Electronic Flight Bags (EFB) Part Of Flight Training At Daniel Webster College

Sun, 28 Jan '07

New Tool For DWC Flight Instructional Staff

The flight instructional staff at Daniel Webster College (DWC), Nashua, NH, recently implemented a new instructional and learning tool that's no bigger than a book.

Every flight instructor has been issued a HP Compaq combination laptop/tablet PC that will be used to access individual computer-based flight schedules and students records, and to document training in real-time during a flight lesson.

As EFBs, the computers hold valuable information, documents, and procedure manuals that can be readily accessed in flight.

"One of the principal steps in this project is to allow us to further develop and refine Computer-Based Training Systems that we are implementing in our aviation programs," said DWC Director of Flight Operations Stephen K. Brown. "Students and instructors will have ever increasing interactive computer-based training systems that will incorporate all of the senses, not just the traditional 'reading from a book.'"

"This is just another step in the modernization program of Daniel Webster's flight operations," he added.

DWC is also exploring additional items, including electronic flight charts; electronic lesson notes with electronic diagramming and video/audio recording; flight data recording and transmission; complete electronic student records; interactive digital lesson sheets; interactive manuals and training procedure manuals -- all very similar to the Electronic Flight Bags currently in use by numerous commercial airlines.

Some of the airlines currently using or implementing the EFB include Malaysia Airlines and JetBlue.

"I would view EFBs and connected aircraft technologies as being one of the biggest catalysts to drive sustainable cost improvement in aircraft operations, particularly for low cost airlines," said Steve Hardgrave, co-founder of Aircraft Management Technologies. "EFB's can enable on-board crew reporting, fuel reconciliation and rapid integrated aircraft turn around at all bases."

Recently DWC installed MontegoNet kiosks, creating an effective "one-stop-shop" for its aviation students where they can access information in a significantly more streamlined and time-efficient manner.

The EFB and kiosks are just two examples of the modernization of scheduling, aircraft tracking, safety enhancements, and data transmission that DWC is implementing.

Daniel Webster College's flight training program (professional pilot) is approved under the guidelines of federal Aviation Regulation Parts 141 and 61, and all instructors are Certified Flight Instructors. DWC's air traffic management major is one of only 13 academic programs recognized by the FAA as part of its Collegiate Training Initiative.