Definition
Digital collections of aviation data — such as airports, navaids, airways, approach procedures, frequencies, and terrain — stored within an avionics system or electronic flight bag and used by the equipment to display information, support navigation, and run features like Nearest Airport searches.
Plain English
The built-in libraries of aviation information that your cockpit displays and apps pull from to show you airports, frequencies, runways, and procedures.
Context Anchor
Seen when using a primary flight display (PFD) or other cockpit display to find nearby airports, review airport details, or navigate using stored aviation data.
Derivation
From the Greek elektron (amber, the source of static electricity) combined with database — a structured collection of data. The word electronic signals that the information lives inside the avionics rather than on paper.
Why Pilots Care
They enable quick access to navigation data without paper charts, supporting safer and more efficient instrument flying.
Analogy
It is like a map app with saved aviation information: the screen can show useful places and details, but only if the stored information is current and correct.
Intuition Check
Do not assume “electronic” means live, automatic, or always up to date. In this context, electronic databases are stored information that must be kept current.
Example Sentence 1
Before the flight, she checked that the GPS electronic database was current for the upcoming IFR trip.
Example Sentence 2
Before flight, the pilot ensures the electronic databases are current to avoid outdated navigation information.