WiFi on dedicated freighters.
08-15-2025 | 04:41 PM
#12
Prime Minister/Moderator
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 44,618
Likes: 558
From: Engines Turn or People Swim
Yes, all true. I was flying 121 before ipads (or iphones) existed.
But I'm pretty sure that I save gas with WSI, which allows you to quickly visualize rapidly changing conditions and optimize your path. Especially the vertical component. Sometimes it's *really* nice to know exactly what's behind that hole you're contemplating taking a chance on.
08-15-2025 | 04:57 PM
#13
Cruising for a bruising
Joined: Oct 2022
Posts: 144
Likes: 28
Yes, all true. I was flying 121 before ipads (or iphones) existed.
But I'm pretty sure that I save gas with WSI, which allows you to quickly visualize rapidly changing conditions and optimize your path. Especially the vertical component. Sometimes it's *really* nice to know exactly what's behind that hole you're contemplating taking a chance on.
But I'm pretty sure that I save gas with WSI, which allows you to quickly visualize rapidly changing conditions and optimize your path. Especially the vertical component. Sometimes it's *really* nice to know exactly what's behind that hole you're contemplating taking a chance on.
08-17-2025 | 07:27 PM
#14
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,527
Likes: 270
From: Guppy Gear Slinger
I guess the boxes don't care, but at UAL at least one pilot is probably on SkyPath (real-time turbulence crowd sourced automatically from other airliners whose crews have iPads and SkyPath enabled -- mostly UAL, SWA, and AAL at this time. It's incredibly, incredibly useful to help us find the best rides and keep the FAs safe from turbulence related surprises. And of course it needs Wi-Fi to function. That, and WSI plus Jepp FD are incredibly useful for strategic weather avoidance.
I also flew 121 long before in-flight WiFi was a thing.
But I just did a Hawaii trip with inop WiFi and it was honestly annoying not having the turbulence and radar info instantly accessible.
Plus, how else are you gonna snipe that premium trip that gets taken within 5 minutes of being posted?
I also flew 121 long before in-flight WiFi was a thing.
But I just did a Hawaii trip with inop WiFi and it was honestly annoying not having the turbulence and radar info instantly accessible.
Plus, how else are you gonna snipe that premium trip that gets taken within 5 minutes of being posted?
08-17-2025 | 07:57 PM
#15
Cruising for a bruising
Joined: Oct 2022
Posts: 144
Likes: 28
I guess the boxes don't care, but at UAL at least one pilot is probably on SkyPath (real-time turbulence crowd sourced automatically from other airliners whose crews have iPads and SkyPath enabled -- mostly UAL, SWA, and AAL at this time. It's incredibly, incredibly useful to help us find the best rides and keep the FAs safe from turbulence related surprises. And of course it needs Wi-Fi to function. That, and WSI plus Jepp FD are incredibly useful for strategic weather avoidance.
I also flew 121 long before in-flight WiFi was a thing.
But I just did a Hawaii trip with inop WiFi and it was honestly annoying not having the turbulence and radar info instantly accessible.
Plus, how else are you gonna snipe that premium trip that gets taken within 5 minutes of being posted?
I also flew 121 long before in-flight WiFi was a thing.
But I just did a Hawaii trip with inop WiFi and it was honestly annoying not having the turbulence and radar info instantly accessible.
Plus, how else are you gonna snipe that premium trip that gets taken within 5 minutes of being posted?
cargo airlines would have to eat the internet service because there are no paying passengers to pay for the WiFi.
that being said, the fuel savings we could accomplish by navigating around weather indicated by live feeds would prolly upset the value of the WiFi, idk, I don’t know how much it cost to install these on freighters and running a service.
I would assume once starlink becomes more prominent we will get the service on our iPads,
08-18-2025 | 12:31 AM
#16
Line Holder
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 431
Likes: 26
that’s a great way to get called to the chief pilots office for unauthorized use of the WiFi. My company just recently got approval to connect EFB to our onboard Wifi and there’s a ton of restrictions as to what we can use it for. Picking up trips is not one of them. Starlink is great for the pax, especially when oceanic. I don’t see enough value to cargo operators in installing WiFi onboard just so you can download the weather. Dispatch keeps you in the loop just fine and the WX radar works. Pro tip. Don’t fly into the red or purple. Avoid the yellow if you can.
08-18-2025 | 04:16 AM
#17
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,488
Likes: 63
From: MD-11 FO
Purple's 767s have air-to-ground wifi (kinda slow) that only works in the Lower 48. It's pretty nice to have real-time updated weather. Plus, there's an app that can help you determine your most optimum route/flight level (had a similar app in a previous life). There are only a few apps/websites that are "white listed" to be able to work over inflight wifi, but it was a nice feature to have.
08-18-2025 | 05:45 PM
#19
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,527
Likes: 270
From: Guppy Gear Slinger
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