When photos and details of the iPad first appeared in the general press, pilots immediately started talking about how great the device would be for viewing approach charts. The sentiment wasn't lost on developers. Within weeks the first iPad applications were showing up with government AeroNav (formerly NACO) terminal charts.
It didn't take long for Jeppesen to see the potential for iPad and come out with its first app, Jeppesen Mobile TC, which the company announced at AirVenture in late July.
I flew home from the show with the app on my iPad and was impressed. The charts load fast, they can be zoomed easily and quickly with the by now well-known iPad pinch, and they are sharp as a tack down to the largest magnification level.
There's not much to using the app, which is one of its greatest strengths. Let's say you're heading to Santa Monica Airport in California but you've forgotten the identifier. Simply type in "Santa Mo ... " and by the time you hit the o, Jeppesen Mobile TC has found the airport, KSMO, for you. Just tap on it to confirm that selection in the list, and you're immediately presented with the list of all the terminal procedures associated with KSMO. Tap the procedure you want and, voila, you're good to go.
JeppView on the iPad with electronic charts costs $775 a year for the contiguous 48 U.S. states. You can get regions for much less. Depending on which region and how many airports there are in it, it can be less than $200 a year.
Jeppesen is very likely to be developing new apps for the iPad soon. I'd be surprised not to see flight planning, en route charts and more come from the company down the road.
To find out more, you can visit jeppesen.com, or just look for Jeppesen Mobile TC in the iTunes store.
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