My path to the cockpit wasn't exactly a straight line. It was more of a thirty-year holding pattern. After an unsuccessful attempt to join the French National Aviation School at 18—a story involving a non cooperative flight simulator and a very bruised ego—I traded the yoke for a keyboard and spent decades in software engineering.

But dreams have a way of hibernating rather than dying. A few years ago, with a career well underway, I finally decided it was time to make good on that promise to myself. I earned my Private Pilot License in early 2024, followed by Floats, Instrument Rating and High Performance in early 2026.

However, I quickly ran into a reality that no amount of software logic could prepare me for: the sheer cognitive load of being a student pilot in your 50s.

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The Problem: Mental "Vapor Lock"

Let’s be honest. Learning to fly in your 20s is often about reflexes; when you are twice the age, learning is about systems management. When you’re in the soup, trying to hold an altitude, track a localizer, and copy a rapid-fire ATC clearance, your "internal processor" can redline quickly.

Early in my training, I found myself constantly fumbling. I had an iPad, a paper notepad, and a cockpit full of distractions. I’d receive a complex clearance and find myself scribbling illegibly or—worse—staring at a screen trying to find a specific piece of data while the plane started to bank.

I realized my biggest hurdle wasn't the "stick-and-rudder" skills; it was situational awareness. My brain was spending too much energy on where to write things down and how to organize the chaos, leaving too little energy for actually flying the airplane.

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The Solution: A Paper-Based Wingman

As a software engineer, my instinct is to solve frustration with code. I needed a tool that matched the way a non-professional, "mature" pilot actually thinks. I didn't need more complex moving maps; I needed a way to offload the administrative burden of the cockpit.

That is how GA Kneeboard was born.

I designed it to be the tool I wished I had during those high-stress moments. It focuses on three pillars:

• Logical Organization: It mirrors the actual flow of a flight—from ATIS to shutdown—so you never have to wonder, "Where do I put this info?"
• Reduced Head-Down Time: By providing structured templates for clearances and frequencies, it minimizes the time your head is "inside" the cockpit, allowing more time to look "outside."
• Built-in Confidence: There is a specific calm that comes from knowing your data is organized. When ATC asks for a readback, you aren’t searching through a messy legal pad; you’re looking at a clean interface designed for clarity.

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Why It Matters

Building GA Kneeboard wasn't just a business project; it was a survival mechanism for my own flight training. It helped me move from a place of occasional frustration to one of controlled, professional management of the flight deck.

If you are a student pilot—especially if you started a bit later in life like I did—you know that the cockpit can be an intimidating place. GA Kneeboard is my way of sharing the organizational habits that helped me find my footing. It’s built by a pilot who knows exactly what it feels like when the gauges start to "rebel" and you just need a second to breathe.

Welcome to the flight deck. Let’s keep the blue side up.