Boeing flight-deck technology

Citation

(2007), "Boeing flight-deck technology", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 79 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2007.12779aad.006

Boeing flight-deck technology

Boeing flight-deck technology

A landmark endorsement of the Boeing strategy to transform the way airlines fly and maintain their jets, Air France will install the Boeing Class 3 Electronic Flight Bag on its entire fleet of 777 aeroplanes, including 42 currently in service and 13 to be delivered.

The Boeing Class 3 EFB is a computer integrated into an aeroplane's avionics that is becoming a must-have device for airlines looking to improve both the safety and efficiency of their fleet.

Boeing's Class 3 EFB can serve as a critical communications gateway between the aeroplane in the sky and an airline's operations center and maintenance department on the ground. The EFB has the capability to be an integral part of an information system that helps an airline gather and share information across an entire enterprise.

EFB is a core technology in Boeing's vision of an e-enabled air-transport system in which data, information and knowledge can be shared easily across an aviation enterprise. It integrates smoothly with a range of other Boeing e-enabled maintenance and performance products such as aeroplane health management, maintenance performance toolbox and integrated materials management.

Boeing's EFB also has the capability to run advanced communications systems that improve aviation safety both in the air and on the ground. Applications currently being tested include some that improve the “situational awareness” of pilots by allowing them to follow aeroplane movements on the ground and in the air on a video screen. Some carriers have successfully tested Boeing's EFB to help reduce fuel consumption and reduce the impact of aeroplane noise pollution around airports.

“It is the increased capability of the EFB that is really attracting attention,” said Boeing's Dave Allen, Chief Engineer for installation and development of the EFB. “The flight deck of a modern commercial airliner is extremely crowded, and any new device must demonstrate maximum functionality and flexibility before it can muscle its way in.”

Using software developed by Boeing and its subsidiary, Jeppesen, the Boeing EFB provides an open-architecture platform that allows the airline to add its own documents or third-party applications. The fact that the Class 3 EFB is integrated with an aeroplane's avionics allows the tool to be certified for all phases of operation on the ground and in the air.

Details available from: Boeing Commercial Aeroplanes, Tel: +44-20- 8235-5664.