Congressman Nick Begich (R-AK) has announced Dalton Donley, a high school student from Palmer, as the winner of Alaska’s Congressional App Challenge. Donley developed an application called AK Bush Weather, which aims to help pilots in Alaska make safer flight decisions by assessing weather conditions around airports and factoring in pilot experience.
The app analyzes weather data and combines it with the number of hours a pilot has flown to produce a simple rating that helps guide decision-making. Congressman Begich commented on the achievement: “Alaska depends on aviation like no other state, and safety is always paramount. Dalton identified a real-world problem and applied creativity, technical skill, and compassion to help address it. AK Bush Weather reflects the kind of innovation and purpose we hope to see from Alaska’s next generation of leaders, and I’m incredibly proud to recognize his achievement.”
Donley was motivated to create the app after losing a family friend in a plane crash. He aimed to provide bush pilots with a tool that could reduce risk and improve situational awareness when evaluating weather conditions. In developing AK Bush Weather, Donley worked through challenges such as decoding condensed aviation weather data formats from the Aviation Weather Center and designing an effective rating system despite limited prior aviation experience.
The Congressional App Challenge is held nationwide for middle and high school students, encouraging them to develop original software applications while learning about coding and computer science. Winners are recognized by their congressional representatives, with some apps potentially displayed at the U.S. Capitol.