- The FAA recently released FAA Mobile 1.0, a cross-platform mobile web application that includes popular tools FAA.gov tools like N-Number look-ups, Advisory Circular searches, airport status and delays, wildlife strike reporting, and more. FAA Mobile 1.0 is a web-based application that runs in a mobile browser, and it requires an active connection to the Internet to access data. Because it is browser-based, it supports a wide range of platforms, specifically those running an HTML 5 compatible mobile browser. Devices iOS 4 and higher, or a wide range of Android devices as well as Android 2.2 and higher should run well and the FAA lists the following as supported devices:
- iPad
- iPhone 4S
- iPhone 4
- iPhone 3GS
- Galaxy Nexus
- Motorola Droid
- Droid X
- Droid 2 Global
- HTC EVO
- Samsung Captivate
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
The Blackberry (RIM), Windows Mobile, and WebOS platforms also have not been tested, and the FAA warns that: “your user experience may not be optimal”.
- Bringing together popular features from across the desktop version of FAA.gov, FAA Mobile 1.0 includes:
N-Number Lookup- Look up any aircraft’s N-number to see ownership, registration, aircraft manufacturer and model, and more information.
- U.S. Airport Status and Delays
- Review information about airport status and delays across the entire National Airspace System (NAS), or look up the status of a particular airport to plan your travel schedule.
- Advisory Circular (AC) Lookup
- Find and read advisory circulars to help you comply with FAA regulations.
- Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) Locator
- Locate the closest offices based on your current location, if you have Location Services enabled on your device. You can also locate FSDOs by region or by office name.
- Wildlife Strike Reporting
- Report an aircraft wildlife strike or edit an existing wildlife strike report. See Example
- News and Press Releases
- Read the three most recent FAA news stories and press releases.
- FAA Mobile does not include access to many of the popular electronic charting products managed by the Aero Nautical Navigation Products division (AeroNav).
- According to the FAA: “FAA Mobile was created to address the needs of mobile users who visit FAA.gov. Mobile traffic to FAA.gov grew from 1.5 million to 4.4 million visits over the past two fiscal years. To address this rising demand, FAA Mobile was developed to help our website customers complete popular tasks on mobile devices.
- In December 2011, the FAA’s AeroNav division announced that, in order to cover increased costs resulting from mobile device users, it would begin charging for use of online chart data like the Digital Terminal Procedures Publication. While no plans have been announced to charge for FAA Mobile, users should be aware that in the current budget environment, each group within the FAA is under greater pressure to recover costs directly from users.
- Even without the AeroNav products, FAA Mobile 1.0 is an excellent addition to any mobile Electronic Flight Bag.
- Access FAA Mobile 1.0 at www.faa.gov/mobile.
