EFB (Electronic Flight Bag)

The Electronic Flight Bag is defined and regulated under FAA Advisory Circular AC 120-76D (Guidelines for the Certification, Airworthiness, and Operational Use of Electronic Flight Bags, issued 2017) for US operators, and under EASA AMC 20-25 (Airworthiness and Operational Consideration for Electronic Flight Bags) for European operations. ICAO has issued guidance in Doc 10020 (Manual on Electronic Flight Bags, 1st Edition) to support global harmonization of EFB standards and operational approval frameworks. The system covers hardware, software, and data — the combination of all three must be approved for the intended operations, and failure of any element renders the EFB unavailable for regulated use.

EFB hardware is classified by physical installation type. Class 1 EFBs are portable, removable devices — typically commercial tablets such as an iPad or ruggedized equivalent — with no installed wiring to aircraft power or data buses, carried in the cockpit without permanent mounting. Class 2 EFBs are mounted devices — a tablet or display secured in an approved cradle or mount with aircraft power connection and potentially data connectivity to avionics buses — that can be removed after flight; the mounting hardware requires aircraft approval. Class 3 EFBs are permanently installed systems, part of the aircraft type certificate or supplemental type certificate (STC), and are considered installed avionics subject to the full Part 25/Part 23 airworthiness certification process.

EFB software applications are classified by functionality and associated risk. Type A software provides static reference information — Aircraft Operating Manuals (AOMs), Minimum Equipment Lists (MELs), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), regulatory documents, and Jeppesen or FAA chart PDFs — that does not change during flight and carries the lowest approval risk. Type B software provides dynamic data and interactive computing: electronic aeronautical charts (EFB charts replacing paper Jeppesen binders), moving map displays, real-time weather overlays (SiriusXM Aviation, XM WX, Pilot Weather Services), performance calculation tools (takeoff and landing distance computation, weight and balance), and NOTAM displays. Type B software on Class 1 or Class 2 hardware requires operator operational approval: under FAA Part 121 and 135 operators, this is Op-Spec A061 (EFB Operational Approval); under EASA, this is AMC1 SPA.EFB.100 approval documentation. Type C software is functionally equivalent to certified avionics — for example, a primary navigation display or an EFIS replacement — and requires full DO-178C software certification and TSO or STC approval. Type C EFB applications are rare and operationally equivalent to installed avionics for certification purposes.

The operational benefit of EFBs is substantial and quantifiable. A Boeing 777 cockpit crew in the early 2000s carried approximately 38 kg (approximately 84 lb) of paper charts, manuals, approach plates, and flight plan documents. Transitioning to a Type B EFB solution (ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot, Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro, Lido, or Navtech) eliminates essentially all of this weight, reduces chart update costs, and provides real-time data synchronization rather than 28-day paper Jeppesen or 56-day Jepp-text update cycles. In a 100-aircraft fleet, the fuel savings from reduced paper weight alone can reach tens of thousands of dollars annually.

For Part 91 general aviation operators and flight training aircraft, EFB adoption is widespread and largely unregulated for VFR operations — any pilot may use a Class 1 EFB tablet for VFR chart reference. For IFR operations under Part 91, use of an EFB in lieu of paper charts requires the application to be capable of displaying the required information and the pilot to have a contingency plan for EFB failure. For Part 121 and 135 operators, EFB approval requires documented security controls (device encryption, remote wipe capability, secure data distribution), a maintenance and support program, a training programme for all crew, and a defined contingency procedure when the EFB becomes unavailable or its data untrustworthy.

Flight schools are among the most active EFB adopters in general aviation. Most ab initio and private pilot training schools now issue or recommend ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot, or Foreflight for iPad to all students as the primary chart and weather briefing tool. Under Part 141 and Part 61, there is no regulatory prohibition on student pilots using EFBs during solo or dual training, and the apps provide a substantially superior weather briefing, NOTAM access, and flight planning experience compared to legacy paper products. The key compliance consideration for Part 141 schools is ensuring that student EFBs display current navigation databases — a student flying with an expired chart database has no regulatory protection if an approach plate is outdated.

For schools operating under an AOC or Part 135 certificate with EFB Op-Spec A061 or EASA SPA.EFB.100, the EFB program requires formal documentation, periodic audits, and crew training records. The approval specifies exactly which software version and data revision is authorized, meaning EFB software and data updates must be tracked as a controlled procedure, not left to individual pilots' discretion. Schools that combine ATO and AOC operations must be particularly careful to distinguish between the unregulated use of EFBs for training flights and the formally approved EFB program for commercial operations under the same roof.

Aviatize's compliance and auditing module supports EFB program management by tracking software version and database currency across all crew-issued devices in the Op-Spec A061 or SPA.EFB.100 program. When a new chart data cycle is released, the system can flag all pilots who have not yet confirmed their EFB update, and the chief pilot receives a dashboard view of EFB compliance status before each operating day — eliminating the risk that a crew departs on a charter with an expired navigation database.

For training programmes that assign EFBs to students as part of onboarding, Aviatize's training management module logs EFB familiarization training completion as a required curriculum item before solo authorization. Instructors record the EFB briefing — covering chart currency, weather services, contingency for failure, and prohibited uses during certain training phases — in the student's digital training record, providing an auditable trail for authority inspectors reviewing the school's ground training documentation. This is particularly valuable during Part 141 renewal audits where the authority examines whether students were trained on every tool in use during their course.