Comprehensive-ish Aviation Apps Guide for Midlife Pilots
Hey there! Welcome to our mega-list of digital aviation tools and resources from the Midlife Pilot Podcast.
Whether you're just getting started or you've been flying for years, we've put together this guide to help you navigate the ever-growing world of aviation apps and tools.
Quick Disclaimer
Look, we love these tools and use many of them ourselves, but we've got to cover our bases here: This is just information sharing among pilots - we're not affiliated with any of these companies, and you need to do your own due diligence before using any tool for aviation purposes. Everything here is for informational purposes only, and you're responsible for verifying all information and using these tools safely and legally. Enough said - let's get to the good stuff!
Flight Planning and Navigation
Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) Applications
ForeFlight
The big kahuna of iOS aviation apps
Pretty much the industry standard these days
Great for flight planning, weather, and navigation
Digital logbook with instructor endorsements
Link: https://foreflight.com
Garmin Pilot
Solid cross-platform alternative
Really shines if you've got Garmin avionics
Killer weather briefing integration through Leidos
Cool feature: puts obstruction NOTAMs right on your map
Avare
The free Android option
Gets the job done for basic nav and planning
Link: https://apps.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ds.avare
iFlightPlanner
Nice web-based planning tool
Syncs with your mobile device
FlyQ EFB
iFlyEFB
Website: https://www.iflyefb.com
FltPlanGo
WingX
Website: https://www.wingx.com
Digital Logbook Solutions
MyFlightBook
Free and works everywhere
Crazy detailed year-end stats
More data analysis than you can shake a stick at
Physical Logbook Resources (because sometimes old school is the best school)
Weather Resources
Official Aviation Weather Tools
AeroWeather
Clean, simple METAR/TAF reader
Great for quick weather checks
Custom airport lists for regional weather
Link: https://aeroweather.com
WeatherSpork
Really good at showing cloud layers
24-hour airport forecasts
Link: https://weatherspork.com
Windy
The Swiss Army knife of weather tools
Almost too many features (in a good way)
Cool route planning visualization
Link: https://www.windy.com
Leidos Flight Service
The official source for weather briefings
Phone: 1-800-WX-BRIEF (1-800-358-7842)
Pro tip: The phone briefers are sometimes amazingly entertaining!
Supplemental Weather Resources
Weather Underground
Great for general weather trends
10-day forecasts for early planning
StationWX
Website: https://www.stationwx.com
METAR AF
Website: https://www.metaraf.com
Weather Text Service
Text 358-782 for instant weather:
Text "M KTEB" for METAR
Text "T KTEB" for TAF
Text "T KTEB PT" for TAF in plain English
Text "M KTEB PT" for METAR in plain English
Flight Analysis Tools
Flysto
FREE (yes, really!) and incredibly powerful
Historical flight comparisons
See ADS-B traffic in replays
Weather overlays
Upload from pretty much any source
Link: https://flysto.net
CloudAhoy
Super detailed flight analysis
Great for training and improvement
Savvy Analysis
Engine monitoring genius
Track your maintenance like a pro
Training Resources
LiveATC
Listen to ATC communications live
Great for learning radio work
Can access archived recordings
Link: https://www.liveatc.net
Nav Trainer Pro
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/id427480051
FlyGo IFR Trainer
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/id896679194
CX-3 Flight Calculator
Website: https://www.asa2fly.com/cx3
Carb Ice Calculator
Flight Tracking
ADSBexchange
Website: https://www.adsbexchange.com
AI Tools for Aviation
Look, AI's not going to fly the plane for you (yet!), but it can be surprisingly helpful:
ChatGPT
Great for analyzing maintenance data trends
Can help interpret oil analysis reports
Create custom flight planning checklists
Link: https://chat.openai.com
Claude
Excellent for detailed analysis and report generation
Great at interpreting maintenance data
Link: https://claude.ai
Microsoft Copilot
Similar capabilities to ChatGPT
Good for route planning analysis
Weather pattern interpretation
Google Gemini
Another option for aviation data analysis
Can help with flight planning scenarios
Pro tip: When using AI tools, always verify their suggestions against official sources. They're helpers, not replacements for your pilot judgment!
Best Practices
Don't put all your eggs in one basket - keep backup methods handy
Keep everything updated (seriously, those database updates matter)
Download offline content BEFORE you need it
Use multiple weather sources (because weather is sneaky)
Know how to do it the old-school way too
Keep your devices charged and cool
Regular practice with all your tools (don't wait until you need them)
Real Talk from Our Experience
Weather planning: Start broad with Weather Underground for trends, then narrow down with aviation-specific tools as your flight gets closer
That "Phone" app on your device? Yeah, calling 1-800-WX-BRIEF is still golden
Flysto is a game-changer for post-flight analysis - seriously, try it
Don't get caught up in the "which EFB is best" wars - they're all pretty good these days
Keep your critical apps front and center during flight
AI tools can be surprisingly useful for trend analysis and planning, but always double-check their work
App Store Links
iOS App Store: https://apps.apple.com
Google Play Store: https://play.google.com
Note: Most apps have free trials or basic versions - take them for a spin before committing. And always check those reviews!
From Episode 110 of the Midlife Pilot Podcast - Last updated: January 2025
P.S. Found this helpful? Come join us on the Midlife Pilot Podcast where we chat about all things aviation, share stories, and help each other become better pilots!
All links verified January 2025
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