CloudAhoy app lets you review every flight
The CloudAhoy app shows complete flight maps, and is great for post-flight debriefing.
Ever wish you could play back your flight, either to relive a long trip or debrief a lesson? With CloudAhoy, a free app for the iPad, you can do exactly that–including a moving map and detailed logs of your groundspeed, altitude and more.
Simply download the app from the App Store, create a free account on CloudAhoy’s website and you’re ready to record. On your next flight, open up the app, enter some basic flight information (tail number, pilot’s name, remarks) and hit Start. Using your iPhone or iPad’s GPS, the app will continuously log your position, speed and altitude. It will even automatically determine when you’re taxiing, flying or landing, and stop recording when it senses your flight is over.
To debrief a flight, either open up the iPad app and choose the Debrief tab or visit the CloudAhoy website and sign into your account. Both options allow you to play your flight back over a map and graph your groundspeed, vertical speed, altitude and course. The website debrief includes even more powerful map overlay features, including sectional and en route IFR charts.
There are lots of uses for this app, including:
- Share memorable cross country flights with family and friends
- Review ground reference maneuvers in the quiet of your home
- Overlay your instrument approach path on a chart
- Grade your short field landings
CloudAhoy is also great for flight instructors, many of whom are flying with iPads already. On the iPad version of the app, there is a CFI tab that allows instructors to track specific maneuvers. You can name a flight segment and create flight markers, so you can easily review S-turns and turns around a point separately.
The app works on iPhone and iPad, although the debriefing features are only available on the iPad app. This still makes your iPhone a handy way to record a flight, then play it back on your iPad. Also note that if your iPad does not have a built-in GPS (e.g., WiFi only models), you’ll need to connect to an external GPS like a Dual XGPS150 or Garmin GLO.
Get the free CloudAhoy app here.
Only US, bleh…
When will it be ready for Canada?
Can I run this app while simultaneously running my nav app (WingX)? On the iPad how do I know when 2 apps are both running at the same time? Thanks for answering this basic iPad question.
@Michael Double-click the Home button and you’ll see a row of running apps at the bottom. Swipe left and right to see them all, press on an app to access it.
Useless, not available in Canada!
I used CloudAhoy on my iPhone and the GPS wasn’t accurate enough to show my T&G as landings. It showed up as a missed approach.
When I used the Blue Elf, it worked fine.
I really like this app, especially since it is free.
It runs in the background while Fore Flight is in the foreground. I even added “Start CloudAhoy” in my engine start check list.
Never mind Canada, how about Australia?
Have had great success with this app. A good postflight debriefing tool. Use it on every flight with my iphone and or ipad to aide in improving my flying skills…..
Before you go complaining that it isn’t available for your area or that something didn’t work right, understand that the app has been developed by and is maintained by one guy. He’s tremendously dedicated and offers outstanding customer service, especially considering that it’s a free app and service. Let’s celebrate something outstanding being offered here instead of griping that it’s not good enough yet.
This is an amazing tool for post-flight analysis. I’ve used it for the last couple of months while training for IFR and wish I’d had it from the start. Being able to look at your actual entries into holds and approaches helps visualize where things started to go wrong. Especially helpful when the wind barbs are displayed with the course. And watching the cockpit view is just fun.
I found their privacy policy to be totally unacceptable. Read it carefully. Too bad.