Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem
Chart Or Publication; Procedure; Manuals
I purchased a new iPad to replace my old one which was malfunctioning. I called the contact in Technical publication who deals with iPad and Jeppesen FD Pro a week ago to activate my Jet FD Pro app but was told that she could not activate the app until I had the bracket and was ready to go and to email her when I had it. The only approved bracket (mount) for the iPad air has been discontinued by the manufacturer and I had to order one from Europe at an inflated cost. Once I had the bracket I emailed the contact (8 hours before my trip was scheduled to start) but got an 'out of office until [date]' response. I found out that there was no one in the office from tech pubs at all.Next I tried calling a regional chief pilot; who could not find anyone capable of activating my iPad as an EFB. He also told me that [airline] carries no spare iPads or paper shipsets in my base. He told me he could authorize me to fly with just the first officer's iPad. After considering all the risks I determined the risk to be too high (complex flying environment RVAV arrivals and departures; inability to crosscheck the other pilot and increased risk of runway incursions. etc). Besides; the ops manual is quite clear that you may only fly with a single iPad if one fails in flight; then you have to get printed copies of the charts needed after you land for the next flight to get to a hub; once in the hub you have to get replacement paper shipset or working iPad. (ops manual xx)The Regional Chief Pilot (RCP) told me that a management level above him had interpreted the ops manual allow pilots fly with a single iPad with chief pilot approval. He had been instructed to tell pilots to fly on one iPad in these situations. I read the ops manual several times and it does not say that at all. The iPads are also required to be secured in their bracket at all times and it is not allowed to be passed to the other pilot (ops manual xx.xx) further complicating the ability to crosscheck. In the end I told the RCP that I would not be willing to accept a flying assignment with just one iPad. There is no excuse as I was in the hub and had 8 hours during business hours to activate my iPad or find a current shipset or loaner iPad. I was not at all happy to refuse a flying assignment as I knew that there were no reserves and I would probably in for a carpet dance in front of management. Fortunately for me the RCP was able to pull through at the eleventh hour and activate my Jeppesen app shortly before my trip started.In summary:1. The only bracket approved to mount the iPad Air is no longer in production.2. Tech pubs had no one in the office or on call during business hours on a [weekday] for the entire day.3. A single employee who was absent for days; is normally the only person capable of setting up a new iPad for use as an EFB.4. The company normally does not have capability to set up EFB either during or after business hours.5. The company carries no spare EFBs ready to go or Paper Jeppesen shipsets in any of its hubs.6. Chief pilots are pressured from Flight Ops management to direct pilots to accept flying assignments with only a single iPad which would; in my opinion; result in a significant increase in risk.
A Captain reported having difficulty activating his new iPad as an EFB for a trip. Company procedures and policies complicated the effort.