A Farnham student has reached the final of a national competition after developing an innovative app designed to make flying safer.

Thomas Molins, 22, an engineering and management student at Exeter University, is among just 10 finalists in the Champion of Champions enterprise competition for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students.

Thomas and fellow Exeter student David Cooper, 21, have developed ClearToGo, an app designed to help student and private pilots carry out essential pre-flight safety checks.

The app brings together aircraft-specific checklists, aviation weather information and safety reminders, allowing pilots to complete their preparations in one place rather than juggling separate tasks or relying on memory.

The idea came after the pair observed how pilots prepared for flights and noticed that paper checklists, weather reports and other safety tasks were often handled separately, sometimes under time pressure.

They recognised that small gaps in preparation could arise, not through a lack of skill or care, but because pilots were managing several tasks at once.

The students believe many general aviation incidents result from a combination of smaller oversights, such as a missed check, misinterpreted weather information or an overlooked risk.

ClearToGo aims to reduce these risks by providing a more structured approach to pre-flight preparation, particularly for pilots still developing their experience and judgement.

The app is intended to complement rather than replace official aviation resources, including aircraft operating handbooks, formal weather briefings and advice from flying instructors.

It could also help flying schools better understand how their students approach pre-flight safety checks.

Thomas and David will present their innovation at the Champion of Champions final at the Royal Academy of Engineering in London later this month.

Their project is one of just 10 selected from universities across the UK to compete for a share of £16,500 in prize money.

The competition is sponsored by the Engineers and Scientists in Business Fellowship (ESBF), a charity which helps engineers and scientists develop the commercial skills needed to turn innovative ideas into successful businesses.

Before the final, the teams will receive expert coaching from ESBF's Sainsbury Management Fellows community, with business mentoring also available to help develop their ideas.

Thomas said: “Champion of Champions puts us in front of people who can actually move the business forward: judges, industry contacts, other founders further along than us.

“It's a chance to pressure-test ClearedToGo against tougher competition and sharper feedback than we've had before.

“For a two-person team without a big network, that exposure and credibility matters more than the prize itself. It's also a deadline that forces us to get our pitch, numbers and story as sharp as possible, which pushes the whole business forward, not just the competition entry.”