American Airlines recently got permission to use its iPad Electronic Flight Bags in the cockpit during all phases of flight, saving an estimated $1.2 million of fuel annually. (Hat tip Mactrast, image)

For pilots, it’s a huge benefit. A bag full of airways charts, airport maps and operations manuals can weigh 35 or 40 pounds. If you think your carry-on bag is heavy, try adding that for every trip.

There’s a big safety benefit too. Pilots can find the right charts quickly and easily and, at least when I use Jeppesen plates on my iPad, you can see where the plane is on the airport. When I flew into Schiphol last time, I had a 20 minute taxi across the airport and this georeferencing was incredibly helpful.

The iPad revolution has come to general aviation already. For example, my instructor uses his iPad to record lesson notes, including photos and videos of cockpit displays so he can go through them after the flight with his students. He also uses it as a kneeboard to scribble clearances and other in-flight information. Following his example, I have started using my iPad Mini in the plane too and it’s proving to be a very valuable addition to my kit bag.

This article is by Matthew Stibbe and first appeared on Forbes.com. The author is CEO of Turbine and Articulate. More on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.