Buzz Off! Industry Fights FlightPrep Patent Offensive

I have clicked on FlightPrep for the last time. There are plenty of good flight planning sites out there. Hope FlightPrep doesn't sue me for this Post. LOL

FlightPrep can rest assured that I will never ever consider buying any of their products. I truly hope that this latest "legal bully" is properly spanked.

Flightprep are falling on their own sword.

It appears FlightPrep is trying to take a page from Bill Gates' business method: i.e., if you can't out-create the opposition, try to steal their business by whatever other means you can. It got Gates in trouble, and it'll get FlightPrep in trouble, too. Fortunately, many of the aviation flight planning services have chosen to fight them rather than knuckle under, and it is a fight that Flight Prep will lose. You go, FlightAware!

I seldom used Runway Finder and I never even looked at the Flight Prep Flight Planner. However, I was in the market for a full blown EFB and had narrowed the choice to either the Flight Prep Chartbook or the RMS Flightsoft. However, Flight Preps inability to "play well with others" has made the decision very easy - a pox on flight prep. Also, since this has brought up that ASA is also owned/controlled by the principals of flight prep, I can safely say ASA has seen their last dollar from my checkbook as well and I will urge my flight students away from flight prep and ASA.

Have you ever wondered wny there are far more lawyers than all other professions put together in the U.S. Well they have to earn a living by suing everything that moves or does not and even if the law suits are illegal, inmoral and outright stinky, the thing is to sue and then collect the ransom money. Very odorous indeed.

As a pilot for more than 40 years and an attorney for more than 25 years I must give this controversy a little more thought than the previous poster. People talk about justice, however, when the chips are down, they really just want to win. While I am sympathetic with the pilot's stance, let's give all sides a chance before we make rash statements.

Ok let me get this straight... we start out in our nice quiet world of online flight planners when FlightPrep comes in, files a patent for online flight planning, and then starts trying to sue everyone else?? Correct me if I'm wrong.

what a freaking world we live in nowadays....

flightprep developed their product back in 2001, and applied for a patent which was rejected. By the time they revised their application in 2005 and resubmitted it, everyone else was already in on the game, meaning there was significant prior art. flightprep is not entitled to a patent and have no grounds to sue anybody. Stenbock and Everson are crooked and greedy.

I don't know why all the fuss ? Just turn on your GPS, and get a clearance !

People also need to stay away from any books and materials from Stenbock Communications. Produced by the same person.