eROTOR: A WINDOWS CE PORTABLE FLIGHT MANAGEMENT COMPUTER (FMC)

Efforts to add enhanced cockpit situational awareness functions to HUMS-equipped aircraft with otherwise analogue systems have led to the re-birth of earlier efforts to develop portable devices for preflight and in-flight performance planning. Current analysis methods require use of the aircraft flight manual, a straight edge, pencil, and paper, and sometimes a calculator. If any aspect of a mission, aircraft condition, or weather conditions change suddenly, the flight plan needs to be changed accordingly. Previous developments of portable electronic flight manuals were limited to “programmable scientific calculators” having limited processing, memory, and display capability. Today, devices such as the Pocket PC (PPC) have sizeable memory and processing capabilities, graphical user interfaces, and numerous forms of data I/O available, including serial, USB, IR, Bluetooth, and 802.11 Wi-Fi, allowing easy synchronization and backup via desktops, laptops, and other dedicated processors. In addition, their advanced input/output options offer the ability to directly interface the devices with other on-board systems. This paper reviews the implementation of a practical low-cost device that is intended to meet a pilot's day-to-day flight management needs. Functional requirements are presented along with the selected implementation and user interfaces. Various data input methods have been evaluated and are discussed. The certification aspects of this type of portable device will also be reviewed based on the recent FAA Advisory Circular for “Electronic Flight Bag” devices.