Out Of The Box

Two Australian companies are realising the potential of tablet computers as electronic flight bags

The first encroachment of the digital age upon the analogue cockpit of general aviation aircraft were little more than grey boxes with a few points of data displayed on a simple screen – speed, distance and perhaps a bearing display not dissimilar to the tried and tested VOR. It was a leap ahead for light aircraft that once only dreamed of having distance measuring equipment (DME). Still, if that was a leap, the modern evolution of electronic flight bags (EFB), is so much more.

Growing up

Gradually that small GPS course bar grew into a basic gray-scale map and the units grew a little larger to cope with the newly-available features. Step by step, more information became available to the pilot and at each turn they mounted the new devices creatively with purpose-built brackets and Velcro.