Fortified 8Flight EFB takes on ForeFlight, other top apps
When earthrounder Matt Guthmiller launched 8Flight last year, it was primarily useful as a directory listing FBO fees, fuel prices, and restaurant information. Guthmiller said the latest version is now ready to compete with established flight planning apps including ForeFlight and Garmin Pilot.
The 8Flight app, available from the Apple App Store, has new features including a weather layer that uses artificial intelligence to gather and process information from FAA weather cameras, automated weather observing stations, and other sources to shrink the delay in reporting conditions. The object is to get as close to true “real time” weather reporting as possible.
Not all of the information 8Flight compiles is newly available, but the app presents it in a manner designed to be more intuitive and easier for pilots to access, Guthmiller said. “This information is out there. We are taking it all and putting it into a place where you can use it at a glance.”
The app also displays newer sources of data, such as images from FAA weather cameras, which the agency has made available for years in Alaska, and expanded in recent years to cover hundreds of airports in 24 states. The cameras upload images every 10 minutes, letting pilots see exactly how the weather conditions look at each location.
The availability of information for the weather camera network is reflected in the competition among flight planning platforms. ForeFlight also recently enabled in-app access to FAA weather cameras.
While most EFB apps provide the same information, Guthmiller believes 8Flight will gain a competitive edge from its design, the way it combines a lot of information on a single screen, saving users from having to swipe through numerous layers of data to find what they want. The ease with which pilots can check weather forecasts over several days covering their departure and return dates is one of the simple features Guthmiller called out. The difficulty of doing so on some platforms might be part of the reason some pilots find themselves turning to AccuWeather and other “civilian” services for simplified weather updates.
“The inspiration for 8Flight was the frustration of using other apps and having things more cumbersome than they need to be,” Guthmiller said.
Once users download the app, they can use the 8Flight Aviator full-IFR EFB without charge for 30 days, after which the annual subscription costs $79.99. Adding 8Flight Data for advanced weather costs an additional $59.99 annually after a 30-day free trial. The app’s FBO and fuel directory costs $5.99 per month and is available for a three-day free trial.
