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FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Tablet
computer use reaching new heights at K-State Salina
Natalie
Blair
nblair@k-state.edu
K-State
Salina
Salina, Kan.,
(September 28, 2011) - The use of tablet computers is
taking off at Kansas State University Salina, with aviation students
and faculty using them to keep up with the aviation industry in the
classroom and the cockpit.
"Our first-year students are
using iPads in the Intro to Aviation class and ground school,"
said Tom Karcz, assistant professor of aviation. "Usage is
starting to expand through the entire program as our certified flight
instructors also use them, and other students have seen the
benefits."
Students in Intro to Aviation
take all of their quizzes and tests using the iPad, said Eric Shappee,
associate professor of aviation and the class instructor.
"They are also learning the
software applications on the ground so that they know it when they are
in the air," he said.
"I use mine in the cockpit
from run-up to shutdown on every flight. It's the best piece of
aviation equipment I've purchased," said Jordan Cousland, junior
in professional pilot, Beloit, Kan.. "Mine is the 32 gigabyte with
3G, and I've yet to find any dead spots out there. I routinely have
5-meter accuracy with my 3G GPS on Foreflight, an aviation navigation
app. Not bad for cruising in a Bonanza at 150-plus knots. And listening
to Pandora Radio through the aux audio input on the G1000's is nice too."
"We can download our policy
and procedure manuals and flight training manuals for the different
airplanes onto our iPads so that we don't have to have paper versions
of them," said Megan Henderson, junior in professional pilot,
Topeka, Kan., and a K-State Salina certified flight instructor.
"There are also a few different apps that students can purchase if
they have 3G to use them. The apps will have weather, charts,
sectionals and everything on them for a yearly or monthly subscription."
Students are still learning how
to navigate the old-fashioned way, too.
"We still teach student
pilots to plan flights using paper charts and sectionals because you
never know when they might need to rely on the paper version to get
them through," Shappee said. "And the iPad is definitely not
a replacement for the plane's gauges and instruments."
Students are also finding uses
for the tablet in many places other than the cockpit.
"I use mine in the cockpit
primarily for navigation, charts and directory information, while in
class it has essentially replaced my laptop," said Zach Martin,
sophomore in professional pilot, Ramer, Tenn. "I use it for
anything from note-taking to completing online assignments, visiting
websites and keeping up with my email. You'll see me flying with mine,
in class, at home on the couch, or in my car at autocross events to
record G-force graphs from cornering forces on the track."
Alumni are reporting back that
knowing how to use the iPad in the cockpit is important for students to
keep current in industry standards.
"There aren't very many
flights that I don't use it on," said Collin Fisher, charter pilot
and flight instructor for Lyddon Aero Center in Liberal, Kan., and a
2010 K-State graduate. "It has saved me several times by looking
up a point on high en route charts when it is too hard to find that
point on a paper chart. It's just so nice to be able to type in the
point in the search function and have it pop up, especially when air
traffic control changes your routing into busier airspaces on the East
or West coasts -- particularly when you're hurdling through the air at
.77 Mach."
"It's extremely useful on the flight deck with
all the manuals. We have an electronic flight bag onboard, but the iPad
is much faster," said Reggie Redetzke, first officer for Emirates
Airlines in Dubai and a 1995 K-State graduate. "Alaska is
currently in a trial phase of using them as an electronic flight bag
and we are considering it here. Plus, when you have a little down time
there's nothing better than a game of Angry Birds."
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K-State is an elite Top 5
aviation university. Located on the Salina campus adjacent to a
12,000-foot runway, the program has a modern fleet of more than 40
learning aircraft and more Master Certified Flight Instructors than any
other college or university in the country. K-State Salina offers
affordable degrees in aircraft maintenance, professional pilot,
technology management and engineering technology. Certificate programs
are available in air traffic control, airframe and powerplant, airport
management, avionics maintenance technology and unmanned aerial
systems. More information on K-State aviation programs is available at www.salina.k-state.edu/aviation.
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The Salina Airport Authority has
developed the premier airport and industrial center in the Midwest. The
board of directors and staff are proactive in providing the citizens of
Salina,
Saline
County and North
Central Kansas with a center that support business and industry,
which, in turn, provides jobs and payroll that benefit the region.
The
Salina Airport Authority is home to the Salina Municipal Airport, the
Salina Aviation Service Center and the Salina Airport Industrial
Center.
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Salina Airport Authority Executive Director
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Salina Airport Authority Manager of Public Affairs &
Communications
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