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Keeping documents accessible online, from anywhere

Picking up from here I wonder how many people have this.

These days, with e.g. Dropbox, it is trivial to do. You may not trust Dropbox security (it should be fine with the non-Public folders, but the Dropbox user interface on portable devices makes it vulnerable to “finger trouble” and makes it easy to drop something into the Public folder, which is not hard to locate by someone else) but you can always zip up and encrypt the stuff with e.g. aescrypt or any of 100 other tools. Or drop something into a private folder which was previously used for something else and whose shared link you have previously emailed to someone. Also Dropbox is vulnerable to someone openly posting a link you have given them and that is a good way to get the account pulled…

There are also other ways of hosting stuff online behind a password – anyone who can set up a website or an ftp site can do it.

I would absolutely NOT store scans of any docs on Photobucket, Flickr or any other such sites which offer “private albums” because it is trivial to mismanage the security settings and I have seen several cases where quite sensitive stuff was accessible openly. With Flickr especially, it is easy to “password protect” some photos but they can still be reached by using the “next” button and going through the whole album.

This might belong into the IT/Website section but I know very few people ever read that

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

I personally use Google Drive. It is private by default (unless you explicitly share it) and has a lot of nice features: web browser access, apps for iOS, Android and Windows and support in GoodReader (which I use to view and read PDFs). So I usually upload/update my documents using the web browser on my PC which is the most convenient way for me and then synchronize GoodReader on my phone and two iPads to have everything offline as well. I am happy with the solution and I can also mix it with pure Google Documents which are great for shared working with other people.

LSZH, LSZF, Switzerland

Peter wrote:

…I wonder how many people have this.

Our company uses online storage (throgh “DS Cloud” on Apple devices) for all documents which are approved to be used in electronic form (on the EFBs). These are company operating manuals and some of the “less important” airplane manuals like FMS and other avionics operating instructions. Others like the big aircraft operating manual must be on board in paper form as well as all the legal documents (airplane registry, release to service, proof or insurance, certified copy of the AOC, …, and lateley the Zika disinfection paperwork). Not having any of those on boad physically (photocopies and scans are not good enough) will, in case of a ramp check, ground the aircraft until the documents can be shown in original form. The same applies to crew licenses and medicals.

However, the online storage is only a backup and a means to distribute new releases of the manuals to aircraft away from base. The documents themselves must be stored on the devices carried on board and need to be accessible at any time in flight.

Last Edited by what_next at 14 Jul 10:29
EDDS - Stuttgart

Is there a reference for original docs, for private flight (Part 23 etc) under EASA or FAA?

I do carry a solicitor-certified copy of the VAT Cert of Free Circulation…

My idea behind having stuff online is that if you end up somewhere where they do want paper docs, you might be slightly less up the sh!t creek than with nothing at all And you could sneak off to some place where they can print it off for you and you come back with that

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Peter wrote:

Is there a reference for original docs, for private flight (Part 23 etc) under EASA or FAA?

A quick google serach found this (EASA NCC.GEN.140), I guess it applies to the non-complex-non-commercial as well (my highlights of “original”):

Concerning FAA I don’t n know anything.

Last Edited by what_next at 14 Jul 10:49
EDDS - Stuttgart

I linked your post, what_next, in the merged “documents to carry” thread – here

Very interesting they want originals for those two. In FAA-land they are just simple laser printouts…

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Part NCO is rather less onerous than the Part NCC posted above and is more likely to apply to the likes of us:

“(a) The following documents, manuals and information shall be carried on each flight as originals or copies unless otherwise specified:
(1) the AFM, or equivalent document(s);
(2) the original certificate of registration;
(3) the original certificate of airworthiness (CofA);
(4) the noise certificate, if applicable;
(5) the list of specific approvals, if applicable;
(6) the aircraft radio licence, if applicable;
(7) the third party liability insurance certificate(s);
(8) the journey log, or equivalent, for the aircraft;
(9) details of the filed ATS flight plan, if applicable;
(10) current and suitable aeronautical charts for the route area of the proposed flight and all routes along which it is reasonable to expect that the flight may be diverted;
(11) procedures and visual signals information for use by intercepting and intercepted aircraft;
(12) the MEL or CDL, if applicable; and
(13) any other documentation that may be pertinent to the flight or is required by the States concerned with the flight.

(b) Notwithstanding (a), on flights:
(1) intending to take off and land at the same aerodrome/operating site; or
(2) remaining within a distance or area determined by the competent authority,
the documents and information in (a)(2) to (a)(8) may be retained at the aerodrome or operating site.

(d) The pilot-in-command shall make available within a reasonable time of being requested to do so by the competent authority, the documentation required to be carried on board."

So, the items in bold are required every flight, the non-bold ones only on land-away.
Note that the regulation does not say that the charts must be paper.

Last Edited by Joe-fbs at 14 Jul 11:26
strip near EGGW

I refuse to use Dropbox or Google due to security and data confidentiality concerns including but not limited to those already mentioned.

I use Tresorit and it works very well. Everything is encrypted/decrypted at the local device when sending/receiving. That is, the cloud only contains encrypted data and the provider doesn’t even have any way to read it. And BTW, the servers are in Switzerland.

It is possible to flag “favourites” for which a local copy is then made. So if a file is posted from home and retrieved from a tablet, flagging it as a favourite on the tablet causes a local copy to be made. Otherwise, it just stays in the cloud and the tablet needs a connection to read the file. Otherwise, I use the service as a good way to get files from a home pc to multiple devices. It also has a facility to share a link to a file, with configurable limited time and access counts so the exposure is minimized and the file is “ring-fenced”. That is, access to it via the link cannot be used to access other (encrypted) data.

Generally speaking, for standard docs that I always want to have available Goodreader is the best that I’ve found. I have all my aircraft docs on it …. AFM, equipment operator guides & part s/n, airframe and engine manufacturer parts, operations, and maintenance manuals, type certificates, etc, etc.

Last Edited by chflyer at 15 Jul 09:16
LSZK, Switzerland

What do N-reg operators in this forum do regarding the noise certificate? The FAA doesn’t issue noise certificates and the info is only what is in the type certificate. As far as I know, this is not accepted in EASA-land.

Worst case I’ve encountered operationally due to this is a higher fee to due default noise class A without certificate. Most of the time, the aerodrome uses the EASA classification for my type as if it were on an EASA-reg. But I’m always a bit uneasy that this could come back to bite. For example, some airfields request submission of the noise certificate pre-arrival and I don’t have an answer for that att.

LSZK, Switzerland

I would suggest a search on

noise certificate

For N-reg you can generate your own but there is some disagreement over whether certain noise certificate inspectors in Germany or Switzerland are happy with that I know mine has been presented to one particularly difficult noise certificate inspector (that’s got to be a great party chat-up line!) and he didn’t comment on it…

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom
18 Posts
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