Consumer Electronics Technology And Aviation Safety

Pilots, how do you use modern consumer electronic gadgets to enhance
flight safety?

Specifically, do you use PDAs or smartphones or iPads or eReaders or
digital cameras or digital video recorders or digital voice recorders
or other technological marvels to make yourself a better-prepared
pilot? If so, how?

Here's an example of the kind of thing I am looking for. Here in the
USA I like to use www.skyvector.com and my Thinkpad to capture
screenshots of current sectional charts. Specifically, I plan a long
flight, and then take digital snapshots of sectional chart excerpts
along the planned flight route. Each screenshot image can be pasted
into an iPad or iPhone where, at my leisure, I can call up the images
and study them. I can study them on a bus, or waiting in line at some
checkout counter, or just lying around at home on a cloudy Saturday
afternoon. The iPhone or iPad, in this case, makes study easy because
it is so handy - I always have it close by, it boots instantly, and
because the images are stored in internal memory, there is no need for
an internet connection. I can study virtually anywhere with it.
Frequent study of these images allows me to become very familiar with
navigation landmarks, airspace issues, safe landout areas, and the
like before I actually make the flight. This in turn enhances
readiness to make the flight safely.

Another example of using a techtoy to enhance safety is to prepare and
store in the gadget's memory a comprehensive checklist to guide the
pre-flight inspection of an aircraft that you intend to fly.

So, what techniques have you developed to employ modern consumer
techtoys to improve pilot performance and enhance safety of flight?
Please post your responses here for all of us to see. Pilots of all
categories of aircraft and from all countries are welcome to post.

I plan to make a short presentation on this topic at the Soaring
Safety Foundation-hosted safety meeting on Wednesday, February 1,
2012, at the Reno, Nevada, site of the Soaring Society of America
2012 national convention.

Thanks!/Merci!/Danke!/Gracias!

Bob Wander (USA)]
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