Press Release

Issued by The Weather Company, An IBM Business.

January 22, 2013

Weather Services International (WSI) the most trusted name in aviation weather, today announced the launch of Global Optimized Flight Planning within WSI Pilotbrief Optima, the first application that brings together best-in-class weather forecasts and data with flight planning and filing capabilities on one platform. Available on iPad and online, WSI Pilotbrief Optima will be available to the aviation sector in February, 2013.

Flight Planning is a process that requires pilots to assess both their route and the impacts of weather and airspace restrictions along the route. WSI Pilotbrief Optima is able to calculate the optimal route to ensure that flights arrive on time, safely and smoothly. WSI Pilotbrief Optima, with optimized flight planning capabilities, empowers business aviation pilots to create and file flight plans to any destination in the world. WSI's unique solution enables pilots to build confidence, improve decisions and save time by combining professional-grade weather with an optimized flight-planning engine.

"An on-time flight is the result of diligent flight planning and flawless execution by the entire flight operation," says WSI Pilotbrief Optima product manager Jamie Zajac. "This new application addresses one of the most common requests we have gotten from our users, to combine professional grade weather and optimized flight planning in one application."

WSI Pilotbrief Optima includes unique features for business jet operators to plan safe and smooth flight plans including performance-based navigation routings, RAIM outage calculations, fuel reserves, and flight delay risk assessments. This application is further enhanced by being available not only for U.S. flights, but for global flight operations as well.

The WSI application also displays custom forecasts in the form of WSI FPGs (Flight Plan Guidance) and WSI SIGMETs. These EWINs-certified forecasts are global and provide information on convection, icing, turbulence, volcanic ash and other aviation hazards. FPGs take the guesswork out of interpreting severe weather by providing pilots with a clear and actionable picture of areas to avoid, anywhere in the world.

WSI will be demonstrating its complete aviation solution, including WSI Pilotbrief Optima and Pilotbrief Optima for the iPad, at its Booth #1007, during the NBAA 2013 Schedulers and Dispatchers, January 22 – January 24 in San Antonio, TX. All are invited to visit the booth for presentations.