5 Cockpit EFB Problems That Can Ruin Your Flight

Modern Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs) have transformed the way pilots fly. With apps like ForeFlight®, an iPad can replace paper charts, improve situational awareness, and provide real time weather, traffic, and flight planning. However, even the best software cannot overcome an unreliable cockpit setup.

Many in flight EFB issues are not caused by the app itself. Instead, they result from missing accessories, improper equipment selection, or poor cockpit organization.

Here are five of the most common EFB problems that can interrupt your flight and how you can prevent them.

1. Your iPad Battery Dies Before You Land

A bright display, GPS, Bluetooth, and continuous communication with an ADS-B receiver can quickly drain an iPad battery during longer flights.

While newer iPads offer impressive battery life, unexpected delays, holding patterns, or multiple flight legs can leave you without the power you need.

How to prevent it:

Always carry a reliable backup battery pack and high quality charging cable. Having a dedicated power source ensures your EFB stays operational throughout the entire flight.

2. GPS Position Is Lost During Flight

One of the most common mistakes pilots make is assuming every iPad includes an internal GPS receiver.

WiFi only models rely on external GPS sources, which means losing your GPS connection can affect your moving map and position awareness.

How to prevent it:

Choose an iPad with built in GPS capability or pair your EFB with a dependable ADS-B receiver that provides an accurate GPS signal. A complete setup offers valuable redundancy when you need it most.

3. Your ADS-B Receiver Disconnects

An unstable connection between your iPad and ADS-B receiver can result in the loss of traffic and weather information during flight.

Common causes include low battery, improper placement inside the cockpit, or incorrect WiFi connection settings.

How to prevent it:

Fully charge your ADS-B receiver before every flight and position it where it has a clear view of the sky. Performing a quick connection check before taxi can eliminate many common issues.

4. Your iPad Is Difficult to Read or Use

An unsecured iPad sliding around the cockpit is more than just frustrating. It can become a distraction during critical phases of flight.

Glare, awkward viewing angles, and unstable mounting positions make it harder to access important information when workload increases.

How to prevent it:

Use a high quality kneeboard, suction mount, or yoke mount designed specifically for aviation. Pair it with an anti glare screen protector to improve visibility in bright sunlight and maintain easy access to your EFB.

5. Your Cockpit Setup Was Never Designed to Work Together

Many pilots purchase their equipment separately from multiple retailers. While each product may perform well individually, compatibility issues often appear when everything is used together.

Different charging cables, mismatched mounts, incompatible accessories, and inconsistent support can create unnecessary headaches before every flight.

How to prevent it:

A complete EFB solution ensures every component has been selected to work together. From the iPad and ADS-B receiver to mounting hardware, backup power, and essential accessories, an integrated setup reduces troubleshooting and lets you focus on flying instead of configuring equipment.

Fly With Confidence

A dependable Electronic Flight Bag is more than just an iPad running aviation software. It is a complete cockpit system that combines reliable hardware, quality accessories, secure mounting, dependable power, and seamless compatibility.

At Sharks Technologies, our AeroView™ bundles are designed to eliminate the guesswork by providing everything pilots need in one ready to fly package. Every bundle is carefully selected for compatibility with ForeFlight, includes essential cockpit accessories, and is backed by our 1 Year Sharks Warranty.

The less time you spend solving cockpit problems, the more time you can spend enjoying every flight.