Creating Powerful Digital Aircraft Forms & Checklists
From deicing crews and air traffic control, to pilots and inflight teams, paperwork plays a vital role within every aviation workflow. When aviation teams rely on paper forms to deliver critical, flight plan dependent information, they risk not only opportunities for human error, but also lengthy delays (while paperwork is completed, delivered and reviewed, by hand). Digital aircraft forms provide an opportunity for aviation teams to improve data accuracy, expedite paperwork completion and centralize their records.
Digital aviation forms host a variety of advantages over traditional paper aircraft forms, primarily those provided via real-time, instantly accessible data. For example, in-flight teams and departures are often delayed by slow paperwork processing (e.g. Pre-Flight Inspections, Fuel logs, etc.) that must be completed and approved before takeoff. Using digital aviation forms, these procedures can be rapidly completed and submitted from devices (like phones or tablets), with data instantaneously available for review and implementation — expediting the entire workflow.
Another benefit to using digital aviation forms is the ability to include new data types and embed simple logic to help enforce proper data entry. Mobile documents provide an opportunity to leverage the powerful, digital tools of the device you are using to fill out your form. For example, an aviation maintenance technician could include Image fields within their digital aviation forms, leveraging their devices native camera, and allowing for the capture of potential safety hazards (that can also be annotated and highlighted, using a Sketch field). Similarly, forms can include features like GPS coordinates, allowing users to add their exact location (e.g. before takeoff) with simply a tap. These fields bring further context to collected data, without disrupting your workflow.
Simple logic embedded within digital aviation forms further streamline data entry, by making fields dynamic. Dynamic fields help guide user data input, and ensure the completion of your forms. For example, if a user were to check a checkbox signifying they were a team supervisor, simple logic can then make an additional Signature field both Visible and Required — ensuring the supervisor’s signature is collected, without risking the addition of non-supervisor signatures (because the field is only visible to those who checked the supervisor checkbox).
Similarly, you can include Drop Down fields filled with previously captured information (pulled from Data Sources). When an option is selected from your Drop Down, corresponding fields are then instantly filled. For example, if a aviation maintenance technician were to select their name from a Drop Down, their employee number, contact information and supervisor would then be instantly filled into their respective fields.
Digital aviation forms also allow for the automation of frequently completed tasks, using Events and Triggers. For example, is a user were to complete a preflight form, a workflow could then send a copy of that form to their supervisor and air traffic control. These automations allow for the simple streamlining of time-consuming administrative tasks, further expediting your workflow and ensuring tasks are completed.
Another powerful digital aviation form feature is the ability to include Checkboxes and Checkbox Groups within forms. Like paper forms, Checkboxes provide a simple way to note the completion or status of specific tasks (e.g. checking a specific piece of equipment). Unlike paper checklists, Checkbox Groups can be customized to restrict multiple option selection, be made Required, and can instruct an additional field to appear on the form.
The real-time, customizable nature of digital aviation forms make them powerful resources for optimized data capture. By ensuring data is more accurate and complete, aviation teams can make more confident, timely decisions.
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