Surface Pro 3 Heads to the Cloud (literally) with FAA/EASA Certification

Finally, I won't be the only passenger onboard using a Surface Pro 3.

Yesterday, Microsoft announced that the Surface Pro 3 has qualified for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification. Qualification, of course, doesn't mean it's actually been the device has actually been certified yet, nor that any airlines has yet signed an exclusive use contract, but only that if airline companies want to use it, they can in the near future.

The Surface Pro 3 has received fantastic reviews over the past many months since release, and you've read about my foray into using it to replace my entire computing experience. OK, I know many of you have, but for those that haven't:

On the Windows Supersite yesterday, Paul delivered his monthly highlight of Windows device usage, showing that the Surface Pro 3 is finally turning Microsoft's incursion into tablets a success. So, the Surface Pro 3 is definitely gaining attention and if you haven't yet, it might be something you should give a good look.

The Surface Pro 3 isn't the first model to achieved certification. Last year Delta airlines announced plans to equip its pilots with Surface 2's. From a usability and performance standpoint, the Surface Pro 3 is superior to the Surface 2 line, however, the footprint is larger. In a cramped cockpit, that might make a difference. However, navAero, a company part of the Designed for Surface accessory partner program is building a special mount for the airplane cockpit that should help streamline integration. In addition to providing a permanent spot among the many cockpit controls, the navAero mount takes advantage of the Docking Station connector on the Surface Pro 3 to plug it directly into the plane's electronics.

Additionally, to complete the picture, Jeppesen has released a Windows 8.1 app called FliteDeck Pro that allows pilots to quickly view digital charts, gate information, real-time weather patterns, and other critical navigational data directly on the Surface Pro 3. And, because the Surface Pro 3 provides split-window capability, pilots can scan multiple pieces of information simultaneously.