Hughes App vs SOLUS Copilot
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Hughes App
This navigation app provides pilots with essential flight data, including dynamic maps, georeferenced charts, and real-time weather updates. It offers comprehensive aeronautical information and robust safety tools for flight planning and execution.
- Dynamic moving maps
- Georeferenced charts
- Aeronautical data access
- Real-time weather updates
- Safety reporting tools
- Personalized service requests
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Unlock the Sky with HUGHES: The Essential EFB for USHST Members Elevate your aviation experience with the HUGHES app, proudly presented by the HUGHES Aerospace Corporation exclusively for US Helicopter Safety Team (USHST) members. As a comprehensive electronic flight bag (EFB), this app offers dynamic moving maps and georeferenced charts, ensuring you always have the most accurate flight data at your fingertips. Key Features Include: • Advanced EFB Capabilities: Navigate confidently with dynamic moving maps and georeferenced charts that integrate seamlessly into your flight planning. • Comprehensive Aeronautical Data: Access FAA VFR, IFR, Terminal Procedures, ZK Routes, airport details, and more. • Live Updates: Stay informed with real-time NOTAMS, METARs, TAFs, Weather Radar, and FAA Weather Cameras. • Exclusive Content for HUGHES Customers: Benefit from Special Instrument Procedures (SIAPs) and associated NOTAMS, specifically designed for your navigation requirements. • Robust Safety Tools: Enhance your operational safety with tools for reporting obstacles, navigation data issues, chart changes, and safety or security concerns—either directly or anonymously. • Personalized Services: Request Instrument Approaches, Surveys, Flight Inspections, or Heliport Inspections directly through the app. • Become a Member: You can also become a USHST member for free right within the app, unlocking additional resources and community support. The HUGHES app is your all-in-one resource for navigating the skies safely and efficiently. Download today to take full control of your flight preparation and execution, and join a community dedicated to helicopter safety!
SOLUS Copilot
An AI copilot for general aviation pilots, offering personalized pre-flight briefs. It synthesizes weather, NOTAMs, currency, aircraft status, and pilot readiness into actionable risk assessments to aid go/no-go decisions.
- Personalized PAVE-framework pre-flight briefs
- 30-second IMSAFE self-check for pilot readiness
- Real-time weight & balance calculation with CG plotting
- NOTAMs explained in plain English, ranked by severity
- Automatic tracking of FAR 61.57 currency requirements
- Pre-departure risk score with transparent factor explanation
- Live weather, GPS spoofing alerts, and NTSB accident database
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SOLUS Copilot - AI Flight Intelligence The pre-flight brief the FAA never mandated. SOLUS is an AI copilot that helps GA pilots make better go/no-go decisions. Mission Brief Get a personalized PAVE-framework brief before every flight. Weather, NOTAMs, currency, aircraft status, weight & balance, and pilot readiness, synthesized into one actionable risk picture. Pre-Flight Readiness 30-second IMSAFE self-check. Sleep, stress, fatigue, medication, and alcohol factors surface in your brief as decision support. Your data stays on your device, never shared with instructors, schools, or employers. Weight & Balance Load your aircraft, see your CG plotted on the envelope in real time with takeoff and landing points. Scorecard format: weight, CG, limits, go/no-go, all at a glance. NOTAM Intelligence NOTAMs in plain English, ranked by severity. Runway closures and GPS interference surface first. Route-aware filtering by departure time, runway, and altitude. Currency Tracking All five FAR 61.57 currency requirements tracked with exact expiry dates. Flight review, medical, day/night landings, IFR currency, and tailwheel. Risk Score Pre-departure risk score built from currency, recency, aircraft status, pilot readiness, and time-of-day fatigue data. Transparent scoring, every factor explained. Also Includes - Live METAR, TAF, PIREPs, and GPS spoofing alerts - NTSB accident database search - FAR/AIM reference - Logbook sync (MyFlightbook, LogTen Pro, CSV) - Post-flight debrief - Density altitude and performance planning SOLUS is a decision-support tool. All go/no-go decisions rest with the pilot-in-command per FAR 91.7.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: Hughes App at 8 against SOLUS Copilot's 1. SOLUS Copilot's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Hughes App against 5.0 for SOLUS Copilot. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hughes App has 8 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Hughes App ships an update fortnightly, SOLUS Copilot weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Hughes App | SOLUS Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (8 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | 8 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 494 MB | 29 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | HUGHES Aerospace | ALMEENA ANVARHUSEN SHAIKH |
Customer experience
Hughes App
SOLUS Copilot
In-app purchases
Hughes App
No in-app purchases
SOLUS Copilot
No in-app purchases








