Pilot Briefing News

May 1, 2019

Headlines that affect you
Recent news from the aviation world

Tornado destroys Alabama airport
The twisted aluminum of wrecked airplanes and flattened hangar buildings is scattered across Weedon Field in Eufaula, Alabama. A tornado devastated the city-owned airport on the afternoon of March 3, destroying almost all 27 airplanes based there and 30 hangars. —aopa.org

White House unveils 2020 budget
The unveiling of the White House’s $4.75 trillion budget on March 11 included $8.6 billion for a border wall, reductions in several domestic programs, and a significant boost for the U.S. military. But noticeably absent from this year’s budget? Air traffic control privatization. —aopa.org

Former delta executive nominated to head FAA
Longtime Delta Air Lines executive Steve Dickson is the White House nominee to lead the Federal Aviation Administration. Pending Senate confirmation, Dickson will succeed Dan Elwell, who has been serving as acting administrator for the past 14 months, following Michael Huerta's retirement from the agency. —aopa.org

Helicopter market ‘healthy’ despite uncertainties
A new five-year forecast of civilian helicopter purchases came in marginally lower than the 2018 outlook in the face of “an inconsistent economic outlook” for global sales. An estimated 4,000 new civilian-use helicopters will be delivered from 2019 to 2023, scaled back from the 4,200 helicopters the five-year forecast from 2018 called for, according to Honeywell’s twenty-first annual Turbine-Powered Civil Helicopter Purchase Outlook . —aopa.org

Aircraft sales continue shallow climb
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association reported modest increases across piston, turboprop, and business jet aircraft shipments in 2018. A deeper dive into the data highlights how innovation continues to separate winners from also-rans, and how nearly all the dollars are coming from turbines. —aopa.org

INDUSTRY NEWS

Boeing acquires ForeFlight

EFB app manufacturer continues success

By Thomas B. Haines

The co-founder of ForeFlight says the breakneck pace of enhancements to the flight planning app will not change now that his company is owned by Boeing. The airliner manufacturer acquired Houston-based ForeFlight in March. ForeFlight is believed to be the largest player in the electronic flight bag app business.

The company teamed with Boeing-owned Jeppesen in 2016 to incorporate Jeppesen terminal and en route charts as an option in ForeFlight. ForeFlight was also working with Jeppesen’s FliteDeck Pro app team to bring new features to that product. Ken Sain, Boeing vice president of digital solutions and analytics, said, “We are excited to build on ForeFlight’s tremendous success in personal, business, and defense aviation so we can provide next-generation, integrated tools to our aviation customers today. This acquisition also expands Boeing’s rapidly growing, unparalleled digital services portfolio which will enable us to compete and win in the $2.8 trillion, 10-year services market.”

ForeFlight was founded in 2007 when general aviation pilots Tyson Weihs and Jason Miller developed a weather planning service for the first generation of Apple iPhone. When the next iPhone model could handle apps, the team expanded the capabilities into flight planning. When the iPad came about in 2010, the product sprouted IFR and VFR chart overlays and other features. Today, the app integrates weather and preflight planning with a moving map and overlays a variety of additional resources for GA, business aviation, the military, and the airlines. In addition to the mobile app for Apple iOS products, the company offers a free online flight planner that integrates with the app. Subscription price points in the GA world vary between $100 and $300 annually, depending on features selected.

Weihs said the relationship with Boeing developed over many years, and ultimately the two companies decided that the acquisition was the best move. “It’s a great opportunity for us and the team. We couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with Boeing on the next leg of our flight,” Weihs said.

Email thomas.haines@aopa.org

www.aopa.org /pilot/boeingforeflight

EVENTS

Dine under the space shuttle

Sixth annual Endeavor Awards on May 17

The sixth annual Endeavor Awards will take place Friday, May 17, in Los Angeles in the Space Shuttle Pavilion at the California Science Center, hosted by actor Greg Kinnear. The Endeavor Awards honor volunteer pilots and provide support to the organizations that coordinate their gifts of flight to serve those in need. Each year thousands of donated flights save lives, provide access to medical care, transport veterans, rescue animals, map environmental data, aid in disaster relief, and contribute to the public good in communities nationwide. The 2019 Inspiration Award will be presented to Sean D. Tucker. The Endeavor Awards were established by Angel Flight West, a volunteer pilot organization arranging more than 4,000 flights each year in the 13 western states. Angel Flight West recognized the need for a national platform to increase awareness and support for the use of aviation by individual pilots and their commercial airline partners to provide free transportation for humanitarian purposes.