It’s product launch time here at Bytron Aviation Systems as the latest version of our already award winning EFB application takes to the skies around the world with a host of new features that all aim to directly address some of the most challenging aspects of aviation.

Rather than making some bold statements around our all new ‘next gen’ EFB and listing endless functions, we thought we would take a different approach and talk about the problems and challenges of latest skybook Electronic Flight Bag app sets out to directly address in order to help operators achieve much more than simply ‘going paperless’ by giving pilots a digital briefing.

Let’s start with the following…

What’s changed in the EFB and what does it address?

Our customers and the aviation industry are looking towards the future for new improvements and bigger performance gains.

They want to extract every possible benefit and in the case of our clients, with skybook sitting firmly at the centre of flight dispatch and operations, flight deck and maintenance, they are looking for new gains to further improve overall performance and drive additional savings.

Operators are looking way beyond the original objectives of improving crew briefings by removing paper and are now pushing forward to create fully connected applications that share vital information pre-flight, during the flight and then post flight in order to deliver:

• Workload and labour reductions through automated briefing creation, data import and sharing
• Improved global awareness through fully tailored interactive briefings
• Access to global NOTAM, Weather and Airport data via a single portal
• Improved situational awareness, faster problem identification and increase situational awareness
• Improved accuracy and increased data capturing across all sectors
• Automated information sharing in real time post flight
• Integrated tech log for real time sharing of information between flight deck and engineering
• Aircraft Interfacing to automate data capture
• Post flight reporting and analytics
• Device sync for seamless data sharing between pilots and engineering teams

We could go further but to summarise, if you’re looking for an EFB and only focussing on flight deck benefits, you run the risk of falling behind the curve and being outperformed by your rivals.

Taking all of the above into account, what can you expect in our enhanced EFB application?

What’s changed following our latest enhancements?

Our focus has been on five main areas here as follows:

1. Usability
2. Adaptability
3. Flexibility
4. Integration
5. Awareness/decision making

To that end we have made the latest version of the skybook Electronic Flight Bag more user friendly with much improved human/machine interfacing throughout each module.

Navigation throughout the app has been improved to reduce the number of clicks required to perform key tasks and also to ensure that effective workflows are created that help operators drive efficiency on the flight deck by reducing pilot workloads.

skybook is able to integrate fully with more third-party applications and systems than ever before and most importantly, the launch of our all new Form Builder module means that operators can create tailored digital forms and also manage the onward development of the EFB and eTech Log apps in house – something that sets our applications firmly aside from others on the market.

What’s new in the skybook Electronic Flight Bag app?

Knowledge is power – fact. Without it there are too many variables, and you simply cannot make the right decisions.

This is why the latest version of the skybook EFB is our most powerful application to date bringing vital sector information together in one place for pilots to review prior to departure.

Aside from increased integration options to bring all briefing data into the skybook EFB, enhanced configuration and tailoring through the Form Builder technology, and a revised user interface to make the application easier and quicker to navigate, our revised application features a brand-new global mapping tool that puts an entire world of information in the palm of your hand.

The new Mapping Module enables pilots to bring the most vital information together in one place helping them to review the entire route for each sector in detail, all within a single screen.

They can select from a number of additional filters which depict a range of real time weather conditions and updates which helps to ensure they are able to quickly identify potential problems and look at the actual impact on the route being flown.

The all-new mapping module is the most powerful new addition to our already class leading crew briefing, allowing pilots to review the following at the touch of a button:

• Icing
• Turbulence
• Lightning
• Hurricane
• Surface
• Ash
• Waypoint data (WPT name, flight level, timings and fuel data)
• Airfield Alerts (real time METAR, TAF and NOTAM information)

A series of highly intuitive sliders and filters ensure that pilots can very easily switch between information, flight levels and flight times to help them better assess the actual impact of weather, for example, on their route. This will be vital when it comes to making decisions that could affect the flight.

Furthermore, our tailored briefing packs are already engineered to highlight weather and NOTAM issues based on pre-defined operator configuration which means that skybook will also be actively alerting pilots to emerging problems that could impact on the airports featuring in the sector being flown.

The real time data provided above is included as part of a skybook EFB package subscription and can be refreshed at any time to provide pilots with the very latest information.

Operating sectors safely is paramount for all pilots making our EFB a vital flight deck addition.

What to do next

If you want to know more, we are more than happy to help so to arrange a call and demo with our EFB team email us at info@bytron.aero

To find out more about the latest skybook Electronic Flight Bag application head to our website.