EFB and IT Consulting

Introduction, implementation and realisation of the EFB solution Logipad 

JetAviation: Less bureaucracy, but a dramatic increase in efficiency and reduction of workload 

company 

Founded in Switzerland in 1967, Jet Aviation conducts three main branches in flight services and aircraft management. One is in Asia, based in Hong Kong, one in the USA based in New Jersey and one in Zurich, Switzerland for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The business has a global fleet of some 300 aircraft, mainly long-range and ultra-long-range business jets with which Jet Aviation operates commercial and non-commercial operations.  

challenge 

In terms of flight documentation, Jet Aviation was experiencing increasing levels of bureaucracy in the documentation of flight operations. There were also increased numbers of health, safety and efficiency related processes to assure that flights were planned reliably and within the minimum parameters in terms of fuel calculation, efficiency, navigation, etc. Every operator has seen an increase over the last few years in the volume of tasks, requirements and associated documentation that need to be recorded for each flight. The main drive has been to increase efficiency and reduce back-office and cockpit paperwork as much as possible in order to reduce workload. By increasing situational awareness as well as reducing workload for the crew during critical flight phases and hot-spots such as the last hour before departure, which can be very hectic for crew members, a further benefit is gained in terms of increasing safety. Combined with Jet Aviation’s very large fleet, it means that everything needs to be managed electronically: so, another of the objectives was to have a proper, well maintained, easy to use aircraft library deployable across myriad different users. 

Solution 

Jet Aviation decided to implement DextraData’s Logipad. As a well-recognized aviation software provider with good provenance and a respectable portfolio of clients, DextraData was able to add more value: The offer of an in-house development and support team, and that the DextraData solution is highly modular and flexible. One more consideration was that the server output of Logipad enables Jet Aviation to really use big data technologies to optimize flight planning and supply the safety management system. As the system is deployed across the Jet Aviation fleet and as it is continually used, it is generating a bulk of data from with the business can learn by using big data technology. The selection process ran for around three months but once it had been decided to use Logipad, things started to flow really well with an excellent and responsive support team.  

From the operator’s side, Logipad is seen as an EFB solution comprised of an iPad application that connects to a cloud-based system which is synchronized with various Jet Aviation software tools such as the flight scheduling, SMS software, flight planning and the electronic library. All software tools are directly interfaced to Logipad via the cloud server which ensures that all iPad-based Apps are fully updated with the latest library and flight relevant data prior to the commencement of each flight. While in flight, the Logipad application assists flight crew in accessing and managing flight data and then, upon completion of the flight, they send data to Logipad;’s cloud server which, in turn, distributes that data to specific software tools in an automated and near real time process. Also worth noting is that Jet Aviation didn’t have to change any of its other systems as Logipad is able to interface with them. 

Due to the pandemic (COVID-19) the main protagonists from Jet Aviation and DextraData only met in person once, before the project was initiated, to discuss the possible integration of all the information to get an idea of what was needed. However, there was little or no impact from the pandemic because the teams got to know each other quickly, had good communication points and, using Microsoft Teams, there were weekly calls during the project phase to cover any issues. 

results 

Jet Aviation established a long-term efficient and compliant paperless flight management process, using real-time data transfers, reducing workload and increasing situational awareness. A good example of that final point, increasing situational awareness, is in-flight fuel management: Jet Aviation has an electronic operational flight plan which is orders of magnitude better than a paper-based one because, every time the crew members do a fuel and time check, the entire flight plan is adjusted in real-time with the new values. It really is an effortless way to optimize the crew’s workload and increase their situational awareness.  

Another real benefit is that the system enables crews to have quick access to critical information in flight. In the electronic library, for example, Logipad offers Jet Aviation’s Crew a fantastic search function that can quickly locate and present important data from all documents stored in their electronic library. The amount of information that Jet Aviation needs to use, for example, when performing a flight over the North Atlantic, is just enormous: Logipad has generated a dramatic increase in efficiency and reduction of workload. Jet Aviation was also able to eliminate multiple data entries which, in turn, reduced the opportunities for human error. Back-office efficiency has been optimized with things like the automatic pre- and post-flight data uploads for the dispatch team and the CAMO team. 

AeroLogic deploys Logipad iPad EFB (Aircraft IT)

Since the beginning of 2012 AeroLogic and our termin worked together on the implementation of an iPad based EFB. As the iPad had to replace the current Class 1 laptop, the challenge was to bring all operations onto the iPad. The iPad had to cover the functionality of documentation, eReporting, navigation, performance, training and briefing.

There has been close communication between the parties throughout the whole project, which influenced the Logipad development a great deal. Based on the successful implementation of the project, we have been invited by Aircraft IT to provide an overall case study on the project. It provides a detailed overview and describes the experience with all the challenges that have been met and solved during the project.

There has been close communication between the parties throughout the whole project, which influenced the Logipad development a great deal. Based on the successful implementation of the project, we have been invited by Aircraft IT to provide an overall case study on the project. It provides a detailed overview and describes the experience with all the challenges that have been met and solved during the project.