Flight IFR Nav Trainer vs SimControlX
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Flight IFR Nav Trainer
Practice Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) navigation with this simulator. Learn and hone your skills using various aircraft instruments and customizable flight parameters. Ideal for student pilots and instructors.
- Unlimited IFR procedures
- Customizable navigation aids
- Adjustable aircraft position and speed
- Configurable runway settings
- VOR, HSI, RMI instrument simulation
- Heading and speed control
- Course selector
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A simple and easy way to learn and practice IFR flying. We offer this simulator for pilots to get experience about IFR flight navigation. It provides unlimited IFR procedures by letting users to set up any variation of: Navigation aids Aircraft position, speed and movement Runway position and direction Wind direction and speed The following Instruments can be used during flight: VOR HSI Directional gyro DME Airspeed indicator RMI, ADF and more Basic functions: -heading control / (directional gyro) -speed control -course selector -DME -radial help -hide mode -random location change IFR trainer PRO version (in-app purchase) -more aircraft instruments -course selector, OBS, CDI -wind simulation -runway mode -trace mode Nav trainer - instrument navigation for pilots. We recommend it for students to learn and instructors to teach IFR flying.
SimControlX
Control your flight simulator from your iPad with this instructor station app. Remotely manage aircraft position, weather, and system failures for realistic training and enhanced gameplay. Connects via Wi-Fi to supported simulators.
- iPad instructor station for flight simulators
- Remote aircraft repositioning
- Customizable weather settings
- Simulated system and engine failures
- Worldwide moving map with flight path tracing
- Quick Wi-Fi connection to simulator
- Fuel and battery recharge options
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SimControlX is a sophisticated iPad-based Instructor / Operator Station (IOS) for Prepar3D®, X-Plane and ELITE XTS flight simulators (please review currently supported simulator versions below). SimControlX brings updated iOS platform support, various under-the-hood improvements, a fresh look-and-feel as well as useful new features to its capable predecessor SimControl. It uses Wi-Fi to communicate to the host simulator via custom server software which can be obtained from www.simcontrol.net. SimControlX will enhance your flight simulator experience unlike any other app on the market. This app gives you the power of a powerful instructor station, in your lap! SimControlX grants users the ability to reposition aircraft instantly, change the wind and weather, fail engine components or instruments for realistic training in your simulator and much more without ever needing to get out of the captain’s chair or interrupt the simulation. This helps make the experience fun again by alleviating many of the common complaints, distractions, and tasks that require navigating through multiple computer screens. SimControlX also makes training scenarios easier than ever to achieve. With the use of instant aircraft repositioning you could, for instance, set yourself up for an approach 5, 10 or 15 nautical miles from the runway or even left or right downwind, as many times as you need or practice engine out procedures with the press of a button. Supported Simulators: - Prepar3D® v3.4, v4.0+ and 5.0+ - X-Plane 10 [64-bit] and X-Plane 11 - ELITE XTS Key Features: - Worldwide moving map screen with flight path tracing (requires internet connection) - Changing of user aircraft without using any tedious menus in the host simulator (P3D & X-Plane only) - Instant repositioning of aircraft - Set custom weather settings with multiple layers - Option to use current real METAR weather settings for your local area (requires internet connection) - Quick and easy connection to the simulator over WiFi - Fuel top off and battery recharge at the click of a button - AI traffic display on map (P3D & X-Plane only) - Dedicated failures page for instruments, systems, and engine malfunctions and random failures * This software as well as included data and charts are NOT for real world aviation use. They are intended for flight simulator use only. You must consult appropriate sources before flying a real aircraft. * More information available at www.simcontrol.net * For app support please contact support@simcontrol.net * For non-support questions, please use this email: info@simcontrol.net Credits: * Simulator connectivity thanks to Lockheed Martin® Prepar3D®, Laminar Research's X-Plane and ELITE Simulation Solutions XTS
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Flight IFR Nav Trainer at Free against SimControlX's $19.99. Flight IFR Nav Trainer also leads on rating (4.6 vs 3.5) and ratings volume (299 vs 4). SimControlX's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 8 months). On review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Flight IFR Nav Trainer is free to download; SimControlX costs $19.99 up front. Flight IFR Nav Trainer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SimControlX asks for nothing beyond the download.
Flight IFR Nav Trainer holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Flight IFR Nav Trainer has 299 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 48% of Flight IFR Nav Trainer's written reviews are positive against 50% of SimControlX's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Flight IFR Nav Trainer ships an update every 8 months, SimControlX every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Flight IFR Nav Trainer | SimControlX |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $19.99 |
| Rating | 4.6 (299 ratings) — better | 3.5 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 47.6% of reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 299 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 33 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Free-Flight-Aviation Ltd. | ELITE Simulation Solutions AG |
Customer experience
Flight IFR Nav Trainer
SimControlX
In-app purchases
Flight IFR Nav Trainer
- Flight IFR Nav Trainer Unlock$10.99
SimControlX
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Flight IFR Nav Trainer free?
Is SimControlX free?
Which has better reviews, Flight IFR Nav Trainer or SimControlX?
Do Flight IFR Nav Trainer or SimControlX have ads?
Which is updated more often, Flight IFR Nav Trainer or SimControlX?
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