Skip to main content

US Air Force Electronic Flight Bag Team fought Windows bureaucracy and deployed iPads [Video]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMUdeVBo_UE]

We knew the United States Air Force had plans to purchase iPads to replace its traditional flight bags with a lighter, more efficient digital version, but we get a look today at exactly how it is implementing the technology in the video above featuring Electronic Flight Bag Program Manager Maj Pete Birchenough. In the video, we get a behind-the-scenes look at some of the reasons that lead to the decision, including: savings of $3.20 for every $1 spent, $34 million in paper savings over 10 years, a 90 percent reduction in man-hours for maintaining charts and maps, and 22,000 man hours productivity increase.

We also get a look at some of the software being deployed on the iPads and the team behind keeping those apps running and secure. The Electronic Fight Bag Requirements Manager Rich Quidgoen explained the difficulties of convincing security officials to allow the Air Force to work with Apple products (around 4:35). Birchenough noted (5:15) that going with a “non-windows device garnered an unbelievable amount of resistance from virtually every agency,” where as going with a Windows device would have been a lot easier if it was an “adequate solution.”

[tweet https://twitter.com/Omegis/statuses/251370390025277440]

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

Author

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jordan Kahn

Jordan writes about all things Apple as Senior Editor of 9to5Mac, & contributes to 9to5Google, 9to5Toys, & Electrek.co. He also co-authors 9to5Mac’s Logic Pros series.