Definition
Any piece of lightweight, self-powered electronic equipment that a pilot or passenger can carry on and off the aircraft, including tablets, laptops, smartphones, handheld GPS units, and electronic flight bags. PEDs are not part of the aircraft's installed avionics and are subject to operational rules regarding their use during flight.
Plain English
A small electronic gadget you bring with you onto the aircraft rather than something built into the panel. Tablets, phones, and laptops are the common examples.
Context Anchor
Seen in electronic flight bag guidance, especially when deciding how a tablet or similar device may be used in the cockpit.
Derivation
Portable comes from the Latin portare, 'to carry.' Electronic device simply means a powered gadget. The label exists to distinguish carry-on equipment from installed aircraft systems, because the two are governed by different rules.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots must know which PEDs are authorized for use so they remain legal and avoid electromagnetic interference or distraction during flight.
Intuition Check
A PED is not the same as installed aircraft equipment. Even if a tablet is used for flight tasks, it is still a portable electronic device unless it is permanently installed and approved as part of the aircraft.
Example Sentence 1
The operator's manual lists which portable electronic devices the crew is allowed to use during taxi, takeoff, and landing.
Example Sentence 2
Before departure the crew verified that every portable electronic device intended for EFB use had been tested for interference.