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The Connected Panel, Connected Pilot, and Connecting in General
Getting a Connected Panel product briefing from the executives of Aspen Avionics at AirVenture 2011 provided an impressive, albeit abstract view of the potential of the company’s new innovation. Through an installed piece of hardware, the iPad would be able to connect to capable GPS navigators, engine monitoring hardware, some VHF navigation and communications radios and more. But, it took sitting in front of a demonstrator and watching the 20-second process of the Connected Panel at work that the beauty of the concept finally touched down. The demonstration started with the process of entering a flight plan into an iPad via ForeFlight. Next, the iPad was asked to load the Connected Panel software to transmit, wirelessly, the entire flight plan into the appropriate window of a Bendix/King KNS770 all-in-one WAAS GPS/NAV/COM/ILS unit that was powered up and standing by. As the GPS accepted each point of the flight plan, each point appeared in the flight-plan window as it appeared on ForeFlight on the iPad until the entire flight plan had been transferred. Then, the KNS770 spent just a few seconds comparing each point in the plan to its database of valid navigation points. In 30 seconds, the 770 was ready to fly. Aspen’s partner in another project, Avidyne, is a member of the Connected Panel consortium, and the company’s IFD540 will work with the system, as does Garmin’s GNS series and GTN series. A vast variety of flight-planning programs are now capable of working with the Connected Panel along with other functions through the participation of these partners: AvConnect; Avidyne; Bendix/King by Honeywell; Black Box Aviation Systems; Coradine Aviation Systems; Digital Sectional; Fltplan.com; ForeFlight; iFlightPlanner.com; Hilton Software LLC; Jeppesen; J.P Instruments; Parrot; Pinnacle Aerospace; PS Engineering; Seattle Avionics; and Sporty’s Pilot Shop. Additionally, Connected Panel is not limited to iPads for its connectivity; iPhone, other smartphones and tablets are viable options, since they generally employ one of the wireless technologies supported by the hardware. The Connected Panel module also offers standard slot connections for downloading software to other connected devices. And, it’s two-way, so engine data stored on a graphic engine analyzer, for example, can be transferred to the portable device. It still can’t fly the plane for you, though – that’s a job for a pilot or an autopilot. 

FLIGHT DECK IPADS & TABLETS
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Those tests subjected the test iPads to a decompression from the atmospheric pressure of a cabin: 15 seconds to go from the equivalent of 8,000 mean sea level to the rarified air of 51,000 feet. That’s about the time it would take to fully depressurize a large-cabin (not airlinersize) business jet flying at FL510 if a 3-inch diameter hole suddenly opened in the fuselage. The iPads survived this important test, proving they will still be functional in a pinch.

Is it Safe? Part 2 Like Aircraft, Only as Safe as the Operator
That covers the hardware and software – not the operator. A pilot at the 2012 Sun ‘n Fun FlyIn asked, half-jokingly, which tablet application would do the best job of helping him fly safe. Let’s resolve this idea here – no such thing exists. As safety authorities note, this tool can help with many things – as long as the pilot flies the airplane and does nothing that takes away from items that require human attention. Sadly, there is evidence that using tablets in the cockpit sometimes produces distractions like texting or cellphone use while driving. In April 2011, the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center published a report titled, “Review of Safety Reports Involving Electronic Flight Bags.” Researchers surveyed reports to NASA’s Aviation Safety
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Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2012-2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2012-2013