In many MRO departments problems are encountered with the use of manuals, task lists and ‘black books’ on paper. These problems are a critical factor for aviation safety and productivity in MRO. The NLR (Dutch National Aerospace Laboratory) has proposed a system called PAMELA using handheld computers to overcome many of the problems associated with the use of paper documents in aviation maintenance. The PAMELA concept has not previously been tested in actual practice. This paper presents the results of a study to determine which functions will need to be fulfilled by a handheld computer in aviation maintenance for it to be successfully introduced.