Altimeter for Aviators 4+
Pure Pressure Altimeter
STEARsoft
Designed for iPad
-
- Free
- Offers In-App Purchases
Screenshots
Description
If you want a 'real' Altimeter, look no further. No GPS used here.
Learn how a real pressure Altimeter works such as you would find in an aircraft. Altimeter for Aviators is primarily designed as an Apple Watch application, although it does also work on iPhones or iPads that have a barometer. Provided your watch has a Barometer it will even run stand-alone (no iPhone needed).
Student and instructor pilots will find this App to be a valuable training tool, while those knowing how to use an altimeter will enjoy having it on their wrist.
To obtain your Altitude (height above sea level):
Set the 'pressure setting' to the current air pressure at sea level. Weather forecasts often give this (eg the BBC Weather App includes pressure in mb). You can also obtain the pressure from weather pressure charts or from METAR reports from airports (eg Q1017). In aviation speak, this is known as the QNH. Set the pressure setting by rotating the 'crown' on your watch. You can then 'Lock' this setting so you don't accidentally change it by doing a long-press and choosing 'Lock'. Alternatively, if you know the altitude of the point that you are currently at, you can rotate the watch crown until the Altimeter reads the correct altitude.
To obtain your height above a certain location:
Set the 'station' pressure for that location (the actual air pressure at that very point). Aviation language calls this pressure setting QFE. If you are at that location, you can just rotate the crown of the watch until the Altimeter reads zero. As a short-cut you can alternatively long-press and then pick "Zero (QFE)".
To obtain your Flight Level (FL):
Another setting that pilots use is the standard setting of 1013.25mb. This is used above 3000ft roughly and instead of giving you an accurate 'Altitude' gives you what is known as a 'Flight level'. Long-press and select the "STP (FL)" option as a short cut (FL stands for Flight Level. STP stands for 'Standard Temperature and Pressure').
If you are more familiar with inches of mercury (inHg) rather than hectapascals (hPa) or millibars (mb) then toggle this with the 'Units' menu item. Note that mb and hPa are the same unit.
ACCURACY WARNING:
Your watch (or iPhone) pressure sensing device has not been calibrated in the same way that the expensive altimeters found in aircraft have been. Your electronic device also has more points of failure and error being miniature and electrically based so this App in no way replaces or can be used for actual flying. If you run this App side by side on two different iOS devices, the chances are they'll give you slightly different altitudes. Further, if you're a pilot the pressure in your cockpit is unlikely to be as accurate as the location of the static pitot tube and will be susceptible to changes due to air vents being opened, doors with gaps, any climate control, your speed and any vibration.
WEATHER WARNING:
Air pressure changes throughout the day can cause readings to drift by up to 1 foot per minute, so keep the pressure-setting up-to-date by updating it whenever you can; as you get to any locations of known altitude or hourly if receiving pressure settings in some other way.
Colours:
Altimeter for Aviators shows how recent the altitude was calculated (it's not constant)
White = updated in the last 10 seconds
Yellow = updated between 10 and 60 seconds ago.
Pink = updated between 1 and 10 minutes ago.
Dark Red = updated more than 10 minutes ago.
Altitude units:
The long hand shows 100s of feet. The short hand 1000s of feet. The inward pointing edge arrow shows 10000s of feet. The barber pole (stripe at the bottom) is visible below 10000 feet, so if it disappears you are at risk of Hypoxia.
What’s New
Version 2.6
In the iPhone/iPad App, a new option to keep the screen on (prevent automatic screen lock). See the 'Opt' screen.
In the Watch App, scroll right to see instructions for something similar in the Tips screen.
Ratings and Reviews
Bravo
As a pilot for many years, this is the first altimeter app that makes immediate sense: just “plop” the altimeter setting in, and you’re good to go. Just like in the cockpit. It’s like “KISS.”
That said, for those of you that don’t understand altimetry, you do have to input an altimeter reading from a known source. There are a myriad of METAR and other apps like ATIS that you can do this with. Try to use sites within 5 statute miles of your location.
Or just do it the “old fashioned way”: input your known MSL altitude, and the “Kollsman window” (Kollsman Instrument Division of the Square D Corporation) will return the field elevation altimeter setting. How’s that for a free history lesson!
I’ve “promoted” this app to the top of my home page, already overstuffed with apps from A to Z. Good job, guys!
Developer Response ,
Thank you so much for such a kind review. Safe flying. Marcus
High hopes, but no support?
As a pilot I was looking for an app like this, and I had high hopes that it was well supported because there was an update posted just days ago. However, I see no email address in the app or on the website. How do you have FAQs with no way people can actually ask questions?
So here’s my question. I downloaded the app set the local pressure, and looked at all the options on my iPhone and Watch. Then I added the complication on my Watch. I assume the complication should display the altitude, but over three hours later I just have a dashed line. Should I be seeing the altitude? I have updated the local pressure twice now - still no complication update. How often should I expect the complication to update, if it ever does?
Developer Response ,
Thank you for your valuable feedback.
- There is now an option on the FAQ page to send feedback, but I’m also happy for public feedback and questions here.
- I’ve now answered your other question on the FAQ page. In short, the complication does not give any altitude readout. The complication is purely so you can easily launch the Altimeter from your watch face. A more detailed explanation is on the FAQ page.
Thanks again for your transparent feedback,
Marcus
Quit Working
My apologies to the developer for being too quick to criticize the app.
It is up and running again as well as it did before the iOS update caused it to quit working.
Developer Response ,
Thank you for updating your review 😀
Thank you also for caring about this App and for helping to alert me to the iOS problem. All appreciated. I understood and shared your frustration 👍🏻
App Privacy
The developer, STEARsoft, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy.
Data Not Collected
The developer does not collect any data from this app.
Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More
Information
- Seller
- M Butler
- Size
- 1.9 MB
- Category
- Navigation
- Compatibility
-
- iPhone
- Requires iOS 12.0 or later.
- iPad
- Requires iPadOS 12.0 or later.
- iPod touch
- Requires iOS 12.0 or later.
- Mac
- Requires macOS 11.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later.
- Apple Watch
- Requires watchOS 4.0 or later.
- Apple Vision
- Requires visionOS 1.0 or later.
- Languages
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English
- Age Rating
- 4+
- Copyright
- © 2024 STEARsoft
- Price
- Free
- In-App Purchases
-
- VSI $1.99
- Altitude Units $1.99