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Cockpit Chronicles: Paper makes an airplane fly

by Kent Wien (RSS feed) on Aug 5th 2009 at 2:00PM

Looking back on the accomplishments of the Wright brothers in 1903, I find it a miracle that they were able to get into the air while lacking a critical piece of material. Something so important that the FAA, JAA and CAA would ground any airplane today that tried to lift off without it.

You see, the Wright brothers lacked the paperwork to fly. They had no airworthiness certificate, no weight and balance data, no flight plan or even a license in their wallets. It's truly astonishing that they ever left the ground.

Today we need this paperwork to fly and despite efforts to create a paperless cockpit, we're carrying reams of additional information that's still printed with a dot matrix printer at the airport before each flight.

To give you an idea what's needed before a typical transatlantic crossing, I took a moment before beginning the preflight inspection and sat down to go through the trip paperwork for our recent flight from London to Boston.

This didn't include the customs and immigration paperwork that the purser, or number one flight attendant, handles. Nor did it show the volumes of books that we carry with approach plates, checklists, procedures and aircraft manuals that I've described before.

Boeing and Airbus have done their part to offer a Class III Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) in their newer airplanes that promises to eliminate the need for these books and manuals and some of the paperwork shown in the video above.

The 787 even includes a Class III EFB as standard equipment. But it's up to the airlines to retrofit their older cockpits with this technology that will not only save weight, but promises to give us better situational awareness when taxiing around the airport and maneuvering to avoid thunderstorms since airport diagrams and real-time satellite weather can be displayed on the newer EFBs.

Maybe then we could get away from paper depictions of weather phenomena along our route of flight in favor of real time information that just might keep us away from unforecasted headwinds or areas of moderate or greater turbulence.

Even Orville and Wilbur could see the benefits in that.

Cockpit Chronicles takes you along on some of Kent's trips as an international co-pilot on the Boeing 757 and 767 based in Boston. Have any questions for Kent? Check out Plane Answers.

Filed under: The Cockpit Chronicles

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Grant Martin Aug 5th 2009 3:11PM

Oh like you were REALLY on the phone when this video started. Such an actor :)

Kent Wien Aug 5th 2009 3:17PM

I swear, I was, Grant!

And I liked the captain's hit-the-button-and-go attitude so much I left it in there.

Willy Aug 5th 2009 4:39PM

I had the same initial reaction: he's totally faking the phone call. :)

Richard Aug 5th 2009 3:37PM

When the weight of the paper equals the weight of the airplane, you are cleared to takeoff. (from my AF flying days)

Cheryl Gunter Aug 7th 2009 6:36PM

Papers for flying: I owned a company that among other things, cleaned airline jets. The manager told the employee that the pilot was getting angry because he was missing the little papers. Apparently when they would have gum, they would wad up the paper and throw it on the floor. So, the manager told the employee to make sure he didn't miss the little papers.

Next morning at 6am we get a phone call (at home) the plan can't take off..someone has taken every piece of paper out of the cockpit. No maps...no takeoff. They were a little more that pissed. Another airline copied their maps and the airliner took off. We were fired. (things stupid employees do around a plane)

I won't bore you with all the fun stories, but I may drop in again..some a really funny.

Bruce Aug 5th 2009 5:44PM

I'm surprised that Capt. Chelander (sp?) hasn't attacked that extra weight yet!!

I saw the CNBC show "A Week in the Life of American Airlines." Found it to be very interesting.

Mike Aug 5th 2009 11:38PM

I loved that special, unfortunately its about 3 years old now, but i still try and catch it when ever it comes on.

Randy Lee Aug 5th 2009 9:03PM

It seems we have you beat on the paperwork drill! Gotta equal the weight of the jet!!!

David Aug 6th 2009 11:30PM

If it ends up in the trash, do you let people have it or is there some sort of security issue there?

Kent Wien Aug 6th 2009 11:32PM

I can't think of any security issues on, say the flight plan and takeoff data. No one has ever asked for it, that I can remember. It's up to the pilot on your flight.

Gail Aug 9th 2009 1:26AM

When SFO Mike and I first started dating,he would bring me the route map, which he customized by adding something sweet like "this is the way to my heart". Nice piece, Kent. And I thought health care was bad regarding paperwork!

craig Aug 9th 2009 6:12PM

Silly me, i always thought it was P. F. M.

Park Aug 18th 2009 7:45AM

One of my friends' father work as a captain in Asiana.
So I asked my friend for some of those 'papers' used in flight, and my friend gave me few papers including approach charts(probably oudated) and maps.
I was surprised to know papers I long for end up in the trash! don't airlines recycle reusable documents?

mertesb Aug 22nd 2009 12:24PM

This makes me feel so much better! I was under the grand illusion that once you left Part 141 operations the pile of forms and charts stayed at the flight school. Good to know I can look forward to a lifetime of prog charts and paper maps! Unless of course the EFB revolution takes off...

SMRTNUP Sep 24th 2009 1:57PM

I'LL BET THE WRIGHT BROTHERS DIDN'T EVEN HAVE AN { AFTO-210 }, AIR FORCE TECHNICAL ORDER # 210.

THEY PROBABLY DIDN'T WRITE UP THE PROBLEMS THEY INCURRED DURING THEIR TEST FLIGHTS ON A "SQUAWK SHEET" EITHER.