Definition
An FAA Advisory Circular that provides guidance for the certification, airworthiness, and operational approval of Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs), including the hardware, software, and procedures used to replace traditional paper charts, manuals, and flight documents in the cockpit.
Plain English
It is the FAA document that tells operators and pilots how an electronic device, like an iPad loaded with charts and manuals, can legally and safely replace the paper materials a pilot used to carry into the cockpit.
Context Anchor
Seen in discussions of Electronic Flight Bags, especially when deciding whether an EFB setup is acceptable for flight use and what procedures or backups may be needed.
Derivation
An Advisory Circular (AC) is the FAA's standard format for non-regulatory guidance — it 'circulates' advice on how to comply with the regulations. The number 120-76 places it in the 120 series, which covers air carrier and commercial operations. Knowing it is an AC tells you it is guidance, not a regulation itself, though following it is the accepted way to gain FAA approval.
Why Pilots Care
Determines whether an operator can safely and legally substitute electronic devices for paper publications, directly affecting preflight preparation and cockpit workload.
Intuition Check
Do not read advisory as meaning unimportant. An Advisory Circular is not usually a regulation by itself, but it shows an FAA-accepted way to comply with rules or operate safely.
Example Sentence 1
Before the company switched from paper charts to tablets, the chief pilot reviewed AC 120-76 to make sure the EFB program met FAA approval requirements.
Example Sentence 2
Compliance with AC 120-76 allowed the flight crew to remove paper approach plates from the cockpit.