Comments on: Apple’s iPhone pilot ad: BS, or is air traffic control really this clueless?

By: Catalogguy

Catalogguy — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 21:54:00 +0000

I am also a pilot. The idea of even opening my mouth based on checking weather.com is patently absurd. Getting to the cockpit without access to good comprehensive weather data is just plain wrong and in fact I can’t think of any instance in which it’s even legal: the pilot in command must be familar with relevant information about the flight. Not to mention cell phones must be in airplane mode.

By: iPhone only marginally awesome. | mendax.org

iPhone only marginally awesome. | mendax.org — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:49:03 +0000

[...] and is continuing to spread rampantly, even to the extent that pilots need to trust the iPhone instead of relying on the millions of dollars worth of equipment and personnel native to their own damn [...]

By: Eric, a Commercial Pilot

Eric, a Commercial Pilot — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:15:31 +0000

I just came across this thread and thought it would be a good idea to clarify the commercial and put some proper perspective to it.

First of all, the ad is completely true and it happens like this every day. We as pilots know our exact route and where we will fly our aircraft from point A to point B. Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) are dealing with literally thousands of flights all at the same time. When a weather system is moving through, ATC has a tendency to shut down more flights than are necessary.

We as pilots are ultimately responsible for determining the safety of the flights we make. In the commercial (and I have used my iPhone for this same purpose MANY MANY times), the pilot checks the weather for his route and determines that the storm will not affect his path and clears it with the dispatchers, which make the final call for the safety of the company’s planes. He then informs ATC that they have checked the weather for their route and would like to launch – ATC concurs and away they go!

Just because you don’t understand how the air traffic system works doesn’t mean that Apple is lying to you – I have used my iPhone so many times to determine the safety of a flight, to file flight plans, to get weather briefings in advance of a flight, etc. that it isn’t even funny!

All of my pilot friends are getting iPhones now once I show them how much power it has for the aviation community. Over 20 pilots that I know of have directly gone out and purchased an iPhone after a 5 minute demonstration of what it can do for them.

The commercial is true and it is only getting better for us pilots! Check out the application “ForeFlight for iPhone” from the AppStore for $69.95. Worth every penny!

By: Mark Ashley

Mark Ashley — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 01:18:55 +0000

What the HELL is going on here?

Get civil, or go home. I’ll shut this thread down in an instant if this idiocy doesn’t stop.

By: JENNIFER

JENNIFER — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 23:16:25 +0000

IN RESPONCE TO CHITALA-
I am that hooters girl you speak of, and for your information I wasn’t 19, I am 26 and the last time you have seen me with Bryce I was 24. Now, in Canada 18 is legal. Maybe you should get some of your facts straight before you hate on others, besides what are you doing that’s so great??….still living in your mothers basement jerkin’ off to child porn, and getting all messed up over bloody commercials. Good God, get a life would ya!
TG1 aka hooters girl.

By: Jettime

Jettime — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 16:48:22 +0000

Hmmm, sounds like you’re a real hater. I’ve actually met this guy and the real story is that he asked his dispatcher for a re-route based off of what he saw on his phone, which they were able to do and then passed it along to the tower so his flight could get out sooner when the traffic started moving again……….sounds like a smart pilot to me, and I’ve read some of the stories he’s posted in the remote control jet forums………I believe the girlfriend you are talking about of his was 26…..life sucks when you’re a hater huh?

By: chitala

chitala — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 11:16:00 +0000

Ok, you mean to tell me that the i phone is more accurate than the instruments used by airports to track weather conditions. Like c mon. This guy is a real clown. Nice one to your profession. Not to mention the guy has a thing for 19 year old girls that works for hooters in Canada. Not only dumb but a perv. How are you a pilot again???

By: josh

josh — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 03:01:02 +0000

Hahahah good read. I’ll have to check out the commercial. Weather nerds. Do those even exist?! by the way, I’m on my iPhone as I’m posting this.

By: iPhone only marginally awesome. at mendax.org

iPhone only marginally awesome. at mendax.org — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 20:13:47 +0000

By: Mark Ashley

Mark Ashley — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 13:58:58 +0000

Thanks for stopping by, Patrick. Looking forward to the column!