Air operations impose heavy workloads on pilots; portable electronic flight bags (EFBs) can alleviate this burden. However, specific guidelines for EFB postural ergonomics and usability are lacking despite existing cockpit regulations. To describe postural ergonomic and performance observations in six male Brazilian military pilots using portable EFBs during full-flight simulation (Airbus C-295). Participants were evaluated across four cockpit EFB placements. None of the positions met adequate ergonomic standards. The window position presented medium risk, necessitating mitigation strategies. Thigh, yoke, and handheld positions showed high ergonomic risk requiring correction. Despite high ergonomic risk, pilots maintained flight performance standards, likely through compensatory effort. Preliminary findings indicate that while no EFB placement provided adequate ergonomic posture, cockpit positioning did not compromise flight performance. These results highlight the need for subsequent investigations in larger, more robust studies.
Charleaux et al. (Wed,) studied this question.