ForeFlight has added oceanic routing, engine out, runway analysis, and fleet tracking features to its dispatch version. The flight planning and in-flight app brings together a host of enhancements to increase utility from preflight to the destination. The company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Boeing, presented the new benefits at NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas this week.
Oceanic Plotting
Building on the Active Navlog product, released in May 2023, oceanic plotting is part of the integration between Active Navlog and ForeFlight Dispatch to enable paper-free utilization by crews using ForeFlight Mobile for flight planning and record keeping. The oceanic plotting feature records position reporting information along with gross navigational error (GNE) checks into the master flight log with screenshots available. Completed navlogs can be uploaded to ForeFlight Dispatch and attached to the flight plan to make for a seamless postflight effort by pilots and flight departments.
The product has been targeted specially for EASA-based users, according to Kelsey Groves, director of marketing for ForeFlight, in a pre-NBAA briefing with FLYING. “It’s a game changer,” she said, being able to use ForeFlight rather than plotting by hand on paper charts.
Said Kevin Sutterfield, ForeFlight and Jeppesen global sales leader: “Logging position reports and GNE checks has been a manual, time-consuming task for our customers, and we’re excited to introduce our integrated digital solution to simplify and streamline this process. Throughout the development of this feature, we actively incorporated feedback from numerous ForeFlight customers. ForeFlight’s Oceanic Plotting feature simplifies the process of oceanic crossings for pilots while also automating the regulatory compliance required for those operations.”
According to ForeFlight, Active Navlog is available “as a per-user subscription, add-on product, with or without a subscription to ForeFlight Dispatch, while Dispatch will be required in addition to Active Navlog to enable the Oceanic Plotting capability once it’s available.”
Fleet Tracking
Another key new feature available now is Fleet Tracking within ForeFlight Dispatch, which allows operators to monitor fleet status in real time, helping to ensure on-time operations and an early warning for potential schedule disruptions. The app uses ADS-B ground data from AirNav Systems and integrates ForeFlight’s map-based weather layers to aid with visualization of aircraft position and any upcoming issues.
“Providing dispatchers with real-time and accurate aircraft tracking significantly boosts safety and efficiency,” said Sutterfield. “I believe that digital solution suites are changing the business aviation industry because they allow operators to anticipate schedule disruptions and mitigate issues in real time.”
According to ForeFlight, “two distinct tiers of Fleet Tracking will be available for purchase: The first includes global tracking via ground-based ADS-B, while the second, higher tier adds support for global tracking via datalink position reports as well as the ability to track FAA-blocked tails. Both tiers of Fleet Tracking will be available as per-tail, add-on subscriptions and will require a subscription to ForeFlight Dispatch.”
