Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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By Dave W
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1733453
Waaay back in the mists of time, a thread was started on the forum entitled "VFR flight planning and navigation software I've written", asking for views on the beta version of something then called 'SkyAngel'.

During the course of the thread, the name was changed to one we would recognise today, and on page 24 the following was posted on 3 December 2009:

Tim Dawson wrote:Hello everyone,

It's with a great sense of pride that I'm able to announce that SkyDemon version 1 has been finished, and released online as of today.

I, and the other people who have worked on the product, could not have done it without the valuable feedback from the members of this forum. To my knowledge, no other aviation products of this kind have been developed with such constant feedback and suggestions from the community. It has had a tremendous impact on the product and I am immensely grateful.

I haven't come here to ask anybody to buy the product, but I have been able to arrange a special introductory discount. For the first week of its release (starting today) there is a 10% discount specifically for the early adopters who contribute to this forum.

So thank you again, and I look forward to soliciting more suggestions for the next version, whose development will start in the not-too-distant future.

Tim Dawson

www.skydemon.aero


Whatever happened to that, I wonder? :D

Congratulations, @Tim Dawson and team. :thumleft:
mick w, SimonM, G-BLEW and 19 others liked this
By XX
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1733466
I remember that email, Dave.

Nearly twenty years ago when I was using a whizz wheel to plan every flight, along with separate weather and NOTAM sites, I wished for, but never envisaged, a product which could fulfil all those functions and more. I don't think I've ever seen a product where someone would pipe up "wish it did this" and very shortly afterwards it did.

I'm biased, of course, having met Tim-not-at-work, and life ain't always as rosy as it might appear. Makes SkyDemon even more important to me. Congratulations on the anniversary Tim.
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By PaulB
#1733468
Such a shame that the images on page one of that thread no longer work.

Congrats and well done, Tim & the team. You changed the way that I plan and brief myself for flying. I suspect I'm not alone.
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By Dave W
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1733470
What's really heartening about that 10 year old thread is the very last post on it, from @Peter Mundy, wishing good luck.

At the time, Peter and his business partner were established competitors to SkyDemon with their own product (Navbox ProPlan, of which I was an avid user). I remember thinking then that was a most gentlemanly thing to do.
XX, Tall_Guy_In_a_PA28, GrahamB and 9 others liked this
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By akg1486
#1733471
In 2013, our club was on a trip to Tallinn, Estonia. The plan was to continue south to Lithuania and Poland, but a massive weather front made that impossible. The weather was nice in Finland and northern Sweden, but if it hadn't been for the fact that at least one pilot in each aircraft has Skydemon we couldn't have made that trip: we couldn't have bought paper charts on short notice.

Since then, Skydemon has made it possible to fly wherever we like (or wherever we can) without having to buy paper charts for the whole of Europe in advance. Planning and replanning is also faster. And knowing that you can replan if needed takes away a good deal of potential stress.

If I could wish for one thing, even though that's outside of what the Skydemon team can arrange, it would be cheaper temporary license keys for national airfield databases such as in Germany valid for, say, 30 days. Like a Jeppesen trip kit in the olden days. I buy the add-on for my own country, but it's too much to spend for other countries where I might fly one trip per year.
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By Lefty
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1733472
I think Tim's justification is when the CAA ask infringers "Why weren't you using SkyDemon".

Thanks and congratulations to Tim, Rob, Hannah, and the rest of the team.

Long may you reign.
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By Tim Dawson
SkyDemon developer
#1733481
Many thanks all!

Events conspired such that we didn't manage to celebrate our tenth birthday at the time it occurred which as I recall was at the beginning of September, but at some point we might even treat ourselves to a cake.
johnm, Dave W, marioair and 2 others liked this