Date: 201310
Local time of day: 0601-1200
Location: ZZZZ.Airport, FO
Aircraft: B777-200
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Cargo / Freight / Delivery
Flight phase: Parked
Aircraft component: Tablet
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain; Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Situational Awareness
Second reporter function: First Officer
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural MEL / CDL
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight; Pre-flight
Result: Flight Crew Became Reoriented; General Maintenance Action
Contributing factors: Aircraft; Manuals
Primary problem: Ambiguous

Narrative: Upon arrival at aircraft found both EFB TERM Chart databases out of date.  Local Maintenance could not update the databases.  We wrote up in the logbook and they were deferred per MEL 46-11-02.  This MEL requires other method of getting charts i.e. 2 iPads.  We used the iPads for the terminal charts.  After departure I noticed an update notice on the top toolbar of the iPad.  I did not notice this update nor did any of the other crewmembers until after takeoff.  We did have a heavy workload getting out of [the airport] due to numerous NOTAMs; this MEL; and an issue with the First Officer's EFB and a few other issues.  After I noticed my iPad showed an update; I asked both the Relief First Officer and First Officer to check their iPads to see if they had any updates and they both realized there was an update available.  Both I and the Relief First Officer remember checking to see and confirmed that our iPads' charts were current shortly before being picked up at the hotel (the First Officer remembers checking his but did not remember at what time).  I have both Flight Deck Pro versions loaded on my iPad and I had updated both and both showed current charts.  After discovering that all iPads had updates available we became concerned we did not have current terminal charts because we could not tell what chart revisions were available for update.  Enroute we contacted Dispatch and had them provide all the current dates for the charts we needed for arrival via ACARS. Aircraft EFB databases not maintained to currency.  Problem with iPad timely notification of database updates.  Fix iPad update notice.  Not sure what is wrong with untimely database and late notification of updates.  Keep EFB databases updated.


Second narrative: During cockpit setup we noticed that the aircraft EFB terminal chart database had expired; after consulting Maintenance the EFB's were MEL'd. The MEL required alternate means of reviewing the Terminal Charts; all three of us had our iPads with FD-PRO on them available to use. After departure we were talking about our iPads when the Captain noticed he showed an update available for his Terminal Charts; after looking at mine and the Relief First Officer looking at his we all realized that we showed an available update. The Captain specifically remembers updating his FD-PRO shortly before leaving the hotel for the airport; the Relief First Officer said he had no update showing at the time of departure. I cannot recall if I had one or not; due to high workload and a glitch with my EFB I don't honestly remember checking for an update prior to pushing back. After we realized that we may not have the latest update we contacted Dispatch and checked that the charts we intended to use were up to date as it turns out the charts we used were current.Outdated Terminal Chart database requiring a deferral. High workload due to multiple pages of NOTAMs to be reviewed. Change in routine operations. Possible technical glitch with regard to updating iPad; FD-PRO? Two out of three crew members said that their iPads were up to date before departure; me being the one that wasn't 100% sure. So if the update showed up after we departed there wouldn't be anything more we could do about it.


Synopsis: B777 flight crew discovers that their EFB terminal chart database has expired and Maintenance cannot provide a current database; requiring the EFB to be MEL'd. The MEL requires the availability of charts from another source; in this case iPads. Once airborne it is discovered that all three iPads need to be updated.