First Post on EFE

Hi there! Welcome to Electronic Flying Experience (EFE). In case you're wondering, this is not a blog about flight simulators, though that topic may come up. This blog about building gadgets for pilots, commonly referred to as an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB), and the more involved Electronic Flight Information System (EFIS).

Being a Software Engineer, Micro-electronic Engineer, pilot, and experimental aircraft builder, I'm fascinated by the thought of creating an EFIS and all that goes into it. Fortunately for most aircraft builders, EFIS avionics are plentiful. Unfortunately for most aircraft builders, avionics constitute up to one-third of the cost of an airplane.

This blog isn't about saving money. It's not necessarily about building a working EFIS, though that would ultimately be an objective. It's about capturing the details of researching data sources and software engineering through exploratory work that can form the foundation of any electronic flight system.

I mentioned EFBs above as well. This is because the functionality of an EFB constitutes the use of large amounts of continually updated data and what I consider the more challenging aspect of this endeavor. That is to say, building a Primary Flight Display is easy (I already did one). Building a Multi-function Display (MFD) with moving charts, terminal and airspace details, flight planning, traffic, weather, and so on is a little more complex. These are all features found in an EFB, so the EFB is a good stepping stone to a comprehensive EFIS.

That's enough for an introduction to this blog. I hope you enjoy it!