Forethought - Foreflight - And The State of Things!

One of the small pleasures our local Racine FSG@ group enjoys is our weekly lunch. Last Friday’s gathering was no exception - good food, good friends and interesting conversations.

This time, it landed squarely on ForeFlight.

Like some - maybe many - of you, I’m not a ForeFlight user myself. That said, nearly every active pilot I respect is. They rely on it for real-world flying and, increasingly, for their simulated adventures as well.

So… what exactly is ForeFlight?

At its core, ForeFlight is an electronic flight bag (EFB): charts, weather, flight planning, performance calculations, and in-flight situational awareness, all wrapped into a single ecosystem. For many pilots, it has become less a tool and more a constant companion.

If you’re new to it, this short overview does a good job of laying the groundwork:

ForeFlight Fundamentals Course

More video's like this at ForeFlight 

But the conversation didn’t stop there.

Lately, there’s been some chatter - concern, really - about the current state of play at ForeFlight. Ownership changes, pricing questions, development priorities, and the broader question of where the company is headed have all fueled speculation.

This video captures some of that uncertainty:

The Rise and Fall of Foreflight?

More video's like this at Taking Off.

So what does it all mean?

At least for now, everything still feels a bit up in the air - no pun intended. I don’t see ForeFlight disappearing anytime soon. The product is simply too embedded in modern flying.

That said, the discussion raised a fair question:

When a tool becomes infrastructure, how much change is too much?

For the flying community - and for those of us who blur the line between real-world aviation and simulation - it’s a story worth watching.

Your thoughts?

Kenneth (Ken) Butterly, Founder