How to quickly scan documents into your EFB app

More and more pilots are going completely paperless in the cockpit, but that requires some paper documents to be scanned first. Fortunately, Apple includes some hidden capabilities in the Notes app, including the addition of a powerful scanner utility. This can be used to scan just about any type of physical document or receipt and save or share it using the traditional iOS methods. The scanned images can even be sent to apps that support document viewing, like ForeFlight or FltPlan Go. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the Notes app

2. Tap the icon in the upper right corner to make a new note

3. Tap the “+” button in the at the top of the keyboard (this button will be in the bottom right corner of the screen if the keyboard is not in view), and select Scan Documents

4. The camera will activate, allowing you to take a snapshot of the document. Use the button with three circles to choose color, grayscale or black and white.

5. Make sure the yellow box is lined up with your document, and press the white circle camera button to take the picture.

6. Adjust the edges using the small corner buttons around the document to refine the edges of the scan.

7. Press the Keep Scan button in the bottom right corner. If you’d like to add more pages to the document (to create a multipage PDF for example), scan additional pages using the same steps listed above. When finished, press the Save button in the lower right corner.

8. The scanned document will now be saved in the new note, and you can use the share button in the upper right corner to create a PDF, share it or send it to another app. Select the “Copy to ForeFlight” (or Garmin Pilot, FltPlan Go, WingX, FlyQ, etc.) to send it right to the Documents section of the respective app, where it’ll be stored with your other aviation resources.

We’ve used the Notes scanner for all kinds of things: checklists, pilot’s operating handbook pages, avionics supplements, non-aviation maps, insurance information, fly-in procedures, and even restaurant menus. Once you get the hang of it, the process is fast and reliable – and the app is included on every iPhone and iPad.