In short
An EFB (Electronic Flight Bag) is two decisions: the navigation app and the tablet. On the app side: SkyDemon dominates VFR in Europe (iOS, Android, Windows, Mac), ForeFlight is the most complete but only on iPhone/iPad, Garmin Pilot lives on iOS and Android. On the tablet side: an iPad, but only the "Wi-Fi + Cellular" model has a GPS. And in any case, a tablet is never a certified navigation: backup remains essential.
The most important point on this page is not the choice of app, it's the tablet's GPS. A "Wi-Fi only" iPad has no GPS chip: it cannot display the aircraft's position on the map. To fly, you need a Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad, or an external GPS receiver.
EFB Apps
| Criteria | SkyDemon | ForeFlight | Garmin Pilot | EasyVFR 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Windows, Mac | iOS only | iOS, Android | iOS, Android (Win/Mac in premium) |
| Focus | VFR (+ IFR plates EU) | VFR & IFR | VFR & IFR | VFR |
| Coverage | Europe | Global (Europe plan) | Europe + US | Europe |
| Subscription | Annual* | Annual, 3 plans* | Annual* | ≈ €48 to €84/year* |
| The best part | Multi-platform, king of EU VFR | Richest ecosystem | Garmin avionics integration | Low price, multi-OS |
*Subscription prices change regularly and are displayed according to the region: always check the price on the publisher's website before buying. Other European options: Air Navigation Pro (iOS/Android) and autorouter (free IFR/VFR planning, in addition to an EFB). Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro is aimed at airlines, not the general public.
The iPad GPS trap
This is the most common purchasing mistake. On the Apple spec sheet, the "Location" line only mentions a GPS/GNSS receiver on "Wi-Fi + Cellular" models. A "Wi-Fi only" iPad only has a digital compass and Wi-Fi: no GPS. Without position, no moving map: the EFB app loses most of its interest in flight.
Two solutions: buy a Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad (its GPS works without a SIM card or subscription, you can buy it just for that), or connect an external GPS receiver via Bluetooth:
- Bad Elf (GPS Pro/Pro+, now replaced by the Flex range), GPS + SBAS (EGNOS/WAAS), Bluetooth, sharing to multiple devices at the same time, long battery life. A safe bet in aviation.
- Garmin GLO 2 GPS + GLONASS, Bluetooth; it connects to one device at a time.
- Sentry / Sentry Mini (uAvionix), much more than a GPS: they add ADS-B traffic and weather. The full Sentry also includes a backup attitude indicator (AHRS) and a CO detector; the Mini is simpler, without battery or AHRS.
A point of honesty: the GPS of a tablet or a consumer receiver does not have the integrity level of a certified aeronautical GPS. Excellent for situational awareness, insufficient as a primary means of navigation in IFR.
Which tablet, and overheating
The iPad dominates the cockpit. The iPad mini is the most popular in general aviation: large enough for charts, compact enough to fit on a kneeboard or in a small cockpit. Standard and Pro iPads offer more screen space and power, at the expense of size, weight and budget. On Android or Windows, SkyDemon remains an option, but the iPad ecosystem is the most extensive (ForeFlight only exists on iOS anyway).
Overheating, a real issue in summer. Apple gives an operating range of 0 to 35°C (32 to 95°F). Behind a canopy in the sun, you quickly exceed this limit: the screen goes to sleep, the iPad displays a temperature warning and becomes temporarily unusable until it cools down. The habit: avoid direct sunlight, ventilate, do not let the tablet heat up on the ground before the flight.
Fixer la tablette
- Genouillère (kneeboard) : une sangle autour de la cuisse. Le plus simple et le plus universel, aucun point de fixation dans l'avion.
- Support de manche (yoke mount) : l'écran droit devant le pilote. Idéal sur les petits monomoteurs à manche/volant.
- Ventouse (suction mount) : se fixe sur une surface lisse (vitre, verrière). Positionnement flexible. MyGoFlight et RAM Mounts (système X-Grip) sont les références.
Le point du pilote
L'EFB a changé la vie : fini le sac de cartes qui se déplient mal dans un cockpit exigu, la météo est à jour, la carte suit l'avion. Mais je garde une règle simple en tête : la tablette est un formidable complément, pas une nav certifiée. J'ai vu un iPad s'éteindre en vol un jour de canicule, écran noir, avertissement de température, et ce jour-là on est bien content d'avoir un plan B.
Mon conseil : un iPad Cellular (pour le GPS), une redondance chargée (un téléphone avec la même appli, ou les cartes), et on ne laisse jamais la tablette rôtir au soleil sur la casquette de tableau de bord. Le reste, c'est du réglage.
À savoir
- • Ce n'est pas une nav certifiée. Afficher la position de l'avion (own-ship) aide à la conscience de situation, mais ne constitue pas un moyen de navigation primaire certifié ; en IFR, la navigation primaire reste l'avionique installée et approuvée. La tablette aide, elle ne remplace pas.
- • Gardez une redondance. Batterie, surchauffe, plantage : ça arrive. Une seconde source (GPS externe, téléphone chargé, ou cartes à jour) est une mesure de sécurité fortement recommandée, même si ce n'est pas une obligation réglementaire en VFR privé.
- • Données à jour. Vérifiez que vos cartes et bases de données sont valides (cycle AIRAC) avant chaque vol : c'est la responsabilité du pilote.
Où trouver
The pilot's take
The EFB has changed life: no more bag of charts that unfold poorly in a cramped cockpit, the weather is up to date, the map follows the aircraft. But I keep one simple rule in mind: the tablet is a wonderful complement, not a certified navigation. I saw an iPad shut down in flight on a heatwave day, black screen, temperature warning, and on that day you're glad you have a plan B.
My advice: a Cellular iPad (for the GPS), a charged redundancy (a phone with the same app, or maps), and never let the tablet roast in the sun on the dashboard top. The rest is just settings.
Where to buy
Apps are purchased directly from the publisher (SkyDemon, ForeFlight, Garmin, EasyVFR) or via the App Store / Play Store. Tablets are available from Apple or general retail; external GPS and mounts from specialized dealers (pilotshop.lu, Aircraft Spruce, MyPilotStore).
On Amazon. The Sentry receivers and MyGoFlight mounts are not distributed there, specialized dealer mandatory. The tablet, however, is available: it is the iPad mini that I recommend for the cockpit, and I take the Wi-Fi only version intentionally: the cellular version includes a GPS, but this is precisely the trap explained above: this GPS does not replace an external receiver.
Affiliate links, see the notice at the bottom of the page.
Apps (SkyDemon, ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot, EasyVFR) are subscriptions and must be bought from the publisher, no links here. For Sentry and mounts, a reseller partnership is in preparation.
No, your EFB is not a primary navigation source
It is legally and operationally critical to remember: an EFB on a commercial tablet is not a certified navigation system. It is an aid to situational awareness.
- • The hardware is not certified: an iPad can shut down due to overheating, freeze, or drop during turbulence.
- • The software is not certified: an iOS update can break the app, or the app can crash.
- • The GPS is not certified: it does not guarantee its integrity (unlike a WAAS/SBAS GPS coupled with RAIM algorithms in an airplane).
In VFR, you look outside, the tablet is a support. But if you fly IFR or at night, a tablet failure without redundancy becomes a major emergency. Have a backup: a second charged device with the app and maps installed, a panel-mount GPS, or paper maps.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad to fly?
SkyDemon, ForeFlight or Garmin Pilot?
Can I throw away my paper charts once I switch to EFB?
In the same section
Transparency this page contains affiliate links. If you buy through these links, I may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you, this does not change my ranking in any way.