Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) is an electronic information management device that helps flight crews perform flight management tasks more easily and efficiently with less paper. It is a general purpose computing platform intended to reduce, or replace, paper-based reference material often found in the Pilot's carry-on Flight Bag, including the Aircraft Operating Manual, Aircrew Operating Manual, and Navigational Charts (including moving map for air and ground operations). In addition, the EFB can host purpose-built software applications to automate other functions normally conducted by hand, such as performance take-off calculations. CREW (acronym) may refer to: Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington Concurrent Read Exclusive Write, access model for Parallel Random Access Machine Coherent Radiation Emission Weapon, see Directed-energy weapon, Coined by Ian M Banks Category: ...

The EFB gets its name from the traditional pilot's Flight Bag, which is typically a heavy (up to 40 lbs/18 kg or more) documents bag that pilots carry to the cockpit. The Electronic Flight Bag is the replacement of those documents in a digital format. EFB weights are typically 1-5 pounds, about the same as a laptop computer, and a fraction of the weight and volume of the paper publications. There are numerous benefits for using an EFB but specific benefits vary depending on the size of the operation, type of applications used, the existing content management and distribution system, the type of applications deployed. Some common benefits include: weight savings by replacing the traditional flight bag, reduced medical claims from handling traditional flight bags, reduced cost, and increased efficiency by reducing or eliminating paper processes. There are also claims of increased safety and reducing pilot workload.

According to the FAA's Advisory Circular (AC No. 120-76A), an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) is an electronic display system intended primarily for cockpit/flightdeck or cabin use. FAA may refer to: Federal Aviation Administration in the United States Fleet Air Arm in the UK Royal Navy Fuerza Aérea Argentina in Argentina This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... VC-10 (1960s) Airliner Cockpit. ...

There are also militarized variants, with secure data storage, Night Vision Goggle (NVG) compatible lighting, environmental hardening, and military specific applications and data.

EFB devices can display a variety of aviation data or perform basic calculations (including performance data and fuel calculations.). In the past, some of these functions were traditionally accomplished using paper references or were based on data provided to the flight crew by an airline's "flight dispatch" crew. Fuel imports in 2005 Fuel is any material that is capable of releasing energy when its chemical or physical structure is altered. ...

History

The Electronic Flight Bag concept was pioneered by Paperless Cockpit, Inc. in the mid 90's with the Hand-Held Performance Calculator and electronic checklists. Companies including FedEx and Southwest followed with "carry-on" performance computers. JetBlue took the Electronic Flight Bag a step further by converting all of its operations documents to electronic format and distributing them over a network to laptop computers on-board the aircraft. FedEx (NYSE: FDX), whose full corporate name is FedEx Corporation, is a cargo airline, printing, and courier company offering overnight courier, ground, heavy freight, document copying and logistics services. ... Southwest Airlines, Inc. ... jetBlue Airways (NASDAQ: JBLU) is an American low-cost airline. ...

In the late nineties, MentorPlus,Inc. released its electronic approach plate software, which was shortly acquired by Jeppesen Sandersen, Inc. As personal computing technology became more compact and powerful, with extensive storage capabilities, these devices became capable of storing all the aeronautical charts for the entire world on a single three lbs (1.4 kg) computer, compared to the 80 lbs (36 kg) of paper normally required for world-wide paper charts. New technologies such as real-time satellite weather and integration with GPS have further expanded the capabilities of Electronic Flight Bags. Jeppesen (also known as Jeppesen Sanderson) is an American company that specialises in aeronautical charting and navigation services, flight planning, pilot supplies and aviation training. ... Over fifty GPS satellites such as this NAVSTAR have been launched since 1978. ...

While the adoption rate of the Electronic Flight Bag technology has been arguably slow among large scheduled air carriers, corporate operators have been rapidly deploying EFBs since 1999 due to reduced regulatory burden and easier cost justification.

Hardware classes

Electronic Flight Bags are divided into three hardware classes and three software types.

EFB hardware classes include:

• Class 1 - Standard commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment such as laptops or handheld electronic devices. These devices are used as loose equipment and are typically stowed during critical phases of flight. A Class 1 EFB is considered a Portable Electronic Device (PED). These may connect to aircraft power and interface to other systems via certified (STC) docking station and/or power source. This would allow the Class 1 device to interface with other systems through the certified interface and other devices through an expansion port interface.

