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My first thought was that it's ridiculous to assume pilots would ever be reliant on Apple Maps when trying to land their aircraft. Then I remembered a few simi

by Permit 14y ago

My first thought was that it's ridiculous to assume pilots would ever be reliant on Apple Maps when trying to land their aircraft. Then I remembered a few similar occurrences: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8366607/RAF-pilots-used-Google-Maps-for-Libya-rescue.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianoce... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDgC4FMftpg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDgC4FMftpg http://news.softpedia.com/news/Queensland-Floods-Helicopter-Crew-Used-Google-Maps-to-Locate-Victims-Video-236488.shtml http://news.softpedia.com/news/Queensland-Floods-Helicopter-...

mtgx 14y ago
Quite a few airlines have handed out iPads to pilots already. It wouldn't be a stretch for that to happen eventually...
- protomyth 14y ago
  The pilots are not using the built-in Maps app.
  - prothid 14y ago
    Pilot here. I will confirm this, and also add that there are many other ways to find an airport (paper maps, atc, handheld aviation gps, built-in gps, airport beacons at night, and also just looking out the window). In an emergency, the last thing I'd do is have my head down in an ipad/iphone. From the aerial shot it appears clear that it's not an airport, but it is probably the largest field around, so it would be a target in an engine failure scenario regardless.
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
- neurotech1 14y ago
  Everyone is laughing now, but the Keyhole satellite imaging application is used by military planners. The consumer version is known as Google Earth, since Keyhole inc. was acquired by Google. The resolution and geo-references might not be as good as the Keyhole Military version, but it isn't "dangerously" bad either. A pilot could quite reasonably use geographic way-points for a respectable approach and landing.
arjn 14y ago
Could happen in an emergency, and that is the point.
qq66 14y ago
If you are out of other options, you use whatever you have to keep yourself alive.
mikeash 14y ago
I'm not going to say that nobody would ever do it, but I will say that any pilot who relies on a smartphone's built-in mapping app to find airports deserves the outcome he gets.
- wahnfrieden 14y ago
  It's a hazard to others.
  - lollerpops 14y ago
    What if the pilot has a feature phone with no maps at all??? Think of the children!
bdonlan 14y ago
There's a big difference between using consumer maps for rescue operations when no other charts are available, and flying in the UK where there are high-quality VFR and IFR paper charts (which all pilots are expected to have for any areas they're flying through, either for primary navigation or just in case the GPS dies), certified cockpit GPS data, as well as radar services available to help you find a suitable airport.

by Permit 14y ago

mtgx 14y ago

Quite a few airlines have handed out iPads to pilots already. It wouldn't be a stretch for that to happen eventually...

protomyth 14y ago
The pilots are not using the built-in Maps app.
- prothid 14y ago
  Pilot here. I will confirm this, and also add that there are many other ways to find an airport (paper maps, atc, handheld aviation gps, built-in gps, airport beacons at night, and also just looking out the window). In an emergency, the last thing I'd do is have my head down in an ipad/iphone. From the aerial shot it appears clear that it's not an airport, but it is probably the largest field around, so it would be a target in an engine failure scenario regardless.
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
neurotech1 14y ago
Everyone is laughing now, but the Keyhole satellite imaging application is used by military planners. The consumer version is known as Google Earth, since Keyhole inc. was acquired by Google. The resolution and geo-references might not be as good as the Keyhole Military version, but it isn't "dangerously" bad either. A pilot could quite reasonably use geographic way-points for a respectable approach and landing.

arjn 14y ago

Could happen in an emergency, and that is the point.

qq66 14y ago

If you are out of other options, you use whatever you have to keep yourself alive.

mikeash 14y ago

I'm not going to say that nobody would ever do it, but I will say that any pilot who relies on a smartphone's built-in mapping app to find airports deserves the outcome he gets.

wahnfrieden 14y ago
It's a hazard to others.
- lollerpops 14y ago
  What if the pilot has a feature phone with no maps at all??? Think of the children!

bdonlan 14y ago

There's a big difference between using consumer maps for rescue operations when no other charts are available, and flying in the UK where there are high-quality VFR and IFR paper charts (which all pilots are expected to have for any areas they're flying through, either for primary navigation or just in case the GPS dies), certified cockpit GPS data, as well as radar services available to help you find a suitable airport.