FAA Approves Jeppesen Step toward Paperless Cockpits

The FAA has approved Jeppesen's integration toolkit (JIT) that allows third-party OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to integrate Jeppesen's electronic en route charts into their MFDs (multi-function displays).

Jeppesen has for many years offered its terminal charts that work with systems like Rockwell Collins' Pro Line 21 and Honeywell's Epic INAV, but until now the FAA has approved their use only for situational awareness on moving maps, and required paper en route charts for navigation.

This new certification of the JIT, which meets the standards set forth in RTCA DO-178B level C, will allow avionics OEMs to provide a true paperless cockpit, Jeppesen says, and anticipates full paperless certification by late 2009.

In addition to facilitating a true paperless cockpit, Jeppesen believes that its electronic en route charts can standardize the presentation of moving map displays, which isn't the case with current avionics platforms.  A lack of standardization forces pilots to train and learn the nuances of each display, rather than learning one standard en route moving map format, Jeppesen says.

Electronic en route charts also offer features and benefits not possible with paper.  Because the charts are rendered in real time, they can be modified for different conditions, such as night, day, IFR, VFR, and designed by the OEM to show specified information like real-time weather and traffic.  In additional, they can automatically adjust in congested areas to remove clutter, and resized to show different levels of detail.

The JIT is part of a system of DO-178B level C certified software modules that are platform independent.  The suite offers aviation OEMs standard map depictions and functionality, and is also a robust foundation on which OEMs can add innovative and competitive features.  09-29-2007.

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