For many general aviation pilots, the possibility of getting unintentionally grounded, known as an Aircraft On Ground (AOG) situation, is a major concern.
Without the traditional infrastructure that commercial airlines have in place to handle AOG situations, general aviation pilots have to rely on each other for support.
That’s where having another pilot on demand to voluntarily assist can be crucial, say the developers of the AOG Alerts App.
Assistance may come in the form of anything from transportation or lodging at a remote airport to providing the right contacts for finding parts and mechanics who can solve the technical issues they face.
The free app allows pilots to receive a helping hand or extend one when another pilot faces an AOG situation.
Pilots can choose up to two aircraft type groups in which they want to participate, limiting their involvement to only those aircraft types that are familiar to them. In addition, a pilot can also specify their home airport, which is in turn used to ensure they receive alerts only from pilots within a specific distance of the user’s preference, according to the developers.
In addition to alerting nearby pilots of AOG situations, the app also allows pilots to send less urgent social messages within their own aircraft type group. With the ability to block and report non-aviation related topics, AOG Alerts App is intended to allow pilots to alert each other of topics ranging from upcoming get togethers and $100 hamburger flights to ideas on upgrades and accessories for their aircraft.
AOG Alerts is available on the iOS AppStore and Android Play Store as a free download.