Presentation
The Impact of Electronic Flight Bags on General Aviation Pilots' Situation Awareness
DescriptionThe widespread adoption of Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs) among general aviation pilots raises concerns about transitioning from traditional paper-based flight bags. However, limited research has examined EFBs’ impact on pilots’ situation awareness. This study compared EFBs and paper-based flight bags in a single-pilot, visual flight rules environment under normal and emergency scenarios with varying device mounting positions.
A total of 38 participants completed simulator flights, including flight students, instructors, and retired military aviators from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Situation awareness was measured using the Situation Present Assessment Method, alongside their flight performance data. The results showed no significant differences in response times across devices, scenarios, or mounting positions, while EFB users answered more questions correctly. Flight performance was influenced by scenarios and device mounting, with an interaction effect observed in airspeed control.
This result indicated that EFB did not negatively affect situation awareness. It also supports the idea that pilots can choose their tools without compromising safety. However, the study’s internal validity was limited due to participants’ greater familiarity with EFBs. Future research should involve a larger, more diverse sample, including pilots primarily using paper documents.
A total of 38 participants completed simulator flights, including flight students, instructors, and retired military aviators from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Situation awareness was measured using the Situation Present Assessment Method, alongside their flight performance data. The results showed no significant differences in response times across devices, scenarios, or mounting positions, while EFB users answered more questions correctly. Flight performance was influenced by scenarios and device mounting, with an interaction effect observed in airspeed control.
This result indicated that EFB did not negatively affect situation awareness. It also supports the idea that pilots can choose their tools without compromising safety. However, the study’s internal validity was limited due to participants’ greater familiarity with EFBs. Future research should involve a larger, more diverse sample, including pilots primarily using paper documents.
Event Type
Industry/Practitioner Content
Lecture
TimeThursday, October 16th3pm - 3:20pm CDT
LocationGrand Hall I
Aerospace Systems
Perception and Performance
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