficial as well. It is so much easier and gives a better picture
than calling up Fligh****ch to get the info. The TFR representations
are nice as well.

-Nathan

Here is a link about my Fujitsu Stylistic LTC P600 that I got on eBay for
$330:

http://www.razorsedgesoft.com/fujistu.htm

Dean Wilkinson
http://www.razorsedgesoft.com/airplan/index.htm

In rec.aviation.ifr Dean Wilkinson wrote:
Here is a link about my Fujitsu Stylistic LTC P600 that I got on eBay for
$330:

http://www.razorsedgesoft.com/fujistu.htm

Uh, forgive me for correcting someone elses URL, but I belive that should
be:


http://www.razorsedgesoft.com/fujiTSu.htm

--
Frank Stutzman
Bonanza N494B "Hula Girl"
Hood River, OR

Well I tired em and they were about as useful as a chcolate fireguard,
impossible in turbulence, way to big for a ga cockpit and runninn out of
power cables everywhere, a waste of space!

give me a decent panel mount and a portable strapped thto the coaming!


"Frank Stutzman" wrote in message
...
In rec.aviation.ifr Dean Wilkinson wrote:
Here is a link about my Fujitsu Stylistic LTC P600 that I got on eBay for
$330:

http://www.razorsedgesoft.com/fujistu.htm

Uh, forgive me for correcting someone elses URL, but I belive that should
be:


http://www.razorsedgesoft.com/fujiTSu.htm

--
Frank Stutzman
Bonanza N494B "Hula Girl"
Hood River, OR