Apply HN: Aerfolio – Digital Aircraft Logbooks

8 points by hyperberry 10 years ago | 4 comments

Problem:

Aircraft-owner market is overdue for innovation: aircraft logs, maintenance records, etc. are all typically recorded by hand in paper logbooks. And if those logs are lost or destroyed in a fire, the aircraft is generally deemed not-flightworthy and resale value diminishes to near zero $. So - there is real, catastrophic potential downside to not keeping redundant records.

Solution:

Web + mobile app for tracking aircraft fleets & basically digitizing aircraft and engine logbooks. Similar concept to fleetio.com but focused on aircraft fleets instead of truck fleets. (One critical difference: aircraft maintenance based on # hour of operation, instead of # of miles traveled.)

The app would also deliver users periodic reminders - when scheduled maintenance is due, or when loan/insurance payments are due, for example. Beyond the basic concept, we also have whole slew of ideas about important features, UI and general program logic.

The app would be useful for owners of a single airplane/helicopter, but would probably be most helpful for owners of 2+ aircraft. Software like this does exist for passenger airlines & very big air freight companies - but it's prohibitively expensive for most private owners and small corporate fleets.

Additional Background:

Our dad has been an airplane & helicopter pilot for 25+ years and in that time has owned numerous aircraft. For 18+ years, he owned & operated the biggest helicopter flight training school in the Midwest... I basically grew up at the airport.

So, we have deep contacts within the local & regional aviation community. Many of his friends and former students are themselves aircraft owners - so we have big headstart on finding early test users. *Also have contacts into the aviation departments at some of the big St. Louis-based corporations (e.g., Anheuser-Busch, Emerson Electric). Likewise, we have a firm grasp on the industry trade publications, trade shows and other marketing/advertising venues.

afrancis 10 years ago |

I vaguely remember discussions about flight logs and manuals when I worked at a company that made SGML tools. Aren't there certain FAA requirements that revolve around stuff like signatures? Perhaps new vehicles would benefit from a an all digital approach. I suspect that most planes because of their age, have a paper trail and it may be difficult to maintain both.

hyperberry 10 years ago | |

Thanks for your feedback. Great point about signatures; yes - the signature of a certified Airframe & Powerplant ("A&P") mechanic is required for maintenance entries. We foresee implementing a feature for collecting, and validating, electronic signatures.

In terms of retroactive conversion, you're absolutely right most aircraft in service now are generally decades old - and are going to have historical paper records. We have considered several novel approaches that would allow aircraft owners to electronically archive their existing paper logbooks (and maintain historical records alongside the newer all-digital records for user convenience).

buss 10 years ago |

I would guess that this market is pretty small. How big is it, actually?

Could you be more generic and include logs for other things? For example, this could be useful for car owners.

hyperberry 10 years ago | |

The number of private aircraft owners in the US (immediately addressable market) is around 300,000. Overall global market is somewhat larger, but not tremendously since aircraft ownership per capita is MUCH higher in the US than any other country.

On the downside, too, the market size is admittedly shrinking slowly. Private aviation is generally less popular than it was, say 15-25 years ago (likely the result of increasing costs and regulations).

There are upsides to the aviation market, though, that may help outweigh its size: A) upscale/luxury/wealthy market - costs for everything are staggeringly high, so premium pricing applies; and B) aircraft enthusiasts are typically technology-driven and likely to be early tech adopters.

In terms of applying the software to other markets, which may be larger, we've given this some thought as well. While car/truck owners (or fleets) might benefit from this type of application, there are existing software solutions aimed at solving the problems of roadgoing vehicles.

Likewise, aircraft are fundamentally different from a regulatory standpoint. Failing to perform periodic maintenance can be illegal - and lead to fines, censure or losing certifications/licenses altogether… yet nobody is going to be arrested if they fail to change the oil in their Toyota every 5k miles.

Plus, aircraft are somewhat unique in that records and scheduled maintenance are all based on # of hours (not on mileage as in the case of cars & trucks). I have heard suggestions, though, similar software might be applied to "heavy equipment" - like bulldozers and cranes - which also have hourly logs. Market penetration seems much easier for aircraft, though, since the aviation community is smaller, more consolidated and more tightly-knit.