CloudAhoy offers free app again
CloudAhoy, a popular flight logging app, is now available in a free version.
CloudAhoy has been a popular app for years, allowing pilots to record each flight’s track, groundspeed, altitude and many other details. It’s a fun way to replay your flights, but it also has real value for training and currency flights. We’ve used it to review ground reference maneuvers, debrief practice instrument approaches and share a flight to Oshkosh (landed on the pink dot!).
The best part of CloudAhoy has historically been its price: free. Pilots could keep CloudAhoy running in the background while they flew with their favorite navigation app, and there was no additional cost. In late 2013, the company moved to a subscription model which charged pilots $45/year to continue debriefing. That met with some resistance among pilots (although the app is certainly worth paying for) so CloudAhoy now offers a free version of the app.
Pilots can download the app free and use all of its features for 35 days. An account is required, but no credit card is. After 35 days, pilots can still use the logging features of the app, but many of the high end debrief features require the subscription.
As an example, a pilot could log his entire flight, then review the 2D track in the app or online after the flight. This is a good way to get a snapshot of the flight. With a subscription, the flight path could be overlaid on a sectional chart, a Google Earth map or an instrument approach. There are also detailed graphs for speed, altitude and rate of climb. Finally, there are some nice sharing options to send a flight to your co-pilot or a friend. CloudAhoy’s website has a helpful chart that compares the plans.
OK, how long until ForeFlight integrates this function and sends Cloud Ahoy out to sea?
We should all avoid these subscription apps unless there’s a good reason for them to charge continuously – which I don’t think there is for this. $45 per year to use? That’s ridiculous. Look at the cost over the long run. Certainly not worth it to me. This app should have a fixed cost.
I’m with Andy. As soon as they started charging for it, I dropped it. I can see some beneficial uses, but not $45 worth of benefit for me. I really only used it to 2D track my flights & I can use the Garmin VIRB for that.
I also deleted the Cloud Ahoy app when they required a subscription. Now use MotionX app that cost a few bucks up front but not a subscription. I like Cloud Ahoy better but I’m not a CFI using it to debrief. Just keep a record of my flight until I log it. I’ll check out the free Cloud App though I now have about three dollars invested into MotionX. And for my three bucks with MotionX I am able to dump into Google Earth albeit only in 2-D…