Jared Ailstock

You want a flight-planning stack that covers charts + weather + NOTAMs + filing + inflight situational awareness, with enough redundancy that one app or one data feed failing doesn’t corner you. This guide picks 10 must-have apps general aviation pilots actually use , then shows how to combine them into a reliable preflight-and-cockpit workflow—based on what performs day after day in real ops, training, and cross-country flying. 1. ForeFlight (EFB + planning + briefing + cockpit execution) ForeFlight earns its spot when you want one tool to plan, brief, file, and then fly the exact same plan with minimal friction. You’re getting a mature EFB that’s built around pilot workflow: route building, weather review, NOTAM awareness, airport intel, and an inflight interface that stays readable when you’re busy. It’s also the app many CFIs, flight departments, and recurrent training programs standardize around, which matters when you’re trying to share a route, review a log, or troubleshoot qui...

You experience VR flight training as an immersive, controlled environment that replicates cockpit tasks, aircraft behavior, and decision-making pressures without the cost or risk of actual flying. You gain procedural confidence, faster familiarization, and deeper situational awareness before stepping into a real aircraft.  This article gives you a complete view of what VR simulation feels like : how it works, what you gain, where it falls short, and how pilots at different stages use it effectively. You see exactly how VR strengthens your training routine and how to integrate it into your pilot development milestones.  What Is a VR Flight Simulator and How Does It Work? A VR flight simulator uses a head-mounted display to place you inside a virtual cockpit with full 360-degree visual access to instruments, terrain, weather, and aircraft motion cues. You move your head naturally, scan instruments, and control aircraft systems while the simulator renders a detailed, responsive f...

Artificial intelligence is already reshaping aviation safety by analyzing vast amounts of operational data faster and more accurately than humans ever could.  You’re seeing AI move beyond theory into the daily operations of airlines, control towers, and maintenance facilities—making flight safer, more efficient, and increasingly predictive rather than reactive. This article breaks down how AI enhances aviation safety across the entire ecosystem, from predictive maintenance to air traffic control, and how you can prepare your teams to adapt effectively. What Is Artificial Intelligence Doing in Aviation Safety Today? AI is being deployed to detect risks before they escalate. In flight operations, maintenance, and air traffic management, machine-learning systems now track flight parameters, environmental conditions, and crew responses to identify anomalies that humans might overlook.  Airlines use AI to analyze aircraft health data from thousands of sensors during each flight. Wh...

You strengthen flight safety by using weather apps designed for aviation that provide real-time radar, METAR/TAF decoding, route overlays, and hazard alerts. In this article, you’ll discover five essential weather apps every pilot should have on hand. You’ll see what each offers, how they improve decision-making, and how to integrate them into your flight planning routine. Why use a weather app built for aviation? Consumer weather apps may show general forecasts, but they miss aviation-specific data like turbulence reports, icing potential, and VFR/IFR status. As a pilot, you can’t rely on incomplete information. Aviation weather apps give you decoded METARs and TAFs, graphical radar overlays, winds aloft, icing forecasts, and route-based weather profiles. These insights help you assess whether your flight remains safe under changing conditions. By consolidating these data sources into one interface, an aviation-grade weather app saves you from piecing together scattered updates across...

You can fly safely at night in a small plane by preparing thoroughly, managing illusions, preserving night vision, planning routes wisely, and maintaining strict instrument discipline. This guide explains five critical safety practices every pilot should apply before flying after dark . You’ll learn how to reduce risks, counter common errors, and build confidence in conditions where judgment and preparation matter most.  1. Understand and Counter Night Flying Illusions Night flying introduces illusions that can easily trick your senses. The most common are the black-hole approach—where a lack of ground lights makes you feel too high—and false horizons caused by uneven lighting. You must anticipate these illusions before they occur. Trust glidepath aids such as PAPI or ILS, and resist the temptation to “eyeball” your descent solely off runway lights. Instructors emphasize scanning instruments to confirm altitude and approach angle instead of relying on visuals alone. Spatial disorie...

The best weather apps for pilots offer real-time radar, METAR/TAF decoding, NOTAM alerts, and route-based weather planning—all essential for safer preflight and enroute decisions. This guide breaks down seven of the most trusted and pilot-approved weather apps used in general aviation and flight training. You'll get specific use-case comparisons, detailed app features, and practical reasons to integrate these into your planning routine. 1. ForeFlight – The Industry Gold Standard ForeFlight is the most comprehensive weather and EFB app used by both student pilots and professionals. It offers a full suite of aviation weather products, real-time radar, icing forecasts, TFRs, and FAA-certified briefings. You can overlay radar on your planned route and review SIGMETs, METARs, TAFs, and PIREPs at the tap of a finger. For IFR training, the icing and turbulence layers, combined with ADS-B weather via Sentry, make this app indispensable. ForeFlight’s intuitive interface and integration wit...