Background issues for on-line aircraft documentation

Currently, almost all aircraft documentation in commercial aircraft cockpits is presented via hardcopy manuals. Several recent projects are aimed at eliminating all paper documentation in cockpits using electronic libraries. Electronic libraries encompass diverse information bases including aircraft system documentation, operations and procedures, checklists, maintenance logs, minimum equipment lists, maps and charts, and flight management information. These electronic libraries are envisioned to be embedded in the avionics so as to provide real time monitoring and display of information. Background issues are examined (motivation, information retrieval models, and preliminary designs) for the on-line presentation of aircraft systems documentation including operations, procedures, and checklists.