PlaneSense and its affiliate Cobalt Air LLC have grown into the world’s largest Pilatus aircraft operator, with a fleet of Pilatus PC-12s and Pilatus PC-24s serving both fractional and charter clients across the United States. Launched on the East Coast in 1995, the company has expanded to service the entire continental United States, as well as parts of Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean, and has built a strong reputation for safety, compliance, and operational excellence. To support this growth and maintain strong oversight of its operations, PlaneSense turned to Web Manuals as its documentation solution.
Moving Beyond Manual Processes
Before adopting Web Manuals, PlaneSense managed manuals using traditional desktop applications, with each chapter saved as a separate file. Tracking changes across multiple editors was time consuming as operations grew. Sharing revisions with internal teams often required additional steps to clearly communicate changes. “Managing updates across multiple files required careful coordination” explains Deputy VP and Director of Operations, Capt. Anthony Schipano. “With a busy team, having stronger visibility and control over changes was key.”
Formatting also consumed significant resources. Updates in traditional desktop application often affected document structure, leading to extra time spent maintaining formatting consistency. “Previously, formatting adjustments could take a significant amount of time,” says Schipano. “With Web Manuals, that consistency is built into the platform, which frees the team to focus on the content itself rather than document maintenance.”
With Web Manuals, that consistency is built into the platform, which frees the team to focus on the content itself rather than document maintenance
Capt. Anthony Schipano
Deputy VP and Director of Operations
Streamlined Editing and Review
Web Manuals has transformed PlaneSense’s editing process. Instead of creating separate notes or presentations, changes can be made directly in the manuals and tracked seamlessly. “Just editing one manual with one revision will save me a full day’s worth of work,” Schipano explains. “Now I can make the change right there, set reminders for myself, and show everyone exactly what was updated without all the extra steps.”
Just editing one manual with one revision will save me a full day’s worth of work
Capt. Anthony Schipano
Deputy VP and Director of Operations
The ability to track and present changes clearly has also improved team collaboration. “It’s nice to have everything in one place,” Schipano says. “You just click from one change to the next, which makes review meetings so much easier.”
Time Savings and Standardization
The automation features in Web Manuals have delivered major efficiency gains. LEP, tables of contents, and records of revision update automatically with each change, reducing both manual work and the potential for error. “All that used to take hours,” Schipano notes. “Now it’s done instantly.” Standardization has also improved. By setting design templates, PlaneSense ensures every manual remains consistent in look and structure. “Once we got the designs set, it became much easier to make edits without worrying about formatting issues,” says Schipano.
Building for the Future
For PlaneSense, Web Manuals is not only about addressing the challenges of today but also about preparing for the years ahead. As the company continues to grow, Web Manuals provides a reliable way to keep documents organized, compliant, and accessible across the operation.
Everyday the system feels more intuitive.
Capt. Anthony Schipano
Deputy VP and Director of Operations
“Any new platform comes with a learning curve, but the Web Manuals team has been very helpful,” says Schipano. “Through workshops, we have picked up a lot of critical information, and each time we go back through the training we discover even more. Every day the system feels more intuitive.”
By reducing tedious manual work and giving the Flight Operations Team the tools to work smarter, Web Manuals has become a trusted part of PlaneSense operations, becoming one of the tools supporting the company’s commitment to safety and quality.