No matter if you are a pilot or controller, using the appropriate aviation software and tools can significantly enhance safety, efficiency, and customer experience. So what are your best options available to you?
Pilots and controllers have many options available to them, making selecting one the perfect solution for their individual needs easier than ever before. Do your research before narrowing down your choices to find what best meets them.
1. ForeFlight Mobile
ForeFlight Mobile is an app used by pilots to plan flights, navigate aerially, log flight data and documents, monitor weather, and keep tabs on flight crews in various environments (including corporate aircraft fleets).
ForeFlight provides several plans, starting with Basic Plus at $120/year and progressing up to Business Performance for $360. Each of these plans provides various features ranging from preflight planning and weather briefing to full charts and airport information.
One of ForeFlight’s standout features is its Aeronautical Map, which displays FAA aeronautical charts, geo-referenced approach and taxi diagrams, airport names and an ETA (ETAD) calculator that will determine your travel time based on traffic and airport conditions.
If you require more than the basic Aeronautical Map, Pro Plus subscription offers additional features including more extensive weather imagery library, airport details and a robust flight plan filing system. Furthermore, this app syncs seamlessly with other ForeFlight devices.
ForeFlight stands out with its synthetic vision capabilities, providing you with a clear image of terrain and obstacles anywhere around the world on its display. This feature can especially useful when combined with an AHRS source for backup attitude data.
You can get an overhead view of hazardous terrain with ForeFlight’s Hazard Advisor map layer. It is dynamic, so as features become hazards they will appear onscreen as soon as they become hazardous – an invaluable safety feature to have onboard an iPad or iPhone.
This app also boasts an advanced weight & balance calculator to make calculating an airplane’s weight and balance easier before takeoff. Integrated with flight plans, you can even utilize saved loads or standard weights when performing calculations.
ForeFlight Mobile also comes equipped with a handy checklist tool that makes running through essential tasks before every flight easier, while simultaneously clearing away clutter in the cockpit and keeping you focused on flying. The app automatically calls out items in a checklist; you can pause and resume tasks at any point; plus it tracks them all so they’re easily reviewable back on land.
2. Jeppesen Aviator EFB
Pilots and controllers in today’s increasingly automated world must make sure they use only top aviation software and tools, in order to increase efficiency, lower risks, and save money when flying. By having access to quality tools that help them do so effectively.
Jeppesen is one of the leading aviation names, and its Aviator EFB product provides airlines with an EFB solution designed to maximize efficiency while decreasing ground operations costs. Compatible with most aircraft brands including Boeing and Airbus.
Jeppesen Aviator features an effective Status Alert system, alerting you of important flight data based on your location and device activity. This makes it easier for pilots to keep informed while staying aware of their status quickly on-the-fly, reducing head down time significantly.
The Aviator Status Alert system also enables you to send and receive notifications from crewmates, helping keep everyone in sync and ready to act when something arises – making response times quicker than ever before!
Smart Notes, another key feature, allows users to conveniently mark important airspace and waypoints on their screen for later retrieval – an especially handy feature when flying under VFR conditions and can save valuable time during future flights.
Finally, the “Hazard Advisor” display offers you constant updates regarding nearby terrain and obstacles for enhanced awareness during travel. This technology uses global high-resolution terrain data as well as Jeppesen hazard avoidance technologies to ensure safer flying in any location worldwide.
With ForeFlight Mobile, it is simple and straightforward to transfer flight plans between various apps – whether that is AvPlan’s complex flight plan to Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro, Garmin Pilot or Dynon.
As you switch devices, all of your documents and information are seamlessly synced up to ForeFlight’s cloud infrastructure to make them easily accessible from any location. Furthermore, this safeguard ensures that they’re automatically backed up should any accidental deletion take place.
3. Windy
Windy is the go-to weather app for pilots and controllers looking to plan flights or rescue missions on their smartphones. Offering superior forecasts with more comprehensive local weather information than its rivals, Windy makes planning your next mission or flight easier than ever.
The app boasts a large and intuitive map, plus you’ll gain access to the most up-to-date and accurate weather data with our Live Wind Map. This high-resolution map gives the best forecast up to 10 days ahead for any area of interest based on name or icon search; additionally, weather stations that match your preferences can be displayed separately on a separate screen.
Apart from weather forecasts and airport navigation tools, Flight Tracker also lets you keep an eye on flight statuses and easily locate nearby airports with its flight tracking feature and animated route planner tool – and now even boasts a 3D cockpit! The latest version also boasts full suite navigation tools including animated route planner and new 3D cockpit!
Professional pilots and paragliders alike rely on this fast, free, and highly reliable weather app for an edge over their competition. It provides real time all-weather forecasting which is also enjoyable to use.
App users will appreciate more than its outstanding product; the app also boasts many interesting extras such as a live weather map, user’s top spots visited list and fun interactive wind quiz. Furthermore, Amazon CloudFront content delivery network helps provide fast and reliable delivery of weather data directly onto users phones.
4. CloudAhoy
CloudAhoy is an innovative flight data analysis software company founded in 2011 as an initial post-flight debriefing service provider. Since then, its offerings have expanded further into more in-depth analytics using flight data as well as operations quality assurance (FOQA) analysis.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is using CloudAhoy’s debriefing software to give its students a deeper insight into their performance. The debriefing software pulls data from various sources, such as satellite imagery and aviation charts, to display flight path, altitude, airspeed, engine parameters, centerline deviation, bank and pitch angles and other details visually in 2D or 3D views – as well as providing flight instructors the ability to suggest corrections if necessary.
The company provides an enhanced CFI Assistant tool which automatically scores flights against objective standards and offers feedback for every maneuver performed during flights, helping pilots identify any areas needing further focus and to hone their skills further.
An incredible feature is being able to share flights with your classmates and instructors as well as friends – it makes tracking progress in an efficient and secure manner easy!
CloudAhoy allows you to use their app across desktop or laptop computers, iPads and iPhones, with access from any browser around the globe. Their subscription service includes all standard features such as flight tracking and debriefing as well as upgraded Pro packages which offer even more powerful experiences.
The Pro version of the app costs $150 annually and provides additional features, such as the IPA Profile View and Rich Gauges, along with CFI Assistant, an invaluable tool for flight instructors.
CloudAhoy’s latest update also brings several other improvements and updates, such as SkyVector charts added directly into its app and debriefs using such charts, along with search functions, advanced analytics, and a feature to automatically generate maneuver lists for every flight.