• Class 2 - Also Portable Electronic Devices, and range from modified COTS equipment to purpose-built devices. They are typically mounted in the aircraft with the display being viewable to the pilot during all phases of flight. Mounts may include certified structural mounting devices or kneeboard devices. These may connect to aircraft power and data sources. For in-flight use, data communication is limited to read-only by the EFB from the aircraft systems.

• Class 3 - Considered "installed equipment" and subject to airworthiness requirements and, unlike PEDs, they must be under design control. The hardware is subject to a limited number of RTCA DO-160E requirements (for non-essential equipment - typical crash safety and Conducted and Radiated Emissions (EMC) testing). There may be DO-178 requirements for software, but this depends on the application-type defined in the Advisory Circular. Class 3 EFBs are typically installed under STC or other airworthiness approval.

Applications

The EFB may host a wide array of applications, categorized in three software categories:

• Type A
  • Static applications, such as document viewer (PDF, HTML, XML formats);
  • Electronic version of paper charts which display of the chart statically;
  • Electronic checklists (ECL);
  • Flight Crew Operating Manuals, and other printed documents like airport NOTAM;
  • Flight performance calculation;

• Type B
  • Dynamic chart displays that include panning and zooming capabilities, automatic chart recentering, derived from GPS input;
  • Head-down display for Enhanced Vision System (EVS), Synthetic Vision System (SVS) or video cameras;
  • Real-time weather data display, including weather map;

• Type C
  • Can be used as a Multi-function display (MFD); Potentially part of an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast system

Note: Type C applications are subject to airworthiness requirements, such as software certification. Type C applications must run on Class 3 EFB. PDF is an abbreviation with several meanings: Portable Document Format Post-doctoral fellowship Probability density function There also is an electronic design automation company named PDF Solutions. ... HTML, short for Hypertext Markup Language, is the predominant markup language for the creation of web pages. ... The Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a general-purpose markup language. ... NOTAM or NoTAM is the quasi-acronym for a Notice To Airmen. NOTAMs are created and transmitted by government agencies under guidelines specified by Annex 15: Aeronautical Information Services of the International Convention on Civil Aviation. ... These symbols, showing various weather fronts, might be found on a weather map. ... MFD Avidyne MFD used in many General Aviation aircraft A Multi-function display (MFD) is a small screen (CRT or LCD) in an aircraft surrounded by multiple buttons that can be used to display information to the pilot in numerous configurable ways. ... Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (also called ADS-B) is a system by which airplanes constantly broadcast their current position and altitude, category of aircraft, airspeed, identification, and whether the aircraft is turning, climbing or descending over a dedicated radio datalink. ...

Regulations

According to the FAA, Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 EFB may act as a substitute for the paper manuals that pilots are otherwise required to carry with them. While Part 91 Operators (those not flying for hire, including private and corporate operators) can use their Pilot In Command (PIC) authority to approve the use of Class 1 and Class 2 EFBs (which are PEDs), operator with OpSpecs (Part 135, Part 121) must seek operational approval through the OpSpecs process.

Available EFB Systems

Operational Approval is only necessary for Part 135 or 121 operators. Operational Approval process is individual to each of the flight operation and involves a detailed process with their FSDO through an FSB Report system. Regardless of whether an EFB has been approved for use in one aircraft, application for operaitonal approval for these operator types has to be done for each aircraft and for each operation.

For Part 91 Operators, Operational Approval process is self-approval, excercising Pilot-In-Command authority. For more on this and subsequent information, please reference the latest FAA Advisory Circular on EFBs (AC 91-78) from July, 2007. Below is the list of companies that offer EFB products currently on the market. Some of these companies are also the manufactures of the EFB hardware and others are re-sellers for third-party hardware systems that are either industrial or consumer grade. Many of these are Class 1 and Class 2 EFBs, but some cover broad spectrum hardware from Class 1 to Class 3 EFB devices:

• Advanced Data Research
• Astronautics
• AvVantage Information Solutions
• Exalit
• Goodrich
• navAero
• Paperless Cockpit, Inc.

Some EFB software providers (not at all an exhaustive list) are below:

• Jeppesen
• Lufthansa Systems
• Skyjob Electronic Flight Bag System
• Ultramain
• Ultranav

References

• FAA AC 91-78 (July 2007) - designed to replace all previous FAA AC and Job Aids on the subject.

For historical reference on EFB market progression, also see:

• Job Aid documents on EFB use and approval
• FAA Advisory Circular 120-76A
• FAA Advisory Circular 120-76
• JAA Temporary Guidance Leaflet 36