Boeing has acquired ForeFlight, a leading provider of mobile and web-based aviation applications.
ForeFlight has partnered with Boeing for the past two years to bring aviators Jeppesen’s aeronautical data and charts through ForeFlight’s mobile platforms.
“Now, the teams will integrate talent and offerings to bring innovative, expanded digital solutions to all segments of the aviation industry,” Boeing officials said in a prepared announcement.
The acquisition of ForeFlight aligns with Boeing’s growth strategy of complementing organic investments with targeted, strategic investments that position the company for long-term growth, Boeing officials noted.
“We are inspired by the future built at Boeing and what our teams will be able to create by coming together,” said Tyson Weihs, co-founder and CEO of ForeFlight. “Our companies share a passion for delivering customers the essential tools that drive efficiency, productivity, and safety.”
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Geez Nate – take a crowbar to your wallet and go buy a new iPad (obviously you can afford to fly). Technology changes by the minute, change with it or get left behind. Boeing doesn’t build 707s anymore and Apple doesn’t make the iPad1. If you don’t like Apple products that’s fine – Garmin supports Android (although not all devices); or you could always go back to paper charts and approach plates.
I have loved Foreflight for years, but will let my subscription expire in July. In an e mail to Foreflight, I explained that my iPad mini1 is working perfectly fine, but since they are in bed with Apple, the latest ios downloads won’t provide my iPad1 updates including ADSB in capability . This is typical of Apple’s planned obsolescence with the goal of forcing the consumer to buy more of their products. Not going to happen as far as I’m concerned. This all was discovered when I was inquiring into which ADSB in portable antenna to purchase. So I am checking out AOPA FLY Q, Avare and Garmin. Can anyone tell me if using Avare or Garmin will permit the latest downloads and ADSB in to my mini iPad 1? It seems difficult to get a definitive answer to this question, so I am reaching out to this thread for reliable info. Even AOPA FlyQ is kind of sketchy in response to the ADSB IN question. All I get from them is, ” It should work with your mini 1″. Thanks to everyone.
Garmin has one of the best customer service departments I’ve ever dealt with. Call them with your questions.
Nate do you seriously think Microsoft doesn’t follow a planned obsolescence policy? How many of you are using 10 year old PC based hardware? I have an iPad One which still works for web surfing, Utube videos, email and messages. Can’t be updated, so what. I have an iPad II Pro running ForeFlight which is over 6 years old, working perfectly. My wife uses a 10 year old MacBook daily in her real estate business. Any PC fans in the area please respond with better or equal numbers. I’m not really happy with the Boeing/ForeFlight combo either but I’m not going to jump off the Mac platform to a PC because of that.
I have a love affair with Foreflight and Boeing will have to really piss me off to make me change. Fortunately, there are plenty of good alternatives, which should serve to keep Boeing-Foreflight on the right track.
Boeing, Jeppesen and Foreflight all rolled into one big monopoly. Should we be worried about the cost of keeping our navigation library current?
A typical Silicon Valley scheme: get a product up and running, develop an enthusiastic following then sell it for a fortune to some huge, faceless corporation. Have fun with your profits, guys!
It’s not a scheme, it’s called an exit strategy. Smart entrepreneurs have one.
And what businessman invests millions of dollars and thousands of hours to NOT earn a profit?
I chose Garmin Pilot over Foreflight. Why? Apple. I refuse to use anything Apple. I really liked everything I read about Foreflight too…But it kept coming down to “Having to go out and buy an iPad”. Not gonna happen. (It’s not the cost of the iPad- I just purchased a new tablet for my Pilot App.)
87% of the world is an Android user and that number is growing constantly. If Boeing wises up and takes this product to the world of Android, I’d probably bite.
Pilot works great. Connects seamlessly to my phone and my G3X’s. Logs my flights, does everything I need it to do. Good luck Boeing.
Another option is to use the free nav software, Avare. I’ve used it on a Nexus tablet for a couple of years now.
The google Nexus has a great gps built in and runs for 3-4 hrs before needing a recharge, or use an external battery.
Hey Jim H, I’ve heard real good things about Avare. And you can’t beat free! I got 6 months of Garmin Pilot for free when I purchased the new Garmin D2 Delta PX pilot watch. Love the watch and love Garmin Pilot.
Doug,
And if you buy a refurbished google nexus 2012 model for $60, you can have 2 running, one a sectional the the other a low IFR chart.
BTW, I also fly with a paper chart. It never needs batteries.!
I feel exactly the same way, about Microsoft.
Macs now account for 10% of active personal computers
According to Net Applications, macOS accounted for 10% of the global PC user share in January and virtually the same level in February.
Gregg Keizer By Gregg Keizer
Senior Reporter, Computerworld | MARCH 13, 2018 03:17 PM PT
Someone needs to keep those slave kids in China employed. Keep up the good work.
And this thread was about Android, not Windows on a PC.
Boeing promises “the breakneck pace of enhancements”. This always means that the software changes are sloppy, fast, full of errors, and not tested adequately. Goodbye to Foreflight, it was fun knowing you.
So you think that Boeing is going to offend their largest group of customers — the airlines and their pilots who are using FF for their EFBs?
Apple is more likely to screw that up with some of their updates — Oh, wait, FF tells us NOT to put on certain updates until they test them…. And it has been a good thing, considering some of the things Apple borked with their rush to push out fixes.
I think I will take my chances with FF & Apple. Although, I would love to see FF on other platforms. But since we got the Apparo based equipment, we are locked into FF on Apple.
Having worked for Boeing in a software development capacity previously I do not think that would at all be the outcome. Their processes are very well disciplined to insure the best possible outcome although rushed schedules can sometimes cause projects to fall short. I think that what they will do is make new technologies and additional personnel available to the existing ForeFlight development staff. As popular as their product might be I would guess that they are at times constrained by staffing in the development of new features. I can hardly believe that Boeing would allow quality to suffer as they start on this expansion plan.