Learn how to use an EFB in X-Plane 12 for fuel, payload, performance, charts and ground services, plus fixes for blank or unresponsive tablets.
To use an EFB in X-Plane 12, open the aircraft’s cockpit tablet or 2D tablet panel, power it if required, then select the page for loading, performance, charts or settings. Each aircraft implements its own EFB, so its controls, power source and Apply or Send actions are not standardised.
How do I open and use an aircraft EFB?
Open the tablet from its cockpit clickspot or aircraft menu, supply electrical power, choose the required function and confirm any changes with the appropriate Apply, Set, Load or Send button.
- Confirm that the aircraft includes an EFB. Not every X-Plane 12 aircraft has one, and a decorative tablet or empty mount does not guarantee an interactive display. Check the aircraft documentation for its tablet or electronic flight bag instructions.
- Power the aircraft. Turn on the battery, external power or avionics buses required by that model. Some tablets are independently powered, while others remain black until the correct electrical bus is live. Check the EFB’s own power and brightness controls as well.
- Open or deploy the tablet. Click its screen, bezel or mounting point in the 3D cockpit. If it is hidden, look in the aircraft’s own on-screen menu for a tablet, EFB or equipment option. A separate 2D EFB may instead open from an aircraft or plugin menu.
- Select the required page. Common pages cover payload, fuel, ground services, take-off performance, charts, checklists and aircraft settings. Enter values carefully and check whether the EFB expects kilograms or pounds, litres or gallons, and Celsius or Fahrenheit.
- Apply the changes. Moving a payload or fuel slider does not always update the aircraft immediately. Press the displayed Apply, Load, Set or Confirm control and allow any simulated loading process to finish.
- Cross-check the cockpit. Verify fuel quantity, gross weight, centre of gravity, V-speeds and trim in the aircraft’s instruments or flight-management system. A calculated value appearing on the EFB does not prove it has been transferred elsewhere.
What can an X-Plane 12 EFB control?
An EFB can control only the functions its aircraft developer has connected to it; it is not a universal X-Plane control panel.
| Page or function | Typical use | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel and payload | Set passengers, cargo, fuel and centre of gravity | Units, total weight and whether Apply or Load must be pressed |
| Ground services | Operate doors, chocks, ground power, stairs or pushback | Parking brake, engine state and aircraft-specific restrictions |
| Performance | Calculate take-off or landing speeds, trim and runway limits | Runway, wind, temperature, pressure, surface condition, flap setting and anti-ice use |
| Charts and maps | Display airport charts, routes, documents or a moving map | Required chart data, account access, plugin installation and network connection |
| Checklists and settings | Read procedures or configure model-specific options | Whether a setting applies immediately or after reloading the aircraft |
Doors, loading and ground equipment often belong to the aircraft rather than X-Plane’s general interface. Our explanation of how X-Plane 12 aircraft handle loading and ground services covers those differences without assuming every add-on follows the same workflow.
Why is my EFB black or unresponsive?
A black or frozen EFB usually indicates missing electrical power, low brightness, an absent plugin or an incompatible aircraft version.
- Black screen: energise the required battery or electrical bus, then raise the tablet brightness. Connecting a ground-power unit is not enough if it has not been selected as the aircraft’s power source.
- No clickable tablet: change the cockpit viewpoint and check the bezel or mounting arm for a clickspot. The aircraft may also require its tablet to be enabled or deployed through a separate menu.
- Missing page or plugin warning: an integrated display may depend on an additional plugin such as AviTab. Install the required component in its documented location and restart X-Plane rather than merely reloading the cockpit.
- Controls move but nothing changes: press the page’s confirmation button and check operating conditions. Some aircraft block loading, door movement or ground equipment while the engines are running or the parking brake is released.
- Charts are blank: chart access may require downloaded data, an account or an internet connection. This is separate from the EFB’s fuel and aircraft-settings functions.
- Tablet freezes: update the aircraft to an X-Plane 12-compatible release, restart the simulator and test without unrelated plugins. Check
Log.txtin the main X-Plane folder for plugin or script errors.
Is AviTab the same as an EFB?
AviTab is a specific X-Plane tablet plugin, while EFB is the general term for an electronic flight bag.
AviTab provides maps, charts, routes, PDFs and aircraft documents, and some aircraft integrate it as one tab within a larger proprietary EFB. It does not automatically control that aircraft’s payload, doors or performance calculator. Use the aircraft’s built-in EFB for model-specific systems and AviTab for supported documents and navigation functions; our AviTab installation and operating guide explains both integrated and pop-out use.
Can I put the EFB on another monitor or iPad?
You can move an EFB to another display only when the aircraft provides a pop-out panel or the tablet software supports a separate window.
Try clicking the EFB screen or its pop-out icon rather than dragging the 3D tablet itself. Some cockpit tablets are texture-based displays and cannot be detached. The methods in our guide to moving X-Plane instrument panels to another display also apply to EFBs that expose a normal 2D window.
An external tablet can run charts, checklists, flight-planning tools or a compatible moving map, but it does not automatically mirror or control a proprietary cockpit EFB. See the practical options and connection limits for using an iPad as a flight-simulation EFB.