EFIS

EFIS stands for Electronic Flight Instrument System. It is a cockpit instrumentation system that presents flight, navigation, and engine data on electronic displays rather than traditional analog gauges. A typical EFIS suite includes primary flight displays (PFDs) and multi-function displays (MFDs), and may also incorporate engine and systems displays. The PFD shows attitude, airspeed, altitude, vertical speed, and heading, while the MFD can display navigation maps, weather, terrain, traffic, and flight management data. Standby instruments or an independent backup display are often provided for redundancy.

EFIS relies on data from multiple sources, including air data computers, attitude and heading reference systems, navigation receivers, GPS, and the flight management system. Modern configurations are usually dual or triple-redundant and are integrated with autopilot and automatic flight control systems. The displays use standardized symbology and can support advanced features such as synthetic vision, enhanced or synthetic imagery, terrain and obstacle alerts, weather radar, and traffic displays.

Architecture commonly features two or more electronic displays in the forward cockpit, with redundant power and data paths. If one display fails, others continue to provide essential information, and pilots can switch to backup instruments. EFIS can be part of a larger glass cockpit system, replacing most or all traditional gauges. It is widely used in commercial airliners, business jets, and many modern general aviation aircraft.

The adoption of EFIS improves situation awareness and reduces crew workload by consolidating data into clear, scalable views. Challenges include system complexity, certification requirements, maintenance costs, and potential information overload if not properly configured or trained.