Pilot Report: New app measures visibility from your phone’s camera

Turn your phone into a visibility sensor for safe and legal flights

Most pilots rely on METARs, ATIS, AWOS, and, of course, their own eyes when determining visibility. But what if your phone could give you an objective visibility reading anywhere, anytime? That’s the idea behind Visibility Tool, a new app developed by FlightProfiler, a veteran-owned company working with Ohio University and Ohio State University under a four-year research effort known as the Low Altitude Weather Network (LAWN).

Backed by funding from the Ohio Federal Research Network and the U.S. Air Force, with collaboration from NASA, the LAWN program’s goal is to build affordable, field-deployable weather tools for both manned and unmanned aviation. Visibility Tool is the first of several planned technologies—and it’s designed to work anywhere even without connectivity.

For pilots, the promise is a fast, accurate visibility estimate using nothing more than your phone’s camera. Simply point, click and get an accurate measure of visibility. That makes it useful for Part 107 operators, recreational drone flyers, and GA pilots—especially when verifying flight visibility for basic VFR weather minimums (91.155) compliance and overall safety in ensuring you’re meeting your own personal weather limitations. It won’t replace METARs or certified weather sensors, but it can add another layer of confidence to your go/no-go decision.

“I’m a VFR pilot without an instrument rating, and once or twice a year I’d find myself drifting toward inadvertent VFR into IMC. It’s scary—and I know it’s life-threatening. This tool combines my background in programming with a personal mission: reduce that inadvertent IMC risk for pilots like me.”—Ethan Krimins, President of FlightProfiler

It’s also worth noting that AWOS and ASOS visibility sensors measure only a tiny “micro” area—often just a few feet in front of the device. That makes the METAR visibility reading highly localized. The far end of the runway or the next valley over may be dramatically different. Visibility Tool aims to fill that gap by assessing visibility at a distance and breaking it down in one-mile increments, which can be more meaningful from a pilot’s perspective.

See the app in action

In this first example, the Visibility Tool image clearly shows limited forward contrast—objects fade quickly into haze, buildings lose definition, and terrain detail disappears within a mile. The app returns a reading of 1 mile, matching the AWOS report taken at the same time.

This scenario demonstrates the app’s usefulness in confirming marginal VFR conditions where the difference between just 1 and 2 miles can impact legality especially in Class G airspace.

Visibility = 1SM

Next, the Visibility Tool captures a day with noticeably better definition. Treelines and hangar structures remain sharp, and the overall scene shows much deeper visual range. The app reports 5 miles, again aligning with the AWOS reading.

This comparison highlights the tool’s ability to scale with changing conditions and provide an objective check when conditions appear good but maybe not great. For drone pilots, this is a quick way to validate visibility for Part 107.51. For GA pilots, it’s a helpful cross-check or confirmation of VFR weather.

Visibility = 5SM

Visibility Tool isn’t meant to replace certified weather reporting, but as an additional data point—especially at non-reporting airports—it’s a surprisingly capable and affordable tool. The app works worldwide without connectivity, gives instant visibility estimates, and can help both drone operators and pilots double-check regulatory minimums before flying. Visibility Tool is available for iOS and Android for $9.99, and you can download it here:

Visibility Tool (iOS version)

Visibility Tool (Android version)

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Eric Radtke

It was his first airplane trip at age seven that made Eric decide to become a pilot. "While boarding the airplane, a flight attendant noticed my interest in the flight deck and urged me to go talk to the pilot. I give a lot of credit to that pilot for my career choice." Eric earned a bachelor’s degree in finance and went on to an airline career. He learned to fly at Sporty’s as part of the University of Cincinnati’s Professional Pilot Program, an initiative he later directed. Eric now manages Sporty’s media network. In addition, Eric serves as a Captain in a Cincinnati-based corporate flight department.

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