Articles
Stories and explainers on how software earns its place in the sky.
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What Happens When the FAA Looks at Your Software? SOI Reviews, Explained
The FAA’s four Stage of Involvement (SOI) reviews aren’t audits to survive – they’re maturity gates timed so mistakes are caught when they’re cheapest to fix. A plain-language walkthrough for small teams.
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How Aviation’s Software Standard Grew Up: The Rulebook Behind Every Flight
How a hard-won safety standard — DO-178 — grew from aviation’s first airborne software into the rulebook behind nearly every modern flight.
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Why DO-178C Costs More When Compliance Starts Late
Learn why retrofitting DO-178C evidence forces teams to recover requirements, rebuild traceability, repeat verification, and revisit design decisions.
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What does DO-178C certification cost a small company?
There is no sticker price for DO-178C. What actually drives certification cost for a small avionics or software shop – assurance level, verification effort, tools, and audits – and where small teams overspend.
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How a Computer Built to Reach the Moon Ended Up Flying an Airplane
A Moon-landing computer’s second act over the California desert — and the flight that changed what it means to be safe in the air.
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Why Planes Still Fly on Decades-Old Software — and Why That’s a Good Thing
Stability isn’t stagnation. What aviation’s careful pace of change teaches every industry about trusting critical software.
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What Keeps Your Flight Safe? Understanding Aviation Software Certification
A plain-language tour of the standards and reviews behind every line of code that flies — no engineering degree required.