The Impact of Electronic Flight Bags on General Aviation Pilots’ Situation Awareness

This study investigated whether Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs) affect pilots’ situation awareness (SA) compared to paper-based flight bags. The research involved 38 participants from an aeronautical university, who tested both display devices in a flight simulator under various conditions using the Situation Present Assessment Method to test SA. Results showed that when using EFB, participants performed better on response accuracy, with no significant differences in response times. The study concluded that EFBs do not impair situation awareness, though participants’ prior EFB experience may influence results. Future research should include a more diverse range of participants, particularly those who use paper exclusively.