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Electronic Flight Bag

BYTRON asks the question, Is your organisation ready?

All airlines know that digital information will take the place of paper on the flight deck – it is just a matter of when. Here at BYTRON, the feedback from airlines indicates that the majority have started the process of checking out what is available, some have implemented a partial solution but virtually no operator has yet implemented a truly integrated platform.

The question is, is your organisation ready? If not, why?

• What processes are in place to aggregate and distribute the disparate sources of electronic data to the devices?
• What processes are in place to capture the data input into the eFB during a voyage?
• How will this data be distributed to those who need it on the ground?
• What processes are in place to safeguard the integrity of this data?
• What reports need to be generated from the data?

Replacing the paper in the cockpit is only part of business case for the electronic flight bag. Whether you implement a Class I, Class II or Class III solution, the real return on your investment (ROI) is to be found in the utilisation of the data collected pre-flight, en-route and post flight.  It can impact throughout the whole airline by providing the “joined up” exchange of near real-time, digital information between all departments – from Management and Accounting/Purchasing to Flight Operations and Engineering.

• Can you quickly obtain and distribute this data?
• Can you quickly/automatically generate reports such as fuel burns/CO2 emissions? 
• Can Accounting make allowances for unexpected costs such as those associated with de-icing this last winter?
• Are you always aware of who did what, when and the financial impact?

And so the questions go on......!

BYTRON’s skybook eFB can provide the truly integrated solution. Equally important we can help you become joined up thus helping you become more efficient and increasing your ROI. Of course we would like you to implement our eFB solution but even if you have an alternative supplier, we can still implement a data distribution solution that will interface with all your departmental systems.

So the question remains, is your organisation ready?

BYTRON is pleased to announce the latest release of skybook® service.

This optional module allows subscribers to obtain briefing updates on mobile devices that are browser enabled. 

Flight crew can log on to receive up-to-the-minute additions to their flight briefing information including weather, NOTAM, fuel & navigation plans, ETOPS route plots and Operational Notices.

The Weather Watcher colour coding feature provides the ability to visualise weather changes at a glance. 

This information can be invaluable in flight crew decision making, especially in changing conditions, ensuring crew are updated wherever they are, for example, during the aircraft turnaround process.

Almost 2 million Muslims have gathered in Saudi Arabia for Hajj – the annual pilgrimage to Mecca that takes place this year 24-29th Nov 2009. 

Thomas Cook Airlines have been contracted by Garuda Indonesia to help transport over 114,000 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia and fly them back home. All Thomas Cook flights are planned and dispatched from their UK Flight Ops department in Manchester using the BYTRON skybook® service that enables internet communication with flight crew. Crews can log on to receive and up-to-the-minute flight pack including weather, fuel & navigation plans, ETOPS route plots and operational notes with updates available via mobile phones such as the Apple iPhone. 

David Marks – BYTRON’s Business Development Manager said – “skybook® centralises core systems providing improvements in the information supply chain that contributes to better crew and aircraft management. A huge benefit for remote operations is that crews are briefed to exactly the same company standard, directly from Ops HQ. Nothing is lost in translation or missed in a pigeon-hole, leading to greater efficiencies and better on-time-performance.”

Pioneering British aviation data communications specialists BYTRON will celebrate a remarkable 25 years of business on 22nd November 2009. Founded by the late Richard Harris, a long-haul pilot and his wife Irene, the company initially marketed EPROM programmers to the burgeoning electronics market in the UK until Richard’s ill health and the advent of the IBM PC clone brought about a change of direction.

BYTRON’s first software, a strip printing program, caught the attention of NATS – the UK Air Traffic Service provider. This application became upgraded to a fully fledged Flight Data Management System (FDMS) in 1989. Upgraded and enhanced in line with technology and operational requirements, FDMS is still operational for NATS at Aberdeen Airport 20 years later. Ground-breaking in its day, this system set the standard for using industry standard hardware (the PC) and operating system (Unix) in the aviation environment. It was also the first computer based system in the world to successfully promulgate, transmit and receive AFTN messages. A number of other “firsts” have followed including the use of TCP/IP in 1992, and Internet delivered pilot briefing in 2001.

The company’s expertise in handling computerised Filed Flight Plans (FPL) led to Hughes Aircraft contracting the company in 1994 to provide software for the Identification Friend-or-Foe (IFF) part of the Peace Shield project, which was delivered 6 months and 13 days ahead of schedule.

Since those historic achievements BYTRON has continued to expand its portfolio of operational products and services to the aviation market including the unique skybook® information management and distribution service, electronic Flight Bag (eFB) and Global Situational Display. BYTRON is committed to delivering value added products relevant to the aviation market.

Co-founder and director, Irene Harris said “to celebrate 25 years within aviation IT is a major achievement in itself. It has been an exciting journey and would not have been possible without the BYTRON team; a team who have a strong track record for improving back office efficiency using industry standard technology. In an ever more challenging environment, there is still much to be done to increase operational agility and we look forward to the next 25 years."

BYTRON continues to set industry standards today with the skybook® electronic Flight Bag available on Class I and Class II devices.