Flight Station Update #1 — The First Units Are Being Built

Flight Station has officially moved from prototype development into the first stage of manufacturing.

What started on May 21st as a small side project has grown considerably beyond the original idea.

After seeing therealhacksaw's Tiny Desk Radar, my first thought was simply, “I can build that.” The original plan was to make a small aircraft radar display for myself, but as development progressed, the idea quickly grew into something much more capable.

Flight Station became a dual-screen desktop aviation display, combining live aircraft tracking on the radar with airport weather, aircraft information and other aviation data on the second display.

Since then, I've spent countless hours designing, programming, testing, redesigning and refining both the hardware and software.

Now, the first Flight Stations are being built.

What's New?

The first custom Flight Station PCB has been designed and ordered.

Moving to a purpose-built PCB is a major step forward. It simplifies assembly, improves reliability and moves Flight Station away from the prototype electronics used during early development.

Manufacturing of the first components has begun.

I've started producing the components for the first test units, including laser-engraved mahogany veneer faceplates and individually numbered Founder's Edition cork bases.

These first units will be used for real-world testing and refinement before Flight Station moves towards its public release.

Software development continues.

With the core software taking shape, development is continuing alongside the new hardware. The next stage will involve testing everything together and continuing to refine the graphics, controls and overall experience.

The Founder's Edition

The first Flight Stations are being produced as individually numbered Founder's Edition units.

These early units are an important part of taking Flight Station from a prototype on my desk to something I can confidently send out into the world.

They feature the distinctive timber faceplate, individually numbered cork base and Founder's Edition branding that marks them as part of the very first Flight Station production run.

What Happens Next?

The next stage is all about testing.

The first completed units will be put into real-world use so I can validate the hardware and software, identify anything that still needs improving and continue refining Flight Station before release.

From there, I'll continue working towards the first public production run.

There's still plenty of work ahead, but reaching the point where I'm manufacturing actual Flight Stations rather than continually rebuilding prototypes is a pretty exciting milestone.

Thanks to everyone who has followed the project so far. What started as a simple “I could build that” idea has turned into something far bigger than I expected, and I'm looking forward to sharing the next stage.