Keeping Pilotfriend in Flight: Preserving John Ellerton's Legacy
By Jenny Ayres, Owner of Pilotfriend.com, in collaboration with The Visual Works

When Pilotfriend.com was first launched in 2002 by UK pilot and aviation enthusiast John Ellerton, it quickly became a trusted online hub for the flying community. John's vision was simple but ambitious - to bring together reliable aviation knowledge and resources in one place. Over the years, the site has grown into a vast library covering almost every aspect of flight, from airfield databases and weather tools to aviation medicine, aircraft engines, and flight planning.

For two decades, John maintained and expanded the website himself, ensuring that pilots, students and enthusiasts around the world could access accurate, practical and often hard-to-find information. His attention to detail and deep love of flying shaped every page, and his humour and curiosity gave the site its unmistakable character.

When John passed away in 2022, the future of Pilotfriend.com was uncertain. To keep his work online and accessible, his partner, Jenny Ayres, asked The Visual Works - a Shropshire-based design and digital agency - to take over the website's hosting and maintenance.

“The Visual Works responded immediately,” says Jenny. “They made sure nothing went offline and handled the technical transition with great care. Their understanding that this was more than just a website meant a lot.”

The Visual Works now manages the day-to-day running of Pilotfriend.com, ensuring the site remains live and secure. The team plans to migrate it to modern, renewable-powered servers, introduce stronger security measures and regular backups, and preserve John's original content in its authentic form.

"Pilotfriend has a special place in aviation culture," says Ben Stone, Creative Director at The Visual Works. “Our goal isn't to modernise it for the sake of it, but to safeguard John's work so it remains accessible for years to come. It's an archive of aviation knowledge and enthusiasm that deserves to stay online.”

Today, Pilotfriend.com continues to welcome thousands of visitors each month, offering tools, databases and reference material to pilots and enthusiasts worldwide. John Ellerton's contribution to online aviation knowledge lives on - supported by careful stewardship and the shared commitment to keeping his passion airborne.

About the Author
Jenny Ayres is the owner and custodian of Pilotfriend.com, continuing the work of her late partner, John Ellerton, who founded the site in 2002. She oversees the preservation of John's aviation archive and collaborates with trusted partners to maintain its accessibility and accuracy.

In Collaboration With
Ben Stone is the Creative Director of The Visual Works, a UK-based creative and digital agency specialising in web design, development and hosting. His team supports Pilotfriend.com with technical management, secure hosting and long-term preservation planning.