Hughes Aerospace - New VFR Prediction Safety Tool Assists With Hazardous Weather Avoidance & Inadvertent IMC

EINPresswire/ -- Hughes Aerospace has announced the launch of the VFR Prediction Flight Safety Tool, a powerful new feature now available in the HUGHES App on iOS. Free for Hughes customers and members of the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (USHST), VAST, and Vertical Aviation International (VAI), the tool enhances pilot situational awareness and supports better GO/NO-GO decision-making.
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Intuitive Route-Level Planning
In PLAN mode, pilots enter FAA location identifiers (airports, heliports, or vertiports) and the app draws a color-coded line between them, showing which segments are VFR (green), MVFR (yellow), IFR (red), or LIFR (purple).

A convenient time slider allows forecasts to be projected from NOW up to 24 hours ahead, with the option to toggle between a VFR sectional or Apple Map background.
“This tool is intuitive, providing pilots with quick, decisive, tailored route-level conditions before takeoff,” said Alyce Shingler, COO of Hughes Aerospace.
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Plain-Language Briefings & Risk Alerts
By tapping BRIEF, pilots receive a plain-language weather assessment for departure, en route, and destination. Leveraging AI, the tool hypothesizes en-route conditions using a sampling of available weather resources, highlighting relevant risks and strengthening the pilot’s GO/NO-GO strategy.
Additional capabilities include:
• Icing hazard computation
• Sunrise, sunset, and moon illumination forecasts (critical for NVG operations)
• FAA Weather Camera links along the planned path
• Briefing sharing via text or email with crew, instructors, or passengers to build consensus
[Insert Screenshot: Sample “BRIEF” weather report]
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Tackling Inadvertent IMC—Together
“At the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team, our goal is the elimination of fatal accidents,” said Chris Baur, CEO of Hughes Aerospace and Industry Chairman of the USHST.
“The new VFR Prediction Tool is a compelling new resource in the palm of your hand. By giving pilots clear, route-level insight and alerting them to evolving hazards, it helps prevent inadvertent IMC — a leading causal factor in rotorcraft accidents. And while it’s built with helicopters in mind, GA airplane pilots will find it equally valuable.”
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More Than a Weather Tool
The HUGHES App also provides moving-map displays, georeferenced charts, NOTAMs, risk assessment tools, FAA Weather Cameras, and a dedicated USHST portal with resources like the Helicopter Peer Pilot Mental Health Program.
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Availability
• The VFR Prediction Flight Safety Tool is available at no cost in the HUGHES App on iOS.

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