Pilots like maps. On a long flight, a pilot might need several pounds of them. But as any driver knows, maps can be a pain -- unfold, view, refold, unfold, view, refold. That's why one of the hottest gadgets among pilots these days are electronic maps that also provide the necessary info and procedures a pilot may need in the cockpit.
Trouble is, most of them cost several thousand dollars. And more often than not, they're flimsy tablet computers better suited to a cubicle than a cockpit. One company here at AirVenture found an elegant solution cribbed from the One Laptop Per Child campaign to put computers in the hands of kids around the world.
Seattle Avionics has been producing navigation products for years, but always found itself hobbled by the expensive hardware needed to run them. Company president Steve Podradchik says the super-cheap Classmate PC solved that problem.
"We were ecstatic when Intel came out with it," he told Wired.com.
Using the 1.6gHz Atom processor, the Classmate PC has the power to run the moving map displays and provide graphical real time weather. Designed for elementary students and the developing world, the computer is rugged enough to handle life in the cockpit. Seattle Avionics sells the complete package of computer and navigation software for just over a grand.
When the pilot is done navigating the friendly skies, the Classmate PC can be carried into the airport lounge to check email and the latest news from Wired.com and Cranky Flier.
Photo: Jason Paur / Wired.com
