Matt Thurber, editor-in-chief at AIN Media Group, has been flying since 1975 and writing about aviation since 1978 and now has the best job in the world, running editorial operations for Aviation International News, Business Jet Traveler, and FutureFlight.aero. In addition to working as an A&amp;P mechanic on everything from Piper Cubs to turboprops, Matt taught flying at his father’s flight school in Plymouth, Mass., in the early 1980s, flew for an aircraft owner/pilot, and for two summer seasons hunted swordfish near the George’s Banks off the East Coast from a Piper Super Cub. An ATP certificated fixed-wing pilot and CFII and commercial helicopter pilot, Matt is type-rated in the Citation 500 and Gulfstream V/550. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Matt and his team cover the entire aviation scene including business aircraft, helicopters, avionics, safety, manufacturing, charter, fractionals, technology, air transport, advanced air mobility, defense, and other subjects of interest to AIN, BJT, and FutureFlight readers.

Editor-in-Chief

Matt Thurber

Along with introducing its new European service, ForeFlight has added new features to simplify flying and improve safety for users of its “Integrated Flight Application” ForeFlight Mobile app.

 


The European service, developed in partnership with Jeppesen (supplier of digital IFR and VFR navigation data), brings a full suite of ForeFlight Mobile features to pilots flying in European airspace, including Eurocontrol-optimized routing and flight-plan filing.

 


European subscription plans display Jeppesen IFR and VFR navigation, terrain, and obstacle data on the Aeronautical Map and also include AIP procedures, charts, and Eurocontrol documents. Subscribers can add options such as Jeppesen VFR terminal procedures (formerly Bottlang charts) and IFR chart subscriptions. Also available are host-nation VFR data packages, with the initial availability of German DFS aeronautical information publications and charts.

 


Subscribers to ForeFlight’s Business Performance Plan can access a library of aircraft profiles covering a variety of popular turbine airplanes including models by Bombardier, Cessna, Daher, Dassault, Embraer, Gulfstream, Pilatus, and many others. The profiles “include climb, cruise, and descent models defined for multiple altitudes, weights, and temperatures using the manufacturer’s published flight-planning performance data,” according to ForeFlight.

 


Flying in European airspace is complex, and ForeFlight’s planning engine uses the aircraft profiles to calculate a recommended route, taking into account Eurocontrol constraints and weather conditions.

 


The routes offered by the Graphical Route Advisor are validated by Eurocontrol and displayed on a preview map. Routes can be filtered based on IFR, VFR, YFR, or ZFR. Once the user picks the optimum route, ForeFlight can file the flight plan via AFTN at no additional cost, then receive a calculated takeoff time notification via email in case of traffic management initiatives.

 


For single-engine turbine operators flying commercially, EASA requires a route risk analysis, which can take hours to create by hand. ForeFlight makes the SETOPS risk calculation much simpler, and it can be accomplished in minutes, depicting glide range graphically and also providing a SET-IMC risk threshold analysis table.

 


Pilots flying datalink-equipped aircraft can use ForeFlight to upload flight plans into the FMS for aircraft with Honeywell and Satcom Direct routers. To use this feature, ForeFlight provides a recall number in the navlog, and this number is used to upload the routing into the FMS.

 


ForeFlight introduced the Trip Assistant in the latest version of the app. Trip Assistant is a tool for dispatchers and pilots to create an itinerary for a trip that includes time needed for ground transportation at either end.

 


When planning a trip, the user can input either&nbsp;a desired departure time or arrival time, and Trip Assistant will calculate what how best to meet the specified time by looking at drive times as well as flight times based on weather forecasts.

 


Another new ForeFlight feature is map declutter icons are now in the map view; these allow the user to add or remove certain features to make the map easier to view. Included are airports, airspace, airways, flight information region (FIR) boundaries, terrain, and roads.

 


Pilots can now set a boundary on altitudes used for flight planning, so ForeFlight won’t suggest an unusable altitude for a planned route.

 


Other new features include flight delay notifications; automated terrain alerts from any page in ForeFlight; editing fuel quantities on the Flights tab; and the ability to pull up airport information by tapping on an airport tag in the synthetic vision view.

 


Two business plans are available, Business Pro and Business Performance. The Pro plan costs €180 per year and includes ForeFlight features such as Jeppesen VFR and IFR navigation data and global airspace information, Eurocontrol AIP charts and documents, data-driven Aeronautical Maps, mobile and web flight planning and filing, graphical preflight briefing, aviation weather, FBO directory, avionics connectivity, documents catalog, geo-referenced approach and taxi charts, profile view with airspace, terrain, and obstacles, and synthetic vision.

 


The Performance plan includes the above and adds performance profiles, a flight-planning engine “that generates optimized routes between any two airports in the world, fuel and payload planning, automatic fuel and weight safety checks, integrated contract jet fuel pricing, and more.”

New developments and products in avionics, specifically about aircraft electronics in the cockpit.

ForeFlight Expands in Europe

A full suite of flight-planning and in-flight services is now available to European operators using the ForeFlight Mobile app.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

U.S. Coast Guard deal has option years that run though 2030

Acron Awarded Standby Display Contract for USCG Jayhawk

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Company says it has installed the most Garmin upgrades of any dealer

Elliott Aviation Completes 5th G600 TXi CJ Installation

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

Tech like this can act as additional eyes for the pilot.

Daedalean’s AI Situational Intelligence Promises Extra Dimension for Flight Safety

Addition of radome didn’t affect cruise performance

Epic Certifies Weather Radar for E1000 Turboprops

Charles Alcock

News and issues relating to civil and military unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) of all kinds and sizes, including those used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), combat (unmanned combat air vehicles, or UCAVs), law enforcement, research and other applications. Of particular focus is the FAA's planned integration of UAS into the U.S. national airspace system.

Destinus has put plans for a hydrogen-powered hypersonic aircraft on hold

Drone Developer Destinus Acquires AI Pioneer Daedalean

Upgrade replaces original avionics with touchscreen displays and digital autopilot

Garmin Integrated Flight Deck Approved for Citation CJ1

News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

More In Avionics

Acron Awarded Standby Display Contract for USCG Jayhawk

U.S. Coast Guard deal has option years that run though 2030

Elliott Aviation Completes 5th G600 TXi CJ Installation

Company says it has installed the most Garmin upgrades of any dealer

Daedalean’s AI Situational Intelligence Promises Extra Dimension for Flight Safety

Tech like this can act as additional eyes for the pilot.

Epic Certifies Weather Radar for E1000 Turboprops

Addition of radome didn’t affect cruise performance

Drone Developer Destinus Acquires AI Pioneer Daedalean

Destinus has put plans for a hydrogen-powered hypersonic aircraft on hold

Garmin Integrated Flight Deck Approved for Citation CJ1

Upgrade replaces original avionics with touchscreen displays and digital autopilot

Appareo Stratus 4 Adds New Features to ADS-B Receivers

A color touchscreen and Apple “Find My” functionality are unique new capabilities

Aspen Avionics Key to Further Airo Group Developments

Company plans to expand with avionics developments and by acquiring flight training firms

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN