In your opinion, which technology investment is most valuable right now: flight planning, maintenance software, connectivity, AI tools, or cybersecurity? Please explain.
A safety management system (SMS)! Too many crews, captains included, are approaching routine trips cavalierly and carelessly without clear evaluation or understanding the risks and threat analysis.
Elliot Zeltzer
ATP/CFII. Citation 650/V/II/I/CJ1 & Hawker 900XP/800XP
Senior Captain & Corporate Pilot
TECS
Farmington Hills MI
We already have flight planning and maintenance software. Therefore, in a couple of months we are about to invest money in connectivity and getting the new Starlink unlimited high-speed Internet in the aircraft.
Jerry Harrington
ATP. Gulfstream G650ER
Chief Pilot & Av Dept Mgr
Benson Pacific
San Diego CA
I think airborne connectivity is the most valuable technology investment. Stability and pricing would be an issue, though. Connectivity technology is changing quickly, but our regulatory agencies cannot keep up. New LEO providers are coming online, and installed components are not flexible enough to pivot to new vendors. This will not promote competition in pricing and services.
Brian Ready
ATP. Global 7500
Dir of Aviation
GPG
Peoria AZ
Business aviation needs an ADS-B In traffic display that is integrated with TCAS and navigation displays, along with the training to use it most effectively. While some aircraft already have ADS-B In, there are many today without available solutions. Why do we need it? To raise crew traffic situational awareness in a world of increased air traffic where a single air traffic controller oversight could result in a mid-air collision.
Marty Rollinger
ATP. Falcon 2000LX
Captain
LECO
Granger IN
At this point, economical connectivity would be at the top of my list as a realistic near-term ask. Current offerings are priced as if they were still a technological curiosity rather than a commodity service. Cybersecurity represents a technology chasing an ever-changing threat. INS systems offer an onboard solution, but much work needs to be done on the ground side, which largely falls to the government. As yet, AI simply represents a great way to find what is already on the Internet. It can offer little else until better databases exist for it to access. Predictive analytics, such as those GE offers airline customers that use GE engines could represent a bright spot if they were available more widely. Frankly, it seems the most impactful technology for GA if developed.
Dick Goodman
Comm-Multi-Inst. Citation CJ3
Chairman
Madison Chemical
Madison IN
Of the technologies listed, my answer is “security,” both physical and cyber. It’s the most valuable investment today, because nothing else matters if your people, passenger, aircraft, data, or operations are compromised. Flight planning, maintenance software, connectivity, and AI can all improve efficiency, but security protects the entire enterprise. As threats become more sophisticated and global operations more interconnected, security is no longer a support function. It is a core enabler of safe, reliable, and resilient flight operations.
Greg Woods
ATP. Gulfstream G800
Former Senior Director
Qualcomm
Ladue MO
Maintenance is the most important issue for me. We can control many of our investments, but not maintenance. We are all subject to the whim of personnel and organizations that keep our equipment functioning. Our mutual existence relies on maintenance – not the next iPad.
Alex Mello
ATP. Hawker 900XP
Pilot
LedoAir
Matthews NC
Flight planning is the most valuable tool right now. With the insane increases in FBO charges, where to land and park is becoming a major consideration.
Dick Westbrook
ATP/CFII. Falcon 50 & Cessna 210
President
The Westbrook Group
Des Moines IA
Connectivity is indisputably the highest priority for our international operation. We have just had Starlink installed.
Jeff Lindstrom
ATP. Gulfstream G650
Captain
Solairus Aviation
Eagle CO
My preference would be onboard high-speed Internet, such as Starlink. It may not interface with other installed avionics or navigation systems, but it can be an invaluable resource of information and reporting for the pilot during normal operations, and especially when another system fails.
Chuck Ratliff
ATP. Falcon 900LX
Chief Pilot
BACI
Houston TX
Maintenance software would be the most important technology investment. If you don’t have a handle on your maintenance, the rest doesn’t matter at all.
Ron Ellard
ATP/Helo. Airbus AS350/AS355/SA315/SA316/SA342/BO105/BK117, Bell 206/205/204/212/ 407/412, MD 500, Sikorsky S-76
Flight Ops Test Pilot
Eagle Copters
Calgary AB, Canada
Maintenance software is my answer. Of the choices listed, it’s the one that’s least focused on. Each of the others is receiving significant focus and investment, but maintenance software is clearly neglected. Developing more sophisticated maintenance software could reduce maintenance costs while reducing the risk of errors and neglect. And this could all be achieved by making maintenance software more standardized, easier to access or acquire, and more user-friendly. It would also improve the entirety of maintenance and regulatory oversight. I believe manuals, tracking, commonality, ease of use and reporting, interfacing with OEM programs, and service records are all in need of attention. We’re an Embraer authorized service center and we see huge differences between aircraft that use what I’ll call record system A, others that use system B, and those that don’t use either. It’s a mess. Systems A and B are probably the biggest providers of maintenance tracking software. Neither is particularly easy to use, and interfacing with the software providers’ maintenance systems when it comes to work orders and billing is a huge challenge, regardless of which one is used. To be clear, I don’t see this as an OEM-created problem, as we have over 20 years of experience with Textron products.
David O’Maley
ATP/A&P. Praetor 600/500
Chairman
OnFlight Aviation
Cincinnati OH
Protection from GPS spoofing! GPS is used by multiple systems in the aircraft beyond the obvious – navigation – including EGPWS, SATCOM antenna tuning, weather radar, and others.
Jim McIrvin
ATP/CFII. Boeing 767/757 & Phenom 300
Chief Pilot
McIrvin Aviation
Washingtonville NY
Starlink connectivity would be my favorite technology. For one thing, it comes at a good acquisition price. It’s also faster and requires less equipment installation than competitors’ products, and its monthly data fees are lower than others.
Javier Hinojosa
ATP. Citation Latitude
Chief Pilot
Flight Concepts
Brownsville TX
Flight planning! Why? Because it’s the most challenging aspect of flying while knowing the performance capabilities of one’s aircraft.
Jean Jimenez
ATP/CFII. Boeing 727-200/-100, Citation II, Gulfstream IV/III & Learjet 36/35
Flight Instructor
Squadron II Flying Club/Flight School
San Jose CA
Starlink is the most valuable technology that can be added to any aircraft. Both flight crew and passengers want it due to its global capabilities. For flight crews, the ability to have instant access to weather data, as well as communication with dispatch for any last-minute changes, has become almost required, and Starlink provides these capabilities. Passengers demand constant connection, whether for leisure or for work. Business needs don’t go away just because the boss boards an airplane. Being able to conduct a videoconference while in the flight levels over the middle of the ocean is a game-changer for business leaders, who are still required to be productive while in flight. And for charter operators, Internet capability must be offered in order to be competitive with other charter providers, and Starlink is the hot ticket item that customers want. It’s also highly desirable when purchasing an aircraft. Having Starlink already installed on an aircraft can lead to the seller recovering up to 80% of the initial investment on the installation cost. When it comes to value, Starlink wins in multiple categories.
Ryan Johnson
ATP. Challenger 604
Captain
KMR Aviation
Modesto CA
I have opinions about all of these topics, and cybersecurity is in the forefront of my mind. I look at how many spam messages I get daily – phone calls, messages, e-mails, social media. It really has me concerned – not only about my well-being, but also about the security of aircraft data. How secure is aircraft software? Who is tracking me and what do they want to do with my info? How much of my own or my company’s data is being stolen and sold for others to make a profit off of me? I wish there were a reliable way to lock down personal, employee, and company data so that I’d know that the e-mail, messages, and phone calls were all legitimate and not coming from someone trying to steal my money.
Daniel Hook
ATP. Gulfstream G450
Dir of Aviation
Deeside Trading
Reno NV
Connectivity is the most valuable investment right now. Today’s pax expect to use their cellphones and iPads as they do on the ground. Starlink and Gogo are making this possible. Speed and latency are now at or nearing the standards of ground-based services.
Kirk Hart
ATP. King Air B350
Owner
Capstone Aircraft Appraisal
Kalamazoo MI
From my perspective, an infrared technology for night-time safety is the answer. I don’t need to fly lower – just safer at night.
Rob Staib
Comm-Multi-Inst/CFII. Citation XLS+
Chief Pilot
Weis Markets
Bloomsburg PA
I believe AI would be wonderful, since it would bring me confidentiality and security in managing a corporate business, including flights, pilot training, and maintenance.
Jose Dos Santos
ATP. King Air B350 & Caravan
Chief Pilot
Chiquita Brands Costa Rica
San José, Costa Rica
