MAXWELL AFB GUNTER ANNEX, Ala. -- On July 28, 2025, Business and Enterprise Systems Product Innovation (BESPIN) announced the initial release of Lowdown, a new iOS-native application designed to modernize how aircrews complete mission-related tasks using their issued iPads, known as Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs).
Built specifically for use in operational environments, Lowdown enables aircrews to manage pre and post-mission checklists directly from their EFBs, eliminating the need to rely on paper forms or desktop systems that require constant Wi-Fi access.
“Current tools just weren’t meeting the needs of aircrews on the go,” said Lt. Col. Matt Nelson, BESPIN Chief Technology Officer. “Lowdown was built to bridge that gap, enabling faster, more flexible operations directly from the devices they already carry.”
With Lowdown, aircrews can access and complete essential tasks anytime, anywhere, even when offline. The app automatically syncs when reconnected to Wi-Fi, ensuring no loss of data or momentum.
“Lowdown has enabled me to streamline my flying-related tasks,” said Chief Master Sgt. Jason Greiner, Senior Enlisted Leader, 96th Airlift Squadron. “When I show up to fly, I am able to grab my iPad, check the schedule, and sign off my Flight Crew Information Forms (FCIFs) without having to find an Air Force Network computer.”
Lt. Col. Robert Burgraff, Standardization/Evaluation, 934th Operations Group, said Lowdown’s FCIF functionality has the potential to modernize how aircrews handle their Flight Crew Bulletin (FCB).
“Our members can not only sign off their FCIFs from their iPad, but they can also reference previously signed FCIFs until they are rescinded,” Burgraff said. “We are currently looking into leveraging this ability to act as our published FCB instead of re-publishing these documents in another library.”
Lt. Col. Lee Place, Director of Operations, 96th Airlift Squadron, said he is excited to continue working with the Lowdown team to further enhance the app’s capabilities. As part of the agile development approach, feedback from additional squadrons will help shape and expand Lowdown’s feature set over time.
“With the use of this app, we have started to unlock the ability to electronically capture post-mission documentation while members are at the airplane and sync this data when they get back to internet connectivity,” Place said. “We have several other documentation use cases that could also benefit from this functionality.”
The initial version of Lowdown is now live for use by most aircrews currently using Patriot Excalibur as their scheduling software. Aircrews with devices utilizing the Maas360 or WorkSpace1 Mobile Device Management tool can download Lowdown by searching for the application in their Hub or App Catalog.
BESPIN is a software solution center chartered to build the United States Air Force Mobile Center of Excellence and scale cloud and mobile application development across the Air Force and Department of Defense.
For more information, contact the team at lowdownfeedback@teambespin.us.