Bad Elf ADS-B Campaign Falls Short

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Bad Elf has canceled its Kickstarter funding campaign to launch an ADS-B tablet systemfor $299. The company hoped to raise $500,000 to get the units to market but the campaign stalled at about $230,000. Since the goal wasn’t met, none of the orders processed through the Kickstarter site will be acted on and there will be no credit card charges. Although the campaign failed, Bad Elf says it still wants to proceed with the system. It says it’s found a technical way to build its receivers for less money than other units on the market and wants to get them into the hands of pilots for the safety benefits. It will continue to work on getting the system to market but doesn’t have a timeline.

Bad Elf estimates that 90 percent of GA pilots are flying without ADS-B and the weather and traffic information is a major benefit. Although traffic separation was the main goal for the FAA in setting up the system, it offered real-time weather as a carrot to encourage adoption. Bad Elf said the combination of the two services gives pilots powerful tools to execute their flights more safely. The company said the system will work with any iPad app and it’s working with the app providers to ensure compatibility. The company was also offering AHRS capability for an extra $150.

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