Certification of EFBs with Moving Maps Pending

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has sped up the certification process for some Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs) that provide pilots with more detailed runway information than is available by simply looking out the cockpit windscreen. The U.S. aviation agency said that an EFB made by Jeppesen, a unit...

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has sped up the certification process for some Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs) that provide pilots with more detailed runway information than is available by simply looking out the cockpit windscreen.

The U.S. aviation agency said that an EFB made by Jeppesen, a unit of Boeing, that uses global positioning technology on a moving map to show pilots their actual position at the airport should be certified soon. ACSS, a joint venture of L-3 Communications and Thales, is also expected to submit an application.

For pilots, knowing what runway or taxiway they're on is critical information. That knowledge is especially important at night, in poor weather or when the crew is unfamiliar with the airport layout.

Pilots have traditionally acquired that information by looking out their windshield. Now, the FAA is making it easier for pilots to have an invaluable electronic tool in the cockpit, providing a moving map display with "own ship" position that improves runway safety.

The FAA seeks to reduce runway incursions. After reviewing safety data, including human factors research on the safety benefits of "own ship" position versus the potential safety risks, The FAA is changing its certification process to enable this technology to be available later this year while maintaining all appropriate safety standards.

Over the last few years, paper charts and manuals have increasingly been replaced by the EFB, an electronic display system that gives pilots a variety of aviation data. EFBs range from laptop-like devices totally independent of the aircraft, to high-end displays permanently installed and fully integrated into the airplane's cockpit. The FAA is focusing its expedited certification effort on a third type of device, referred to as a "Class 2 system" that is still portable but takes its power and data directly from aircraft systems.

Most EFBs incorporate a feature called Airport Moving Map, a display that provides a constantly changing view of an airport's runways, taxiways and structures to help pilots identify and anticipate the airplane's location on the surface. Using GPS technology, it is possible for the moving map to show pilots their actual position ("own ship") on the airport surface.

The FAA has varying certification levels for Electronic Flight Bags based on the technical complexity of the EFB and the types of data it is intended to display. Devices able to show data both on the ground and in the air, including an Airport Moving Map that identifies the aircraft's position, are subject to the highest, or "Class C," standards.

After issuing its original guidance for EFB certification in 2003, the FAA heard industry concerns about the complexity and high cost of certifying EFBs that provide the airport moving map/own ship position function for surface movements. The agency also reviewed studies and human factors research on those systems.

Research has shown that pilots had far better awareness of their position on the airport's surface using an "own ship" position display. Tests also demonstrated that pilots typically glanced at the "own ship" display, then quickly looked out their windows to verify that information visually, eliminating one of the FAA's major concerns: that pilots would be "heads down" too long.

The FAA then decided to streamline the process of certifying the "own ship" position function of moving map displays to give pilots the safety benefits on the airport surface as soon as possible. Certification standards for EFBs remain the same, but the FAA worked with several companies to develop revised certification policies that make this important safety enhancement more cost-effective for operators. The new policies were finalized last April.

The FAA believes the cost of certification for surface operations could drop to as little as $20,000 per unit -- about one-tenth the original anticipated cost of EFB certification for ground and air operations. The FAA believes the aviation industry will have the financial incentive to produce these devices in mass quantities. The result: A higher level of safety at a significantly reduced cost.

But Capt. John Prater, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, said recently that "technology for crew alerting and awareness appear very promising, but is only being purchased by a small number of airlines. Electronic Flight Bags with aircraft moving map displays offer great potential, but is not planned for reetrofit except at a few progressive airlines."