# Pilot: Aviation Altimeter — Airplane mode, no GPS needed > iPhone barometer app for accurate altitude measurement using air pressure. (iPhone/iPad app by Daniel Schuler.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pilot-aviation-altimeter/id1469731805 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Daniel Schuler](https://appshunter.io/developer/1469731804) - Category: Navigation, Utilities - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 4.70/5 from 180 App Store ratings · 33 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 14.0 · 10 MB - Languages: English - Released: 2020-10-05 - Data updated: 2026-06-10 - Monetization: free with in-app purchases - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pilot-aviation-altimeter/id1469731805/reviews.md ## What is Pilot? "Used this app last weekend. Was within +/-40 feet of my Garmin for the 2.5 hours flight. (FAA standard: +/-75 feet)"--- Xploring Alaska, bush pilot. "Very Impressive. It was pretty much spot on with my indicated altitude. According to the FAA refs, since the reading is within 75 feet of my altimeter, it pretty much IS spot on. This app would make a great emergency backup in case of an altimeter/ pitot-static system failure." --- Brian, private pilot and owner of a Piper Cherokee. "That's why I was surprised. At 35,000 feet, it was measuring the cabin altitude, which is what a real altimeter would measure inside the plane [...] Tonight it worked just perfect, I recorded it as we were climbing and the cabin altitude as well." --- David, Airbus captain. ------------------------------- 1. Just Like Professional Aviation It is a real pressure altimeter using the built-in air pressure sensor (barometer) in your iPhone. Pressure altimeters, also used in professional aviation, are among the most accurate types of altimeters. Here is simple way to test out the app--- open it in an elevator to see how fast and accurately it responses! 2. Why a Pressure Altimeter? A pressure altimeter is incomparable to some apps that determine your altitude by using only ASTER and/or GPS. GPS is not accurate in determining true altitude, which often results in ~100m (~300ft) error; while ASTER is a library of elevation maps of the Earth. It is a map rather than a true altitude-measuring device. Being a map library, ASTER is problematic when you are not on the ground surface of the Earth— for example in an underground cave, inside a high-rise building, on a hot-air balloon…etc. 3. A True Altitude-Measuring Device It uses your iPhone’s barometer (air pressure sensor) to detect the surrounding air pressure hence determine your altitude. The principle is that the higher the altitude, the lower the air pressure (in other words: the higher the altitude, the thinner the air which makes it hard to breathe; the lower the altitude, the more “abundant the air is”). That’s how air pressure is used to determine altitude. 4. Accurate Like the Real Thing Since air pressure at the same location with the same altitude varies everyday due to different weather conditions, the variation would cause a small error in altitude reading. It is negligible for leisure users but crucial for pilots (and serious nerds). Therefore, in real airplanes as well as in our app, there is a feature for you to adjust the air pressure compensation. You may find more instructions inside the app. ------------------------------- *Disclaimer* This app is only for leisure entertainment purpose. Although it is designed and engineered for best accuracy, this is NOT a FAA certified flying instrument hence it should NEVER be used for flying or other high-risk activities such as skydiving, hang gliding, hot-air-ballooning etc… Always use certified instruments for the high-risk activities, do not use this app as a replacement. Meanwhile, we hope you enjoy the pocket-sized aviation altimeter! ## Key features - Uses iPhone barometer for air pressure sensing - Measures altitude based on air pressure - Accurate readings comparable to professional altimeters - Adjustable air pressure compensation - Demonstrates altitude changes in elevators ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | No ads for a lifetime | $6.99 | one-time | ## Recent user reviews (10 of 33) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pilot-aviation-altimeter/id1469731805/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Great App *2025-08-19* Works as it should 😊 ### 5/5 — A Realistic Altimeter *2025-02-21* Reviewed this before. Very sensitive - it even registers altitude change when driving on overpasses! Can be used in reverse to determine the barometric altimeter setting, relative to sea level, by inputting a "known altitude". A great app! ### 5/5 — Love it! *2025-01-02* Fun app for aviators & aviation enthusiasts. I highly recommend it ### 5/5 — Altimeter *2024-12-07, version 1.2.0* Doesn’t seem correct any more, 400 ft extra.All good now. Fantadtic.👍👍👍 ### 5/5 — Absolutely love it *2024-07-20* This app is awesome and the graphics are incredible, please buy this app to support the creator so they can make more apps like it! ### 5/5 — Seems to work just fine. *2024-07-18* I really like the way this app works! ### 5/5 — Altimeter *2024-06-09* Doesn’t seem correct any more, 400 ft extra.All good now. Fantadtic.👍 **Developer response:** I'm glad you like the app and thanks for the kind review! ### 5/5 — ALT *2024-04-29, version 1.2.0* A nice ap! ### 5/5 — Very accurate *2024-02-04* This is a great tool. You can use it to validate the altitude or with a known altitude, you can check the pressure for weather changes. ### 5/5 — Grate app !! *2024-01-31, version 1.2.0* 👍 ## Frequently asked questions about Pilot ### What does the Pilot: Aviation Altimeter app do? This app functions as a pressure altimeter, utilizing your iPhone's built-in barometer to measure surrounding air pressure and determine your altitude. It mimics the functionality of professional aviation altimeters by correlating air pressure with height. ### How accurate is this altimeter app? The app is designed for high accuracy, with users reporting readings within +/-40 feet of professional Garmin devices, well within the FAA standard of +/-75 feet. It uses the same principle as professional pressure altimeters, but accuracy can be slightly affected by daily weather variations, which can be compensated for within the app. ### Is this app safe to use for actual flying? No, this app is strictly for leisure entertainment and educational purposes. It is NOT a FAA certified flying instrument and should NEVER be used for actual flying or other high-risk activities. Always rely on certified instruments for critical operations. ### How does the app measure altitude? The app uses your iPhone's internal air pressure sensor (barometer). The principle is that air pressure decreases as altitude increases. By measuring the ambient air pressure, the app calculates your corresponding altitude. ### What makes this app different from GPS altitude apps? Unlike apps that rely solely on GPS or elevation maps (ASTER), this app uses real-time air pressure readings. GPS altitude can have significant errors (around 300ft), and map-based methods are less accurate when not on the ground surface. This pressure-based method provides a more direct and accurate measurement of altitude. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.2.0 — 2023-01-20 The altimeter now supports touch gestures: drag up or down to adjust the pressure compensation, or double-tap to set the standard pressure. Performance is even smoother than before and a few bugs have been fixed. ### 1.1.4 — 2021-10-19 A few more small improvements and bug fixes. ### 1.1.3 — 2021-10-05 Several small improvements and bug fixes, including fixes for iOS 15, keeping the display on while displaying the altitude, and restoring a previous pressure setting. ### 1.1.2 — 2020-12-06 Bug fixes ### 1.1.1 — 2020-11-03 Improved tapping buttons for pressure adjustment. ## Apps similar to Pilot | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [uvGO](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/uvgo/id1009578990) | 4.3 (72) | Free | Navigation | | [FlyQ+ EFB](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flyq-plus-efb/id915571252) | 4.0 (805) | Free | Navigation | | [Airmate](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/airmate/id998181102) | 4.6 (525) | Free | Navigation | | [MyWayRTK NTRIP](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mywayrtk-ntrip/id1065639240) | 5.0 (2) | Free | Navigation | | [VDMS](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vdms/id1221335560) | — | Free | Navigation | | [TaRastreado](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tarastreado/id1117074980) | 1.0 (1) | Free | Navigation | --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*