A Pilot's Best Friend?

A Pilot’s Best Friend?

Wednesday, January 25, 2023 at 01:39 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs) offer significant advantages over traditional paper charts in terms of convenience, updates, and added capabilities, leading to their widespread preference among pilots.
While enhancing flight operations, EFBs introduce new considerations and risks such as hardware failure, battery depletion, out-of-date data, and potential distraction.
Effective EFB management requires proactive strategies including carrying backup devices and power, ensuring all data is current for potential diversions, securing the device in the cockpit, and actively avoiding its improper use during critical flight phases.

See a mistake? Contact us.

I have dealt with paper chart updates both as a student pilot and a professional pilot, and I can safely say I prefer EFBs. The worst luck I ever had with paper charts occurred before my private pilot checkride. I ended up weathered out on my first attempt, and the charts expired a few days before my rescheduled ride. The local flight schools near me were sold out, and I ended up driving an hour or so to the closest place I could find.

Looking back, I am 99-percent sure the DPE never even checked to make sure my charts were current. Either way, it was not worth the risk. After I finished instrument training the old-school way, I decided to buy my first iPad and a ForeFlight subscription. It was well worth the investment.