Did you know that – in paper format – aircraft manuals, operational manuals, weather charts and pilot notes can weigh up to 18 kilograms? That’s 18 kilograms of extra weight on the aircraft! Not only is that costly, but it also decreases pilot productivity and performance. And so, here’s where Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs) come into use.
An EFB is an electronic information management device that runs on software supported on portable devices such as iPads. It carries the functions of the aforementioned paper-printed materials. An EFB can also be installed onto a device in the cockpit. It delivers digitized and optimized data to reduce cockpit clutter and enhance the pilot’s experience. This is the advent of a fully digitized and paperless cockpit.
Incorporating EFBs in the cockpit can bring about a string of benefits, including:
- Saves time and resources
The usage of EFBs eliminates the need for the monthly production of hundreds of charts, procedure manuals and handbooks. These materials, in paper format, often require updates, which means out-of-date documents need to be thrown away and reprinted frequently.
- Increases performance and productivity
EFBs facilitate quicker access to information; there’s no need to flip through pages and pages of information just to extract a single piece of data. This ultimately leads to increased pilot productivity, as well as safety, because pilots can now direct their focus to more crucial components of flight operations.
- Lowers costs
Less weight carried translates to increased fuel savings. The cost of printing and updating paper-format documents can also be reduced. In the long run, such savings can prove to be immense.
- Decreases environmental impacts
It comes as no surprise that diminishing the need for printed materials will inevitably decrease the need for paper, and hence, lessens the aircraft’s environmental implications. Additionally, less weight carried leads to less Carbon emissions.
In the age of technology and growing concerns for the environment, it’s no wonder that EFBs are the way to go. EFBs are also the answer to increasing airspace complexity and data overload. This ground-breaking software is the solution to airlines’ and aviators’ progress in the industry.
With hopes of advancing the Malaysian aviation industry, Dviation has recently teamed up with Jeppesen to introduce their cutting-edge EFB, the FliteDeck Pro. FliteDeck Pro will bring convenience, efficiency and safety to end users from the military, general and business aviation segment.
For more info, click here.