Former Google Engineer Launches SOLUS Copilot to Eliminate Fatal General Aviation Errors
At 5 a.m. beside a Cessna, former Google AI engineer and U.S. Air Force veteran Almeena Shaikh cycled through five different aviation apps to check weather, regulations, and aircraft data. The fragmented workflow exposed a critical vulnerability in general aviation: pilots possess abundant data but lack an intelligence layer to synthesize it. That realization prompted Shaikh to build SOLUS Copilot, an AI-powered decision-support platform designed to convert raw pre-flight information into personalized risk assessments.
Federal Aviation Administration data highlights the stakes. Pilot decision errors drive 74% of fatal general aviation accidents. Commercial aviation solved this decades ago through multi-pilot operations, but general aviation pilots operate alone. Shaikh built SOLUS to act as a digital first officer, synthesizing complex variables without usurping the pilot's final authority.
Strict Boundaries Between Code and AI
The platform architecture strictly separates deterministic calculations from AI synthesis to prevent hallucinations in a safety-critical environment. SOLUS processes weight and balance, currency tracking, and aircraft performance using verified code rather than large language models. Furthermore, the system grounds every regulatory claim directly in Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) or the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM).
After the software secures those factual baselines, AI takes over the synthesis. The system aggregates weather feeds, Notices to Air Missions (NOTAMs), the pilot’s personal flight history, and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) accident patterns. It delivers a concise, personalized brief that highlights specific risks for that exact flight.
Engineering Against Human Bias
Shaikh analyzed 847 NTSB accident reports to inform the platform's risk models. She discovered that pilots rarely crash out of ignorance; they crash because of self-exemption. Pilots frequently recognize rules and warnings but convince themselves the danger applies to someone else. Time pressure, waiting passengers, and deteriorating weather compound this human tendency.
To combat self-exemption, SOLUS individualizes the danger. The software matches historical accident patterns against the pilot's specific aircraft, route, current weather, and recent flight hours. By tying warnings directly to the pilot's immediate context, the platform forces aviators to confront relevant, personalized risks rather than generic alerts.
Methodical Rollout and Data Ambitions
Shaikh incorporated SOLUS and shipped the first App Store version in July 2026. As a solo founder, she avoids rapid user acquisition in favor of manual onboarding. Currently, 250 early access users—including pilots from United Airlines and the U.S. Coast Guard—test the platform. Shaikh targets flight schools first, embedding the tool in training environments where pilots form their core decision-making habits.
Beyond consumer subscriptions, Shaikh structures SOLUS to generate a highly valuable behavioral dataset. The platform records how individual pilots assess risk, react to weather conditions, and plan fuel usage. This data pipeline aims to serve the insurance industry, which currently relies on broad, aggregate statistics rather than granular pilot behaviors. Ultimately, Shaikh intends to supply this operational intelligence to the advanced air mobility sector to train future autonomous flight systems.
Amanah and Building in Public
Shaikh’s approach to building safety-critical software stems from her Muslim faith, specifically the concept of amanah—a sacred trust and accountability. This philosophy dictates her strict refusal to automate critical calculations and her insistence on keeping the human pilot in command.
She develops the product openly, integrating feedback from airline pilots and flight instructors directly into her development cycle. Looking ahead, Shaikh plans to adapt the software to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards to capture emerging markets. She specifically targets the Middle East, where heavily funded flight academies train the next generation of global aviators.