Time to Revise your Operations Manual and Training Program for Use of EFBs

Battery Life

A new section has been added to the AC on useful battery life. Useful battery life must be established and documented for your battery-powered EFBs. You must have either (1) an established procedure to recharge the battery from aircraft power during flight operations, (2) useful battery life for your flight to include diversions and expected delays, or (3) an acceptable mitigation strategy approved by the FAA to ensure aeronautical charts, checklists, or other data required by the operating rules are available.

Database Accuracy and Quality

The AC revision includes a new section on database quality control systems. Database errors are noted as a potential significant hazard for flight crewmembers. The AC requires a means to identify the database version, effective date, and valid operating period.

Slight Wording Edits

Throughout the document, there were minor word edits clarifying items and slight formatting changes. Some of the minor wording edits for clarification include:
Removal/attachment of a Class 2 EFB from the aircraft may be completed by the flightcrew without maintenance tasks.

All Class 1 and 2 EFBs are considered Portable Electronic Devices (PED). For a PED to be considered as an EFB, it must “host and actively display” type A, B, and/or C software applications and requires issuance of Ops Spec A061. The revision clarified use of non-EFB PEDs is restricted to 10,000 feet above ground level (AGL).

Failure Classification

The revision added a requirement for Type A and B software applications to have a failure condition classification of a minor hazard or less.

Noninterference Compliance Test

A third method for EFB PED Noninterference Compliance Test was added to the AC.