Anyone use EFB's?

Valaviator

New Member
By EFB i of course mean Electronic Flight Bags.

I think these things look awesome, seems like it would make flying a lot easier just because you wouldn't be so cluttered with stuff.

So just curious, anyone use one of these? What do you think of it, how does it compare to the good ol' fashion binders full of charts and plates?
 
I used to run a Fujitsu 1610D tablet PC running Jeppsen FliteView/FliteDeck software. Hooked it up to my Garmin 296 and it ran great. Never had to look for another chart. Kinda pricey for the subscriptions but worth it if you have clutter and paper, and it's very easy to find a chart if ATC throws a curveball at you. Only problem I had was the mountablity of my tablet (had to sit in my lap, so I had my head down during briefings) and my company is part 135 and didn't have it in their spec ops so I got rid of it. But overall it was pretty awesome.
 
I used to run a Fujitsu 1610D tablet PC running Jeppsen FliteView/FliteDeck software. Hooked it up to my Garmin 296 and it ran great. Never had to look for another chart. Kinda pricey for the subscriptions but worth it if you have clutter and paper, and it's very easy to find a chart if ATC throws a curveball at you. Only problem I had was the mountablity of my tablet (had to sit in my lap, so I had my head down during briefings) and my company is part 135 and didn't have it in their spec ops so I got rid of it. But overall it was pretty awesome.

What kind of pricing do they set the subscriptions at.

My instructor said most major airlines are starting to incorporate these things into their airplanes, any idea on how many are actually doing that?
 
I think it was $100 initial software fee plus your subscription (which was about $230 for the mid-west) your first year, so $330 your first year, then $230 every year there after. Very comparable to paper.

I haven't heard much of airlines but I know alot of biz/personal jets are installing them. Those systems run around $4500 where as mine was $1200 for the tablet, plus now you can pickup a 296 relatively cheap. Mine could also double as a laptop, so I would take it with me into the FBO during stops.
 
Shuttle uses them now on their certificate and we're suppose to have them installed on the Repub. certificate starting in January, though it'll take at least a year or longer before all the planes have them. I've heard they're pretty sweet and you don't have to carry any charts, SOP's, FOM's...nothing! They're touch screen and you can zoom in/out like the Apple products, amongst hundreds of other features..

I can't wait...though I won't hold my breath.
 
I'll probably see them at Southernjets, right before I retire at age 90!
 
was just thinking of getting an HP TX2500 and loading it up with some goodies....

would be fantastic to not have to carry plates or charts anymore...
 
We're supposed to be getting them on our airplanes... some sort of Dash 8 operator for PHL and CLT hubs. :D
 
The company I work for just bought a couple of the Fujitsu Lifebook tablets. I have been given the job of putting together the paperwork ready so that we can apply to our POI for a 6 month trial period. To start with we will be just be using the tablet for AP/IAP/DP's but eventually we will expand that.

I have also been having some fun using Visual Basic Express to create a checklist program for the B200. You can tap on each item and it will highlight in green (so you can instantly see where you are on the list or which items have been omitted). Emergency and abnormal checklists can be selected by pressing the appropriate annunciator (the annunciator panel is recreated on screen). When a checklist refers you to another, there is a button right there to call it up. You can also call up Emergency and Abnomal checklists by category (Engine, Fuel System, Environmental etc etc). I have no idea if it could ever be accepted for use in the airplane but it has been a fun project so far.
 
I used to run a Fujitsu 1610D tablet PC running Jeppsen FliteView/FliteDeck software. Hooked it up to my Garmin 296 and it ran great. Never had to look for another chart. Kinda pricey for the subscriptions but worth it if you have clutter and paper, and it's very easy to find a chart if ATC throws a curveball at you. Only problem I had was the mountablity of my tablet (had to sit in my lap, so I had my head down during briefings) and my company is part 135 and didn't have it in their spec ops so I got rid of it. But overall it was pretty awesome.
I have the same setup when not flying for the 'net but run it off of the Garmin 10x GPS, not a 296. It is abso-freakin-lutely fantastic.

I carry my EFB, my headset and my enroute binder.

-mini
 
It's the carrot being dangled over here. We switched to LIDO charts which are awesome on EFBs (at least that's what FedEx says), but the paper charts take up 50% more room than Jepps. So, if we get any more airports added on in the Delta merger, I'm gonna need to carry TWO flight kit bags so I can have company manuals and charts. I've already got 2 2" Jepp binders about to explode with charts and a 1" that I use as a "trip book." EFB would be a GODSEND. Rumor has it the 900 guys are gonna get them, and we might on the 200 since we're going to the LIDO dispatch software when the NWA Worldflight software gets dumped. I'll believe it when I see it, though.
 
I never got to use them, but Horizon is currently installing EFB's on the Q400 fleet. From what my friends that are still there say, it's a pretty nice system.

Who would have thought you could put a HUD to fly CAT III(A) single engine approaches, WAAS, RNP and now EFB's in a Dash?

Apparently back in the day, de Havilland thought Horizon was playing some sort of practical joke on them when they asked about putting a HUD in the Dash 8-100's!
 
We use EFB's in our 3 Lear 40XR's. I'd say the results are rather mixed. Our typical modus operandi are to print Jepp charts for the intended airports of operation, so we have hard copies already on hand. We keep a full set of up-to-date NOS/NACA chart books in the aircraft for contingencies. The JeppView charts on the EFBs are, for all practical purposes, redundent. The only real use that the EFBs get is to update our weather awareness (via the XM/WxWorx radio link), and to supplement the AcuQuik for FBO information.

The problem is that there simply isn't enough room in the Lear cockpit for the EFB. It's a hassle to open it up without interfering with the yoke. There just isn't enough room to use the tablets comfortably. We have access to most of the same information through other sources, so the hassle of booting the EFB just isn't worthwhile except to get updated when the weather is down the tubes. For some type of ops it's probably a great deal, but so far I'm just not a big fan of what it offers us versus the hassle involved for our operations.

I'm not saying that EFBs are bad, but just pointing out that the physical aspects of using them are an important part of determining if the positive aspects are worth the hassles.

More opinions available upon request.

:D
 
What is is Shuttle using for their EFB's? What do other 121 airlines use for their EFB systems. I am curious.

I have seen the Samsung Q1 used as and EFB at another carrier and wasn't impressed at all with it?

The Garmin 696 looks pretty cool.
 
We use fujitsus in a BeechJet. Like SteveC we print our charts and use the EFB(s) as the backup(s) and for performance (UltraNav). I like having them for the simple fact, no more Jepp updates, save for enroute charts and notmas and being able to print two copies of the plates for each pilot.
 
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